PHN16-71 Fails to Power On After Long Shutdown – BIOS Settings Reset on Boot.

Hello,

I have an Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (PHN16-71) and I'm facing a recurring issue:

When I try to power it on after it’s been shut down overnight or unused for several hours, it fails to turn on properly.
I have to press and hold the power button for several minutes before it even responds — during this time, the keyboard lights flicker dimly, sometimes turn off, and eventually it boots after multiple attempts.
After it finally powers on, I notice that some BIOS-related settings like the backlight timeout and boot sound are reset, even though I had disabled them earlier.
If I shut it down and turn it on again shortly after, it powers on normally without issues.

This happens consistently every day and seems to be a cold boot issue. Could this be related to the CMOS battery or EC firmware? The laptop is running BIOS version 1.18 (latest)

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

[Edited the thread to add model number to the title]

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Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/726108/phn16-71-fails-to-power-on-after-long-shutdown-bios-settings-reset-on-boot

Hi, run (paste) these 2 commands as Administrator: Dism.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth and press Enter, this can take up to 30 minutes to complete, just wait. The next command is the System File Checker: SFC /scannow and press Enter, this either ends with "Found corrupted files that were repaired" or "….did not find any integrity violations" repeat the SFC command till you see the latter. Disable Fast Startup in "Change what closing the lid does" and in "Change settings currently not available" and reboot to BIOS with F2, press F9 (Reset) and F10 (save changes). If this happened after an update, restore the system to before that update (see picture)

Axxo

If your Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (PHN16-71) laptop is failing to power on after a long shutdown, it could be due to a few potential issues. Try a hard reset by disconnecting the battery and AC adapter, waiting a few minutes, then reconnecting them. If that doesn't work, check the power adapter and connections, and consider trying a different power outlet. If the problem persists, it may be a hardware issue or a problem with the laptop's boot sequence, requiring professional diagnosis.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of troubleshooting steps:
1. Hard Reset:
Disconnect everything: Unplug the AC adapter and disconnect the battery (if possible, some models have internal batteries).
Wait: Allow the laptop to sit for a few minutes (5-10 minutes is recommended).
Reconnect: Reconnect the battery and AC adapter, then try to power on the laptop.
2. Check Power Supply:
Power Adapter: Ensure the AC adapter is securely connected to both the laptop and the wall outlet.
Wall Outlet: Try a different wall outlet to rule out any issues with the power source.
Adapter Light: Check if the power adapter's LED indicator is lit, indicating it's receiving power.
3. Battery Issues:
Charging:
If the laptop is plugged in, confirm that the battery is charging. If it's not, there might be a problem with the battery or the charging circuit.
Battery Reset:
If your laptop has a battery reset pinhole, try using a paperclip to press and hold it for 15-20 seconds, then reconnect the power and try turning it on.

4. BIOS and Boot Issues:
BIOS Access:
Try accessing the BIOS setup by pressing the appropriate key (usually F2, Delete, or Esc) repeatedly during startup.
Boot Order:
In the BIOS, verify that the SSD (or hard drive) is listed as a bootable device.
BIOS Defaults:
If you're comfortable with BIOS settings, try resetting the BIOS to its default settings.
5. Operating System Issues:
Safe Mode:
Boot into Safe Mode (search for "Safe Mode" in the Start Menu) to see if the issue persists.

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alexqw

the issue seems to be related to cmos battery since the bios setting reset and the powering up and date and time are also messed up

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1345286#Comment_1345286

Hi, not a CMOS battery issue, did you run those two commands I suggested above?

alexqw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1345291#Comment_1345291

yes i did and it didnt do anything

the bios and date and time change after every boot and every search suggested its cmos issue

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1345400#Comment_1345400

Hi, date and time at every boot does scream CMOS at first glance, but there are other possibilities worth exploring, especially with modern hardware. Here are a few other culprits that could cause this:

Embedded Controller (EC) Firmware Glitch A buggy EC firmware can cause power delivery issues at cold boot, resulting in symptoms similar to a dead CMOS—like BIOS setting resets, power button lag, or inaccurate clocks. Some recent models, like the PHN16-71, have shown this behavior even with a fresh BIOS.

BIOS Corruption or Flash Storage Issues If the NVRAM (where BIOS settings are stored) is failing or wasn’t properly flashed at the factory, it might not retain settings after shutdown. Running a BIOS recovery or re-flashing with the latest official version might help rule this out.

RTC (Real-Time Clock) IC Issue Some systems have a separate RTC circuit that handles the timekeeping even when the machine is off. A fault here—or with its power rail—could throw off time retention independently of the CMOS battery.

Fast Startup Conflicts (Windows-related) In rare cases, a misbehaving Fast Startup cache can lead to apparent time drift or reset if the system doesn’t shut down cleanly. Disabling Fast Startup might help isolate this.

Power Rail Initialization Failure Especially in performance laptops with multiple power domains (CPU, GPU, EC, BIOS), a delay or fault in the standby rail (like 3.3V or 5VSB) might prevent proper handoff between power states, disrupting clock maintenance.

A CMOS battery may last more than 12 years and IMO it is highly unlikely that a 1 year old laptop has a dead CMOS battery.

alexqw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1345402#Comment_1345402

then what should i do???

Puraw

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1345478#Comment_1345478

This model is 2 years old and should still be under Acer warranty, I recommend taking it to Acer Services in your country or starting online an "Under warranty repair ticket" with Acer Support and wait for instructions by e-mail.

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