Power Button Fails to Start Laptop after a day or three switched off

A quick search finds the old floating point bug :slight_smile: this was when Adam was a lad in 1994, the only other bug I remember is the security problem which was a few years ago and must certainly be fixed by now.

So…

A. If Framework design their own motherboard?
B. If Framework have redesigned the CMOS battery circuitry

This could simply be just regular development
OR
There was a software/firmware/hardware problem that is being fixed.

The inability to check the CMOS battery voltage level on-the-fly is the real problem, otherwise its back to one of the many “fixes”.

To me then being able to monitor the CMOS battery voltage IN REAL TIME.
perfectly possible if there is sensing of the voltage to decide if it needs charging??? IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

Regards…

I checked with support on the monitoring of the CMOS battery voltage, charging state etc.
The official reply is there ISN’T ANY.

Seems like a “Doh” moment.

If I understand it correctly one of several things are happening…

A. The rechargeable battery discharges too quickly
B. If it takes 24 hours with external power connected then it charges slowly.
C. The rechargeable battery fitted to the first models such as mine to TOO SMALL in capacity.
D. There is a fault in the way the battery is attached to the mobo.

“A” may not be true (but SERIOUS if it is) as conventional 2032 or whatever normal battery lasts say 10 years) so discharge rate is MEGGA LOW !!

“B” certainly true and maybe if the Laptop battery isn’t charged fully when PC first used then the CMOS battery (supplied charged?) never gets its full charge? You are then in a loop unless you leave your charger attached for extended periods of time and the CMOS batter then gets a full charge. Modern battery charging does as far as I can see does not screw the main battery but people may still believe this and remove the charger or simply work on battery power (it is a laptop ! )

As you can’t monitor it? (Huh?) All desktop PC mother boards come with a host of sensors for temperature voltage etc. Who forgot the CMOS one?

“C” from some other posts it seems like it is and the newer model has a larger capacity battery (and a monitoring circuit saving you opening the cover just to read the battery voltage? )

“D” I have kind of discounted this one, without taking things apart {and breaking the 2 years warranty (UK) }this is a difficult one.

I charged the battery (not 24 hour charge) to 95% and switched on every day for four days, today 20th June 2022 it DIDN’T START so either the CMOS battery wasn’t charged fully OR it discharges tooooooo quickly.

Some official answer needed here.

Any info on the new model and its CMOS setup appreciated.

Regards…

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There is definitely a problem here with how often some users are having to reset the mainboard, as the connector is very fragile. Users are warned that the connector is fragile, but even experienced PC builders or people used to repairing consoles still accidentally break fragile connectors. For instance, I have seen many reports of these people breaking the WiFi antenna connectors off of boards.

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This is the same experience I had with support! But now they have stopped replying to my ticket in several days. @Burt have you commented over in this thread Viability of an ML 1220 rechargable battery for RTC | CMOS (11th gen) - #148 by d_p

I found your thread by accident and you have provided lots of great insights. I think the other thread title will cause many people to miss it. Something like “Laptop won’t power on” would catch more attention.

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Hi d_p

I only found the other (RTC) thread by chance, I think another person copied it to this thread.

I can’t alter the title of either thread and it is so long I don’t think I have read it all.

Possibly posting the title of this thread in the other post will alert anyone following it (which could be a lot of people) to this info?

Sorry to ask (as a long time IT person :slight_smile: but how do I add a link to another post in a post? When I sort out this simple thing I will add one to this in the “RTC” one.

Regards

There is also this thread on the same topic

Laptop won’t power on unless i plug in AC power

And the other essentially same topic PC won’t power on maybe due to CMOS battery running flat very quickly or maybe never fully charged

RTC: Viability of using a rechargable RTC battery

Been powering mine on with just battery for the past 3 or 4 days. Just went to switch it on (had 84% battery yesterday) and nothing…won’t turn on.

Hooked up to power and it booted but all the BIOS settings were back to defaults. Battery was at 83%.

Raising a support query.

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I have posted links to my post in the two threads I didn’t start.

Even if I could (unlikely) I would not want to change the title of a thread as it may lead to a bit of confusion.

Regards…

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Update on my ticket re BIOS settings lost.

Time and date correct and charge to 80% set and saved.

Charged for 24 (26) hours
Started without ac connected.
Went through a sequence of black screen 17 seconds with power light ON

Then power light off 2 to 3 seconds

The ON and Framework logo

Booted.

