I've tried to look into HP warranty options, but am now contemplating a DIY fix. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here's my story:
I have an HP Spectre x360 laptop which worked great until a couple of weeks ago. The battery was running low so I plugged it in. In response, the fan ran on high for a few seconds, then the whole computer shut down and wouldn't turn back on. The charging indicator LED also refused to light up when plugged in. It had suddenly shut down maybe 2-3 times in the previous months, but always powered back up again.
HP phone support told me to try holding the power button with F11 for 40 seconds to attempt a power drain, but that did nothing. Because I'm out of warranty, they said I could send it in to fix on a contract basis for over $500, which is almost as much as I paid for the computer and too much for my student budget. The only available post warranty would cost an additional $200+ and only last 1 year.
I researched the issue and found that some people had experienced similar problems. When they sent their computers in under warranty, they were generally told that the motherboards needed replacement. Only one person said that the problem was the power jack, but mine was replaced previously and wiggling doesn't seem to restore power, so I'm not convinced that's the issue I have. Most disconcertingly, some reported sending the computer in multiple times for service and having more motherboard issues. As a result, I think this is the most likely culprit and am not convinced that simply forking over $500 for repairs without warranty would be a wise use of money. http
/h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/HP-spectre-x360-13-4005dx-will-not-turn-on/td-p/5296988
On a whim, I opened the case and disconnected the battery, hoping that a hard physical reset would enable a fresh boot like it does for my Samsung tablet, which fortunately contains my notes. This didn't do anything immediately, but when I left it charging overnight and came home the next day, the charging indicator was blinking! I was able to power up normally, but noticed that the battery was still around 4%, so although it was able to turn on, there was still an issue with charging. I turned it off immediately hoping that the remaining juice could be used to get to convince HP support that it was working well enough to sell me a post warranty (which I found out they won't because I had an open case).
However, following this glimmer of hope, I again found that my Spectre was refusing to charge, as indicated by the absence of the charging light. Repeating the same procedure worked once more but has not been subsequently successful in enabling the machine to boot up.
I'm now fairly sure that sending it in for repairs would be a waste of money, and I found the HP parts store where I could hopefully order a new motherboard for far less than $500. Before I get into this DIY repair attempt, I'd like some input on the following questions:
1) Based on my symptoms, does it seem like replacing the motherboard would fix the problem? Alternatively, is there a way to find out whether or not another component is defective?
2) If I replace the motherboard, would my recovery drive be sufficient to restore Windows 10 on the machine? I unfortunately did not register my computer with my Microsoft account which apparently enables the transfer of the license to a new motherboard in the same system- a feature of the anniversary update.
I'd be very grateful for any guidance you are willing to provide. Please help me fix my beautiful 3 pound brick!
I have an HP Spectre x360 laptop which worked great until a couple of weeks ago. The battery was running low so I plugged it in. In response, the fan ran on high for a few seconds, then the whole computer shut down and wouldn't turn back on. The charging indicator LED also refused to light up when plugged in. It had suddenly shut down maybe 2-3 times in the previous months, but always powered back up again.
HP phone support told me to try holding the power button with F11 for 40 seconds to attempt a power drain, but that did nothing. Because I'm out of warranty, they said I could send it in to fix on a contract basis for over $500, which is almost as much as I paid for the computer and too much for my student budget. The only available post warranty would cost an additional $200+ and only last 1 year.
I researched the issue and found that some people had experienced similar problems. When they sent their computers in under warranty, they were generally told that the motherboards needed replacement. Only one person said that the problem was the power jack, but mine was replaced previously and wiggling doesn't seem to restore power, so I'm not convinced that's the issue I have. Most disconcertingly, some reported sending the computer in multiple times for service and having more motherboard issues. As a result, I think this is the most likely culprit and am not convinced that simply forking over $500 for repairs without warranty would be a wise use of money. http
/h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Boot-and-Lockup/HP-spectre-x360-13-4005dx-will-not-turn-on/td-p/5296988On a whim, I opened the case and disconnected the battery, hoping that a hard physical reset would enable a fresh boot like it does for my Samsung tablet, which fortunately contains my notes. This didn't do anything immediately, but when I left it charging overnight and came home the next day, the charging indicator was blinking! I was able to power up normally, but noticed that the battery was still around 4%, so although it was able to turn on, there was still an issue with charging. I turned it off immediately hoping that the remaining juice could be used to get to convince HP support that it was working well enough to sell me a post warranty (which I found out they won't because I had an open case).
However, following this glimmer of hope, I again found that my Spectre was refusing to charge, as indicated by the absence of the charging light. Repeating the same procedure worked once more but has not been subsequently successful in enabling the machine to boot up.
I'm now fairly sure that sending it in for repairs would be a waste of money, and I found the HP parts store where I could hopefully order a new motherboard for far less than $500. Before I get into this DIY repair attempt, I'd like some input on the following questions:
1) Based on my symptoms, does it seem like replacing the motherboard would fix the problem? Alternatively, is there a way to find out whether or not another component is defective?
2) If I replace the motherboard, would my recovery drive be sufficient to restore Windows 10 on the machine? I unfortunately did not register my computer with my Microsoft account which apparently enables the transfer of the license to a new motherboard in the same system- a feature of the anniversary update.
I'd be very grateful for any guidance you are willing to provide. Please help me fix my beautiful 3 pound brick!
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