Zorin 18.1 installed OK but when I powered it off, the HP laptop would not power on again. Nothing happens when the Power button is pressed - no keyboard backlights, nothing on screen. I have found that I have to remove both the main battery and CMOS battery to get it to respond to the power button again. I have repeated the process several times and I get the same result each time. An AI search made several suggestions - shutdown via terminal, change BIOS settings, but none of these worked. I checked for any system updates, but the OS is up to date.
Hello and welcome,
Did you try to remove the battery, plug in laptop to power supply (so without battery), boot, shutdown... after that without changing anything press power
Welcome to the Forum!
So, You can get into BIOS, yes?
Thankyou for your reply to my issue.
Yes, if I remove both main and CMOS battery then plug in the power adaptor I can start the laptop and boot into Zorin OK. If I then shutdown and try a power up it doesn't work. I then remove the adaptor for a few seconds, then replug it, the laptop will start again normally and boot into Zorin - or I can access the BIOS etc. Since posting I have updated the BIOS which had no effect on the problem. So I have been using it without the batteries and unplugging the adaptor after each Power down. I might add that this laptop has been running Mint previously and displayed no issues.
I understand it was working on mint but what you're facing is not an OS problem but a hardware problem...
I agree, this sounds like a hardware problem to me. An OS, should never effect your ability to hit a power on button, and get a computer to turn on, power up. An OS, can only effect weather or not, you will boot into your OS or not.
If you got to remove the CMOS battery, just to get the computer to turn on, thats a computer problem, and could likely indicate a bad configuration in the BIOS.
Additionally, in regards to BIOS config, for Linux users, we recommend Secure Boot and Fast Boot be disabled. Those features when enabled, can interfere with Linux, as they are really only for Windows.
Only to double-check that: When You now try it with Linux Mint again, does it work? Could You test it?
Thanks for the replies folks. I have worked with computers since the 80s and for the last few years I have been repairing, restoring laptops. I have been using Linux since the 90s and I agree it does seem like a hardware problem. I have only installed Zorin so that I can become familiar with it to assist a colleague remotely, so for now I will just run it on the adaptor. I do have Secure Boot and Fast Startup disabled in BIOS which is otherwise configured for Factory settings. I will give a Mint live USB a go and although it will not be quite the same it may prove that it has nothing to do with Zorin.
Don't know if it would make a difference but is SATA set to AHCI as opposed to RAID?
There are 3 sequences for a computer startup POST, BIOS, OS, so you problem is during the first if it doesn't power on, it can't be the OS and will never be...
It might help to replace the CMOS battery with a new one. But usually the computer wouldn't start at all when this battery is empty. Perhaps the CMOS battery is nearly empty or has a loose connection?
I would be agree if CMOS battery would be useful to boot a computer, but it's not, it's just to maintain your BIOS settings...
Thanks for various input folks.
Just to answer a few posts -
There is no BIOS selection for Raid/AHCI on this laptop
The CMOS battery has been replaced.
I have re-installed Mint XFCE 22.2 beside Zorin and when I power down from Mint the issue is present. ie The power button will not initiate a power on.
I feel sure that I would have noticed the issue when I previously used Mint on the laptop so I can only assume that some weird fault has developed.
Apologies for posting to this forum on the issue.
As it is an old "Test" laptop I will continue to use it on the adaptor only where I can remove all power when I finish a session and it will then power on and complain about lost time.......
You can try many OS you want, your ptoblem is not and will never be the OS... It is a hardware issue...
Hmm ... maybe You should try to clean Your Laptop a bit. You could use canned Air and soray it to the Power Button; maybe a bit Dirt is there that cases this Error.
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@Nourpon. Yes. I agree with that.
On reflection, when I first noticed the "fault" after powering down the Zorin install I opened the laptop and replaced the small pcb that has the Power On button. It connects to the motherboard via a small flat flex cable. This did not fix the fault which rules out the power button itself. This range of laptop may be powered on remotely and via USB so after the input from the power button there must be a bit of logic circuitry and it must be there that has failed causing the Power on signal to be present all of the time. I say this as in the current state where the two batteries are removed I only have to plug in the adaptor and the laptop will power up. Thanks again for all of your input.
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