Vivobook S15 from 2018 stopped working all of a sudden!

[gabrio81]

hello!

Earlier today my sturdy Vivobook S15 completely stopped working. Usually on 24/7 and has been a real workhorse so he can deserve some issue a bit... 5 years.

Anyway, was dong some Windows10 updates, had to restart, then went to black screen.... left it there for a while.... a long while, tried hard reset with button and nothing happens, no ASUS logo (in search of incredible), no boot screen, nothing nada.

What i tried:

1. Static discharge: opened it, unplugged battery from motherboard, power button for 40-60 seconds, put it back, plugged AC, nothing
2. Removed RAM, put it back, nothing
3. Removed SSD, tried to turn it on (should still boot right?).... nothing
4. Tested with battery disconnected and only AC, nothing

There is no light on the screen, power light goes on, CPU fan spins, there's power from the USB ports so that's quite bizarre indeed. I installed a battery from GreenCell and it was getting to 30% wear so that one was also old but it should still work!

Could it be the tiny but annoying CMOS battery that needs replacing? I've read that if that one is gone, it can prevent booting and other weird issues.

It went like this all of a sudden, no previous signs of failing, or losing the time, etc.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

[Falcon_ASUS]

@gabrio81
It seems that you have already tried all the troubleshooting steps that can be done in advance. If the problem persists, it might be a fault with the laptop's motherboard. Since your laptop may be out of warranty, if you choose to send it for repair and diagnosis, there may be a diagnostic fee and cost for replacement parts.
The following is the contact information: https://www.asus.com/support/service-center-location 
Also you can contact the local service center for help.
The following is the contact information: https://www.asus.com/support/CallUs# 
Sorry for any inconvenience it may be caused.

[gabrio81]

hi Falcon,

Yeah i am starting to think i am out of options, today i'm bringing it to a repair shop for a diagnosis.... but what about the CMOS battery? i've opened it (didn't remove the motherboard though)... is there an actual CMOS on these laptops or not? Someone on a forum said there isn't - or soldered to the mobo.

thanks,
Gabrio

[Falcon_ASUS · Accepted solution]

@gabrio81 
Currently, laptop motherboards no longer have a CMOS battery. You can only attempt troubleshooting by using the EC reset.
[Notebook/AIO] How to Perform an Embedded Controller (EC) Reset / Hard Reset
Sorry for any inconvenience it may be caused. 

[gabrio81]

ah, i see, tried like 10x that procedure and nothing happened, still pitch black screen, no Asus logo either.

I think it's related to power anyhow. USB ports still have power. Oh well. It's in a repair shop now. thanks!