Checked BIOS Time and date were wrong two days out and four hours out

Reset 80% battery charge
Reset time/date in Windows
booted and checked BIOS, new settings saved.

This is tedious on any PC, on a new top of the range PC it is unacceptable to have to do this regularly
(elsewhere I read that (3.07 BIOS update fixed the power on probs?)

I assume that GFW30.03.07 indicates I have the latest “3.07” BIOS ?

I will now NOT charge the PC but power on with no ac connected every day and see if the problem persists.

Will try and update every day with the outcome.

Happy Days …

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I’ve fully charged mine to 100% and got the white light…then it went orange again.:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Left it on charge for another hour after that and will also check how it powers up in a couple of days time.

I’m a batch 8 (Feb 22) 3.07 BIOS user.

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You need to run multiple bursts of high CPU load to flip from white to red/orange again. (It’s to do with that trickle charge scenario) You’ll see that the battery charging would toggle from 0.00w to a positive non-zero value.

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You know I really didn’t think the Framework would have to come with a separate manual just for how to charge the damn thing.

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Update Wed 22nd June 2022 Day 2

Powered on ok checked BIOS and the changed settings are still there.

==========================================
Update from Framework where they suggested charging for 24 hours once a month to avoid loss of CMOS settings now that first 24 hour charge was complete.

NB As previously confirmed by Framework there is no way to check from within Windows on the voltage or charging status of the CMOS battery.

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Update Thur 23rd June 2022 Day 3
Powers up ok without ac connection.

(Which is more than I can say for the Pairgain Campus RS with REX2 Ethernet module I’m trying to configure :slight_smile:

Regards…

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Re the “Intel” problem and general info (from Framework ! ) on the CMOS battery, 24 hour charging leaving the Laptop unused for long periods etc. etc. this is a MUST TO READ

Read the Jason_Dagless post, it starts with “I got a long reply from Framework to my short question -”

EVERYONE with a CMOS battery problem should read this.

Regards…

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Days 4 and 5, 25th and 26th June 2022
Started ok yesterday and today.

Yesterday 25th power down to 20% warning.
checked UEFI BIOS and max charge still set to 80% so retained that.

Charged to 81%, light on LHS point flashing (orange ish) then momentarily (the UK momentarily, meaning just for a moment :slight_smile: changed to green.

Logged on and battery at 81%

I am probably going to take the risk of it not starting at all and waiting 30 days before leaving it charging for 24 hours+

This to me is the acid-test, it needing a 24 hours charge once a month, tedious but liveable with until hopefully a fix is found.

Hi amoun,

Very useful information, Thanks !!

I can live with taking it apart once (it’s a DIY machine anyway) that allows me to measure the voltage etc. too.

I read somewhere her that there is a higher capacity rechargeable battery too? In which case I could replace the existing one? Do Framework supply this, I will look in a moment.

PS I guess the discharge rate does not vary with use, but the CMOS battery does get a little charge when I have to connect the p/s as I did yesterday. This could slightly extend the life (ok JUST) to beyond the 24 days, 25 maybe? :slight_smile:

Regards…

I know this thread has veered into CMOS battery issue but there is one thing I would like to note my case, that seems slightly different.

My build is similar DIY build 11th gen, came with Bios v3.7

The power on issue happened to me only once. I had taken the new laptop with me and had to work from my car for a bit. To test if the car usb port could charge the laptop, I plugged it in to the USB C port (top right port). It started charging so I disconnected it and continued on battery. After a while, I closed the lid and drove back (maybe an hour). Laptop was on the backseat.

When I came home and opened the lid, the laptop didn’t power on. No lights nothing.

After a frenetic search, first forum article I found said plug in two power supplies, and I tried that, and I believe that did the trick. Since then I’ve left the laptop on charger with battery set to 80% most of the time… however I’ve left it on the bedside on a couple of occasions and it hasn’t had the power on issue next day morning.

It could be that was the first or second day of usage and the cmos battery hadn’t charged fully and hence it went bust (and the low power USB C connection didn’t have anything to do with it). I guess I’ll find out soon as I am expecting a far bit of “off charger” use in the next three weeks.

Could be an unseated cable but then I’ve taken in in a backpack walked about, been to friends, since then and it hasn’t baulked. So unlikely to be a mechanical issue.

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Day 6 27th June 2022.
Starts ok without ac power.

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