Solved! Laptop does not boot when it is cold (no bootable device found)

Dec 18, 2021
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So, I'm encountering the following issue with my 2.5 year old HP Laptop Omen 15.:
When the laptop is started up when it is cold, it says 'no bootable device found'. After a few tries of this (can take up to 6 times), the laptop is warm and starts up normally. Also when I restart after using it, it starts up normally. It boots from a 256gb SSD.

What I have tried so far:
  • Update drivers, bios etc
  • Check bios settings (right boot order etc) and set to default
  • Take out the ssd and refit it
  • When that didn't work repair windows 10
  • When that didn't work reinstall windows 10
  • I have now disabled 'fast startup' to see if the bios is slightly delayed, that gives enough time for the drive to become warm and 'active'. I have yet to see if this works, but doubt it

So, what could be wrong? I doubt it is a software issue after trying all that. Must be a hardware issue, where something isn't fully connecting when it's cold, but connects when it is warm or something? If so, is that a motherboard problem?
 
Solution
There could be many things wrong. It is no t a software issue--there is some component that is temperature sensitive. Finding it (I worked on avionics for years as a designer) can be very difficult. The way I used to troubleshoot this type of problem was with a product called Freeze Mist (don;t know if it is still made). Open the laptop (using good ESD practices) and warm it up. Spray some freeze mist (take it easy) on various parts and try to reboot. You may get lucky and find the problem. Don't overdo the freeze mist or you will break something else!
There could be many things wrong. It is no t a software issue--there is some component that is temperature sensitive. Finding it (I worked on avionics for years as a designer) can be very difficult. The way I used to troubleshoot this type of problem was with a product called Freeze Mist (don;t know if it is still made). Open the laptop (using good ESD practices) and warm it up. Spray some freeze mist (take it easy) on various parts and try to reboot. You may get lucky and find the problem. Don't overdo the freeze mist or you will break something else!
 
Solution