The Asus VivoBook series offers powerful yet affordable laptops with a modern design featuring thin display borders. The laptops have high-quality Full HD screens that display vibrant colors and wide viewing angles. Their lightweight build makes them ideal for those who frequently travel.
While electronic devices like the Asus VivoBook may be durable, it’s widely recognized that they can still experience software and hardware issues.
If your Asus VivoBook isn’t powering on, a hard reset is the initial troubleshooting step. This process can often resolve the issue if hardware problems do not cause it.
Follow these steps:
- Disconnect the battery but keep the AC adapter connected.
- Press and hold the Power button for 40 seconds.
- Reinsert the battery and then restart your laptop.
Facing a non-responsive VivoBook can be incredibly frustrating and potentially costly if you need professional repair.
However, before heading to a repair shop, you might find it helpful to read this article, which provides comprehensive information to help you attempt to fix the problem on your own.
If the hard reset didn’t work, there is no need to worry. This article also explains other possible reasons why your VivoBook might not turn on and provides solutions to troubleshoot the issue.
If the hard reset didn’t do the trick, here are additional causes and potential fixes to explore when your VivoBook doesn’t power on.
Scenario 1: The power Light is off
When the power light on your laptop is not illuminated, it indicates a lack of power supply to the essential components. This suggests a disruption between the power switch and the power IC on the laptop’s motherboard.
Causes and Solutions
When a Vivobook fails to turn on, several factors could be responsible, and identifying the precise cause is essential to avoid unnecessary complications. In the following sections, I’ve highlighted the most common reasons that can lead to this problem.
1. Battery failure
In many instances, the leading cause behind a Vivobook’s failure to power on can be traced back to battery-related issues. Laptop batteries develop problems after 1-2 years or around 300-400 charge cycles.
To know if there is a battery problem, you must remove the battery and try to turn on the laptop by AC adopter. If your laptop turns on, you need to replace the battery.
To remove the battery of the Vivobook laptop, follow these steps:
To access the battery for replacement, follow these steps:
- Flip the laptop over to access its underside.
- Unscrew the screws securing the back cover of the laptop.
- Gently remove the cover using a card or a similar tool.
- Once the cover is removed, you’ll find the battery enclosed within.
- Locate the terminal where the battery is connected and unplug it.
- Place the back cover back onto the laptop, but don’t screw it in place yet.
- Connect the power adapter to the laptop.
- Attempt to power the laptop to verify that everything is functioning as expected.
The sticker on the laptop battery shows its model, power, and amps. Swap it with an original Asus battery for the best outcome. Chinese third-party batteries might work initially, but they usually give out within six months to a year.
2. AC Adopter failure
Sometimes, your laptop’s battery could be completely drained, causing it not to turn on. This situation might not be due to a faulty battery but because of a problematic AC adapter.
The adapter itself could have developed a defect, which hampers its ability to charge the laptop’s battery effectively.
To determine if the AC adapter has malfunctioned:
- Indicator Light: If the light on the adapter is not lit, it could indicate a problem.
- Smell Test: Gently smell the adapter for any burnt or unusual odours.
These brief checks can provide clues about the adapter’s status, but exercise caution when dealing with electronic components.
Detecting a burnt smell from the adapter typically indicates a failure of internal components. To address this problem, replace the AC adapter with a genuine and new one.
Choosing an authentic replacement is crucial, as opting for a low-quality adapter could potentially damage your laptop’s battery.
3. Loose connections
If your Asus Vivobook isn’t powering on, a loose power connection could be the culprit. Ensure that the power cord at the outlet and the laptop’s plug (on the NB side) are securely and accurately connected in their respective positions.
Take a close look at the AC adapter cable for any indications of damage. Should you spot any damage, it’s recommended to replace the adapter.
Furthermore, disconnect external devices such as USB drives, memory cards, internet cables, and HDMI cables. After that, attempt to unplug and then re-plug the laptop, as this action might assist in kickstarting the startup process.
4. Power IC failure
A power IC serves as a bridge between the power source and different components within your laptop. Its role involves regulating and distributing the correct electrical current to vital parts like the LED screen, hard drive, motherboard, and processor.
However, if the Power IC malfunctions or gets damaged, the laptop won’t obtain the required power to initiate.
Commonly, Power IC failure arises due to factors like humidity or exposure to water through spills. Water, being a conductor of electricity, can rapidly lead to the burning of the Power IC upon contact.
