Hi @Scale_Hardwarebox_De, I am having a similar issue with my Framework 12.
I think your reasoning about why the power LED going out being due to trying to power other components is right, I am getting the same issue.
Following Framework’s advice here, I tried connecting my ch341a to my laptop (excluding the VCC pin) while it was powered. As soon as the probe made contact with the chip, the LED turned from red to yellow-green, but flashrom still did not see it:
No EEPROM/flash device found.
Note: flashrom can never write if the flash chip isn’t found automatically.
Maybe using an external power supply while the board is turned off is necessary? It’s what the person in this post did.
I couldn’t find a CMOS battery on my laptop either; I think it’s possible they don’t have one.