ASUS UX31e - Power to power and caps lock button....thats it!!!!!

I left my computer on watching netflix one night, I wake up and the battery is dead. I try to boot it up and it goes into the option of selecting launch repair. I try to "start windows normally" like I usually do when the battery is dead, but it crashes and went back to the same screen. I select Launch Windwos repair, and it kept on crashing and looping.

Eventually, when I pressed the power button nothing happened other than the power, caps lock and one of the lights on the side lights up. No power given to the monitor
I took the case apart disconnected the battery and CMOS battery to try and reset and nothing changed. One time the montitor actually got power and I was able to get into the BIOS. I reset the BIOS, restarted it and it went back into the start windows normally or launch startup repair. Startup repair kept crashing and I tried the start windows normally. After that I got the blue screen of death (bsod). Since then, I have not been able to get power to my monitor.

I have tried connecting it to an external monitor(I always had it connected), and nothing changes. It has been about 1 week since I have not been able to do anything with it.

Is there anything I can do to repair it?
I loaded a RAM tested on my USB, and when it is plugged in, the USB lights up, but I have not been able to get a screen since to test anything.
I read that it could be the ssd RAID? is the repairable/fixable?
Is there a way I can test/trouble shoot to determine what it is and replace it?

 

Remove a stick of RAM if you have more than one. This sort of an issue can be caused by faulty RAM, sometimes. If you only have one memory module, then replace it and test if you can source another module/stick.

If it's one or more faulty drives, replace one (or all of) the storage drives to test. Sometimes a bad connection or failing drive will cause the system to not POST.

 

how do I go about doing that? I think it's integrated/soldered into the motherboard

 

It's a sleep state "bug" having to do with not entering sleep states properly before turning the power off. and it's probably caused the ssd (not the ssd with the efi boot and the recovery initiate partition on, which is soldered on the side of the motherboard, and uses a different power supply) in your system to go into a "controller lock", to prevent data from being harmed by illegal writes.

Same thing that killed my ssd a while back, on a completely different model.

Asus seems to have tried to prevent this from happening by disabling the low sleep states altogether in most new "firmware". But we're probably talking about a potential situation for all intel chipsets with the same logic controlling the sata bus during sleep states. Meaning, it won't be fixed. And with absolute certainty won't be fixed for the current models.

Asus also won't respond or accept this is a problem, in spite of these models shipping with ssds. This is of course not their problem.

I.e., you need to RMA your laptop. But you could probably put in a new hdd/ssd and install windows again on that. ..not much help, obviously, since the data is lost. Use.. frequent backups in the future. :/

(And keep track of when the warranty runs out, and smash your system in the road and RMA it three weeks ahead of time. Seems to be the best way to get your money's worth out of Asus.)

 

My warranty is run out. Any idea on how much an RMA would run?.

I am perfectly capable of replacing the SSD if that's what it is.

 

Would this also happen if I am starting it from a completely dead state?
Also, the first time, or the beginning of this issue happened when it was plugged in

 

It's possibly going to cost about $250 for the repair, but you can always call in to find out a rough estimate.
Sometimes, it's possible that the outcome may be better than expected *hopefully*.

 

$285 for them to replace the motherboard. Worth it or I'd it better to upgrade motherboard and replace it myself?

 

Don't throw in the towel just yet. Try removing the SSD first and proceed to boot with a bootable USB device. That defective ssd may prevent you from posting.

If that post is successful; purchase an 'mSATA mini' to USB 2.0 adapter for a chance of data recovery and an UX21/UX31 to M.2 NGFF adapter so you can buy an M.2 ssd instead; it's a standard form factor (unlike the UX), widely available (unlike the UX) and re-usable in newer systems (unlike the UX). Even the new UX301LA deploys these, belatedly ... they should've stuck to proper mSATA in the first place.

How does this theory sound;
Design, design ... assemble, assemble ... WTH!!! Damn parts won't fit, we need 6mm more space ... arghhh!!!! Ah, eureka; let's ask ssd manufacturer to make our oem products 24mm instead of 30mm wide. Hurray, problem solved!

 

Did you have display at all? Please also try what t456 has suggested.

 

I have absolutely nothing coming up on the display. It's as if it was dead/I never pressed the power button.

Well Asus has it right now. I guess I'll have them ship it back to me.

 

Okay, then it's gotta be the motherboard, or AC adapter.

 

Is this worth anything in this state?

I'm split between buying my own motherboard and replacing it vc selling it as it is and getting a 2in1 tablet laptop

 

For $430 you can buy a used, but working system ... not good, unless you sell the parts separately. Think you're better off doing your own repair, but do the motherboard replacement only as a last resort. Worst case is that you spent $50 for the ssd adapters and $150 for the mb (not counting an mSATA; this has future uses), but you'll certainly have a working system again. You may proceed to sell it anyway, but after spending all those hours on a motherboard swap ... guess you'll probably want to keep it. And it still makes for a good backup (or gift).