A skilled technician can easily change the Power IC, and it’s not too expensive.
They’ll use a tool called a multimeter to find short circuits on the motherboard. After figuring out the problem, they’ll use a heat gun to remove the broken Power IC from the board and replace it with a new one by melting and connecting it.
Scenario 2: The Power light is ON
When the Power light is lit up, but your Vivobook remains unresponsive, it’s likely not due to a problem with the power cord or adapter.
Instead, there could be an issue within the laptop itself involving its components or the software necessary to function correctly.
Causes and Solutions
If you see the power light on but aren’t sure if your Asus Vivobook is on, do a few quick checks before proceeding.
First, make sure you didn’t accidentally lower the screen brightness so much that it’s hard to see or turn off the display completely.
To make the screen brighter, press Fn+F6 together. And if you want to turn the display off or on, press Fn+F7.
If these don’t work to regain the screen, you can find more things to try in the blog below.
1. Loose Connection between LCD and Motherboard
Inside your laptop screen, there’s a bendy thing called a flexible printed circuit (FPC) that helps power the screen. Sometimes accidents can make this connection weaker between the FPC and the screen.
When this connection gets loose, the screen might flicker. If it gets detached, your Asus Vivobook might not show anything on the screen and might not turn on.
To check the connection, do the following:
- Unscrew the Frame: Take out the screws holding the laptop’s frame.
- Carefully Remove the Cover: Use something like a card to open the cover gently. Be super careful; even a tiny mistake could hurt the LCD screen.
Please watch this tutorial video before attempting this process;
An alternative method involves connecting an external monitor to your laptop. Using the Fn+F8 key combination, you can switch between displaying on your laptop’s screen and the external monitor.
If the external monitor shows a display while your laptop’s screen remains blank, it suggests an issue with the laptop’s LCD or drivers.
This approach helps narrow down whether the problem lies within the laptop’s internal components or software drivers.
To examine your graphics card drivers, follow these steps:
- Open the Control Panel.
- Select “Display Adapters.”
- Choose your Graphics Card from the list.
- Click on the “Drivers” tab.
- Check the status and version of the drivers.
- If they’re not working correctly or are outdated, you can update the graphics card drivers automatically or manually if you have the necessary driver files on your laptop.
At times, Windows 10 might encounter a glitch that results in a loss of display connection. In such cases, you can resolve this issue by simultaneously pressing the Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B on your keyboard.
This action triggers a restart of the video driver, which can potentially rectify the problem and restore display functionality.
2. Problem with the Graphic Card
Think of the graphic card as your laptop’s picture and video brain. If it’s not working, your Vivobook won’t show anything on the screen. A few things could be causing this.
Zenbooks have graphic cards inside them that you can’t remove like puzzle pieces. So if the graphic card get broken due to overheating or gets dirty inside, it might stop working well.
If you haven’t cleaned your laptop in a while, that might be why the screen isn’t showing anything. Sometimes, just cleaning the graphic card chipset can fix the problem.
Watch the video below to learn how to clean a Vivobook.
3. Loose or Dusty RAM
If your laptop’s RAM is having problems or has gathered dust, it can cause display issues. So, to fix the “Asus vivobook won’t turn on” problem, it’s important to clean the RAM.
Cleaning the RAM is simple. Just follow these steps:
- Disconnect the power cable.
- Unscrew and remove the laptop’s back cover.
- Take out the battery.
- Find the RAM slots, often on the left side.
- Gently unclip the RAM by pressing the side tabs and lifting it out.
- Start by removing dust using compressed air or a cloth. Then, carefully apply some recommended Isopropyl alcohol (meant for electronics) using a spray.
- Use a soft toothbrush to gently brush the gold contacts on the RAM.
- Wait about 10 minutes for the alcohol to completely evaporate.
- Carefully put the RAM sticks back into their slots, matching the slot marks.
- Put the battery back and secure the back cover.
Be careful not to force the RAM sticks; they should easily fit without excessive pressure. Pushing too hard could damage the slot, RAM, or motherboard.
4. Corrupted BIOS Setting
Viruses, specific software changes, or a fresh Windows installation can sometimes disrupt your BIOS/UEFI settings, causing your Vivobook to not start properly.
To resolve this, you can reset the BIOS/UEFI settings to their default. You can find guidance on how to do this by watching the linked video below.
