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Question

Laptop shuts off randomly but power led stays?

Jul 30, 2016 4:40AM PDT

ASUS laptop, shuts down randomly but power LED stays. At first time I was able to turn it on, then second time couldn't turn it back on as it seemed but after hour it reacted and turned on. Now it won't turn on, but that power LED works always when I push power button.

It looks like it pretends to work, but it doesn't?? (fan not working, laptop warms up, dust cleaned)

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Too light on details.
Jul 30, 2016 7:24AM PDT

No model, age and if there is a story about drops, water then it sounds like the usual old laptop failure. New motherboard most of the time. But there are other usual that I can't give a nod to yet missing the story.

Do take a meter to the CMOS battery and for the CD2032 you want anything over 3.0V.
Do try the generic reset at http://www.cnet.com/forums/post/30c241c5-dd8b-4d73-b08d-c6e15897fe5f/

Again, the story is light so I can't give further advice.

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Details. More details
Jul 30, 2016 8:03AM PDT

Apoligies. It's ASUS K52JR, i7-748QM cpu, integrated gpu. Bought it last year, its used. From release date I guess this laptop has 6 years.

Year ago it got a bit of beer spilled on a keyboard.

Tried your generic test - no results.

Strange that two times of three I was exactly on VLC player when it shut off. I mean gap between shut offs was 3-4 days. I worked with it but it shut off exactly when VLC was working. 3rd time it shut off on browser as I remember. At least on first two I could turn it on..

One more thing - power led doesnt shut down until I put out battery and/or charger. And at this moment when I put charger in, power led already lights up, no charger indicator, instead of it, led lights up...

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I think it's this model from 2011 or 2010.
Jul 30, 2016 8:12AM PDT

ASUS Laptop K52 Series K52JT-XV1 Intel Core i7 740QM (1.73 GHz) 4 GB Memory 500 GB HDD AMD Radeon HD 6370M 15.6" Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

That's an old machine. At that age you put in a new CMOS battery and tear it down to clean and replace all heatsink compound and hope that's it since the cost of a new motherboard can run half of a new machine.

The CMOS battery, compound and canned air is 20 bucks if you DIY. Some folk will not do this work and figure 170 bucks for a shop fee.

As to your 6 year comment, that's only if the machine is maintained, heatsink compound replaced when old and parts like the battery changed as needed. I do run into folk that think the 6 years should be without minor repairs.

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Well, let me just hope then
Jul 30, 2016 10:41AM PDT

I guess it's all that left for me.
No man, there are zero problems for me repairing at least what I can, my hardwares always dust cleaned, this one is no different. About 6 year comment, I dont know what happened before and about what I have now, I am really not that believer that it will last long without minor repairs. Just pushing to the limits and really trying to make sure thats not some kind of funny problem which happens sometimes.

Thanks for advices, appreciate really, goin to get battery, apply compound and just hope haha. Thanks again.

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Just checking.
Jul 30, 2016 10:58AM PDT

Was that generic reset done?

Did you remove all USB things and retest?

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Everything
Jul 31, 2016 6:34AM PDT

Yes, it was - no results..

About USB - my pc at this moment is almost naked..

I changed CMOS battery, but it isn't that. Now what bugs me, that I don't need to push the power button - I put in charger jack and power led already lights up. No charger indicator.

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Important update!
Jul 31, 2016 8:34AM PDT

Since I reassembled laptop, left only motherboard, this happened - I put in charger so led light up. Then I put in hdd - its indicator starts flashing, also wireless indicator lights up. Later I connect wifi adapters connectors - fan starts! Then I keep power button, it looks like fan turns off but caps, num locks, hdd, wifi indicators an led keeps light up. Did it ran out of its mind?

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I can't find where you put in a new CMOS battery.
Jul 31, 2016 8:50AM PDT

If you didn't it's still suspect. I will never write that's it but it's a dollar item (we buy them in bulk) and the number of years is past it's expected life span.

No HDD, ODD is needed to get the screen to show its splash or bios screen. I usually leave those out until it's working without those.

Let me explain it. I want to be sure it's not the cheap parts before I write it's the motherboard, big battery or other.

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Everything is done. Things happening
Jul 31, 2016 10:43AM PDT

I have written before that I did it.

Yes, I left all those hardwares out, no response on screen. Now I tried again turning on it, seemed that contact was unproper (put laptop on the bed) since power led disturbed so pushed connection between two MB parts and led lighted up, fan started working. But nothing on the screen. Pushed power button and it turned off properly!

Tried to imitate that - no results. As this motherboard is made of 3 parts, the power cord side part just got damn hot as I played to much with connecting it while powered just to repeat the situation. So...the same but as I reassembled it, it's like a lottery.

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When it's down to that many parts.
Jul 31, 2016 11:01AM PDT

Use some old tech advice. Ready?

"Replace the cheapest part first."

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Sure
Jul 31, 2016 11:34AM PDT

Ok, but whats the cheapiest replaceable part? Resistor Grin

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I have to agree.
Jul 31, 2016 11:59AM PDT

Replace what you feel it is first. Around here we replace boards unless there's a clear indication it's a part. One of the last few parts we are replacing outside of boards are power jacks.

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Not good in one spot
Aug 1, 2016 4:54AM PDT

Well one thing is clear - JMC5251 is out of the game. That area gets hot as hell very fast. I dont know if I burned it while deattaching this  plate to imitate bad connection and force fan (and laptop) to turn on as previously happened.
http://i64.tinypic.com/2qkt760.jpg but its responsible for gigabit ethernet and card reading..not sure  if that has something to do with booting fully, does it?

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It appears
Aug 1, 2016 9:17AM PDT

We've hit the end of this thread. I suspect you are reaching for board level repair but that is rarely if ever done today. Here we swap boards.

Long ago I did board diagnosis and repair but then I was being paid to do so (high 6 figures.) The companies figured out it was cheaper to swap boards.