 

sounds like a plan. If I do have to replace the motherboard, does the Intel core i7 -3517U fit ?

 

Sadly ... it's both yes and no.

Yes; it would've interfaced, both have integrated graphics and even their tdp's alike; 17W. Unfortunately Asus, in their infinite wisdom, and Intel in theirs, have adopted the BGA-type connector for this system:



That being said, someone did manage to swap a BGA-type cpu. The comparison is unfair, however, as the Core's have nearly three times as many pins as that Pentium M's got. If anyone's done this at home, however, do tell. Anyway, if the new motherboard is needed, don't bother debating the i5-2557M vs. the i7-2677M; the performance difference is negligible. Just buy whichever is cheapest.

 

So I got it back, took the ssd out and tried to book with a USB and same thing happens. I know it senses the USB is in (because it has a light on it, and there was an initial flash of it). No response or power.

I have 2 things I want to do before I order a new motherboard.

1. Test the LCD screen. Any way to do this without another motherboard to attach it to?
2. Bake the motherboard. Ive heard that baking electronics can sometimes magically fix things.

 

After messing around for a bit, looks like I can't take the processor off. Its mounted with some sort of adhesive/silicone that I cannot cut through with a razor blade. I even put it in the oven at 215 (knowing max temp it can take is around 220) and the silicone did not soften at all, so it looks like I will be getting a new motherboard, unless anyone has any other suggestions?

Now back to the question of which motherboard? Is the motherboard from the ux31a zenbook prime that much better than the ux31e? Since everyone says many of the issues were fixed with the new ones.....

 

Yes, that's what a BGA-type implies. And why the mb's are more expensive; they include the cpu (and, in this system, memory too).

Not much difference, but it does have a better gpu and faster memory and the price is nearly identical, so ... an easy choice. Note that on ebay the "E" and "A" motherboards are used indiscriminately. So pay attention to the cpu's to be certain which type you're buying (and, again, don't debate i5 or i7; whichever's cheapest is fine).

UX31E:

• i5-2557M
• i7-2677M

UX31A:

• i5-3317U
• i7-3517U
• i7-3537U

 

According to this post in the thread "UX31 Completely DEAD! Help."

So, Im going to try it before I order one.

 

So, I baked it at 400F for ~15 minutes and then let it cool in the oven. When I put it back together, the same thing happens, (power button = caps and power light on), except they automatically turn off after 3-5 seconds.

Definitely going to look for a ux31a motherboard as searching for aux31e on ebay turns up a bunch of "parts" motherboards while the former does not.

Any reputable places to buy motherboards from?

PS. Also, thank you in advance. I have never taken apart a laptop, so this was pretty cool to me.

 

Have you checked with ASUS directly? Otherwise try eBay instead.

 

There are reputable sellers on eBay. Make sure you filter them by their reputation, and it helps to ask questions to sort of feel them out.

A return policy that allows refunds or exchanges is something to look for too.

 

Ah, congrats on a job well done then :thumbsup:. Usually people start small, with a new hdd, cpu or even gpu, but you did the most challenging repair first ...

Once you've done a few more (and you probably will) they all start to look alike. Which makes sense when considering they all hail from the same factory. Still, the number of screws left over after each repair hasn't diminished ...

Anyway, after the motherboard swap you pretty much have a full UX31A, except for the screen. So may want to consider a new project; upgrade the current mediocre 900p TN to a decent 1080p IPS. An lcd swap will be a walk in the park compared to the mb and the difference between them is night and day.

 

So, the motherboard doesnt fit.

It looks exactly the same minus the ram on the back, but the ports are slightly off and prevent it from getting seated properly

 

Newest update, I put the laptop back together with the original motherboard. Since the battery is dead , I had to plug it in to charge and whebi do, it automatically turns on. The screen dosent turn on, but there is some apparent power to the screen as there is like a gray flash. Almost like it goes from no power to on with a black screen for a moment.
Same story with the LEDs, all on except f2. I also can't turn it off while plugged in, it just "restarts".

New ux31e motherboard on the way

 

So, I got the motherboard in, installed it....I have power to the screen, yay!!!

Now, I cant use the laptop because I get the below message

"Reboot and Select proper boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected boot device and press a key"

No combination of boot gets it to start up.
BIOS version is 206 on this motherboard.


I created a a bootable usb flash to boot from hoping I could use repair startup issues on the installer but I does not fix anything. As soon as I take it out and reset the boot order to the SSD I get the same image again.

I will attempt to refresh to an earlier image of the laptop I have when I get a chance.

 

Did you try this from the following thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/637772-ux31-completely-dead-help-15.html#

Hi everyone. I've just signed up here to post a solution to this problem.

I'm a self employed computer tech, repairing all kinds of machines. I had a customer who thought that their charging port was broken as the machine wouldn't charge up.

