Lenovo laptop not powering on unless CMOS battery disconnected.

[LordX]

Hey all. Have a customers laptop here that is being annoying. When I got it, no power on at all... and it looks like it has TWO different power buttons. Almost like in the old days when some laptops would serve as a portable DVD player with a special button... remember those??

Anyway, no power at all with either button. When I opened up the machine, I disconnected the internal battery, and the CMOS battery. Reconnected the CMOS, and then external power - bam - it immediately powered on (NOTE: It powered on without me pressing the power button).

Now - if I shut it down fully again, it wont power back on again.

I checked the connections on the board to see if the daughter board or keyboard was loose etc. Everything looks like I would expect it to. So odd........

Customer is ok with replacing the 3-4 year old machine - but aside from this issue - the laptop is in decent shape... Core i5, 12gb Ram, SSD....

 

[GTP]

Is there a small hole on the bottom of the laptop? There should be a "Reset" button you can press with a paperclip.
I've had to do this a few times in the same situation.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Laptop model number?

 

[Blues]

Do you have to press both power buttons together? with as little detail as I have going here I'm just throwing things out.

 

[LordX]

Laptop model number?

Ideapad 3 15ITL05

Neither the power button on the keyboard, or the 'other' button have any light on them. At any time. Even though there is a little LED light on the keyboard power button....

Still makes me feel like there is a cable or daughterboard disconnected.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Ideapad 3 15ITL05

Thanks. Weird that the user guide doesn't show the same button layout, i.e., they only have one power button (the one at the top). Some laptops won't power on if the main battery is disconnected. Disconnecting both batteries resets the BIOS, which enables it to restart. I would try updating the BIOS once you get it turned on. Also check the condition of the battery using Battery Info View. Is it swollen at all?

 

[LordX]

Thanks. Weird that the user guide doesn't show the same button layout, i.e., they only have one power button (the one at the top). Some laptops won't power on if the main battery is disconnected. Disconnecting both batteries resets the BIOS, which enables it to restart. I would try updating the BIOS once you get it turned on. Also check the condition of the battery using Battery Info View. Is it swollen at all?

Battery is nice and flat, shows charged, and works when I unplug the AC power. I will run that program and see.

Yeah, this is like a freak system....