Firstly, I tested the voltage across the charger. It was zero. I opened up the LED end and found a broken wire which I soldered back on. Testing the voltage again I found something I'd never seen before. The two bands in the charger are 2 different voltages (9.1v and 19.2v)

I connected it to the laptop thinking the job was done. Opened the lid to find the LED was lit on power, WiFi and Caps. The laptop wouldn't turn on. I held in the power button. All 3 lights went off and then nothing. At all.

My reasoning for this happening:
In order to make this laptop thin and light, ASUS have kitted it out with more powerful Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries. These batteries are miles better than standard Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. They are lighter and more powerful. However, there is a reason they are not used in laptops and other home electronics. They are more complicated to maintain.

A LiPo cell has a fully charged voltage of 4.2v and a nominal charge of 3.7v. They should NOT be allowed to discharge below 3.3v otherwise they can become unstable due to a chemical reaction that begins to occur in the cell. If they get below this voltage they need to be charged very carefully until they come back above the 3.3v threshold, then they can be charged normally again. When I opened up my customer's UX31 there were 4 identifiable cells in the battery. (14.8v when fully charged) Each cell was at 3.1v - below the threshold.

In my opinion, this is the main cause of the problem. ASUS, I think, have recognised this problem and the computer is set up so that if the battery is below 3.3v per cell, it will not switch on, as doing so can cause serious damage to the battery - overheating and possibly causing fire. (If you want to see how bad a lipo fire is, search for it on YouTube!). If the computer goes to sleep, it continues to draw voltage from the battery. In this situation it could take the battery below 3.3v per cell, leading to the computer locking down. Plugging the charger in doesn't do anything because the battery is reporting an error to the computer, so the computer wont activate the charging circuit.

This is a simplified version of how lipo battery chemistry works - If you want to know more detail about it then search online. I have worked with lipo batteries for years though, as they are used for radio controlled cars, so I have a very good knowledge of them. The battery chargers used in the RC world recognise the complicated and delicate chemistry of these cells and are equally complicated with numerous settings. (I think the dual voltage output from the ASUS charger is their attempt at a lipo charger)

My Solution

In order for the computer to power on, it has to be forced to forget the battery warning. I therefore wanted to remove EVERYTHING that could hold this information. However, the RAM and the BIOS are soldered onto the board, so removing them isn't an option. I took the bottom off the laptop (10 x Torx 5 screws); removed the CMOS battery connection, removed the main battery which has a screw in the middle, between the two halves, and one either side and then I connected the charger. There was still nothing.

I then removed the SSD (there's a screw under the "warranty void" warning sticker) and plugged the charger back in. This time it powered on and lit up. WITHOUT shutting down, I reconnected the SSD and screwed it down. I then restarted the computer successfully. With the power ON and the computer ON I reconnected the CMOS battery and the main battery. The computer stayed on and the showed that it was charging the battery. The battery remained at 0% for over 30 minutes (remember, the computer is set to say that 3.3v per cell, the critical voltage, is 0% - this explains why it was at 0% for so long - it had to be above 3.3v to be reported as having any useable power). It is now at 47% which should be halfway between 3.3v (lowest safe voltage per cell for lipo) and 4.2v (fully charged voltage per cell) so around 3.7v per cell.

IN ORDER TO STOP THIS HAPPENING AGAIN I HAVE EDITED ALL WINDOWS POWER PLANS. THE OPTION TO SLEEP HAS BEEN REMOVED IN ALL PLANS. POWER BUTTON = SHUT DOWN. CLOSING THE LID = SHUT DOWN. LEFT IDLE FOR 15 MINUTES = SHUT DOWN.

I suggest you do the same as I am POSITIVE that leaving the laptop on sleep or hibernate is causing the battery to go below 3.3v per cell which is the cause of all the problems. I imagine the replaced "boards"are either new batteries being fitted with a voltage above 3.3v, or a motherboard with a better charging circuit. BIOS updates may help as they could stop the lockdown of the computer if the voltage drops too low, but I'm not sure if the computer is equipped with an intelligent enough charging system to safely bring the voltage back up. Either way, this is a problem ASUS need to address!

Anyway, that's what I think is going on!

 

Can someone help me as to which drivers I should install?

On a fresh version of windows I went through one of my Restores I did, but it only brought back my old files, not the settings and programs I had on. Nothing worked(wifi, mouse), so I figured I should install all the drivers again, so I went to the asus website and downloaded most of them. I couldnt get the mouse nor wifi to work so I tried restarting a few times. Eventually my usb (both ports[the usb drive on the little board never worked after this reset]) stopped working so I tried different things and restarting a few times. Once it wouldnt leave the shutting down screen and I got the error, something went wrong message, would like like to start windows in safe, networking or normal mode, twice while restarting.

I got scared and am reinstalling Windows 7 Ultimate right now.

 

...think it could be that one of the cells had actually died? That the charger is intended for higher resistance..? I mean, it wouldn't surprise me if the software and bios folks at Asus thought Ohm has something to do with Hinduism, and would supercharge the battery because they think higher voltage is awesome, or something like that. But wouldn't it fit if there was another battery element that had died?