HP Omen laptop won't start without the bottom cover

SkyTerran

SkyTerran

SkyTerran

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This is the first time I'm seeing such a behavior. I have an HP Omen laptop and I thought I'll change the thermal paste it came with with KryoSheet. I open the laptop, disconnect the battery, remove the factory thermal paste (as usual they put too much of it), put two CryoSheets on, connect back the battery and try to turn it on. The laptop would not turn on. I though I've fried something (the KryoSheet is electro conductive). Tried a few more times with and without charger connected - won't turn on.

I tell myself I don't really need a gaming laptop. Put the bottom cover back on, so I don't loose the screws. Try to turn it on one last time and it does turn on. So my hypothesis is there is a sensor that detects if a bottom cover is attached and the laptop doesn't start without it. Does that make sense? Have you seen something similar on other laptops?
 
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Is the power button on the motherboard or a daughter board?

Might be that there's flex in the PCB that the cover is reducing? Or maybe the board the power switch is on might be slightly loose so the plastic you are pressing isnt hitting the switch unless the back os on to push the button back up to where it will work?
 
I would guess it needs the cover to provide pressure under the keyboard switch/membrane and is probably an unintentional effect.

The service manual would probably point out where any sensor would be, assuming HP make them available like Dell do (and I can't see HP putting that kind of thing in from a cost perspective tbh).
 
Hmmm, just found out that removing the back cover while the laptop is working leads to it turning off immediately. I'm starting to think there's a problem with the motherboard PCB.
 
SkyTerran said:
Hmmm, just found out that removing the back cover while the laptop is working leads to it turning off immediately. I'm starting to think there's a problem with the motherboard PCB.
Click to expand...
If the battery connection is between the motherboard and the back cover, have you checked it's properly connected?

I had a laptop that would not start up without a battery detected which was a right pig to diagnose as the problem.
 
It's definitely not the battery - the laptop doesn't start when the bottom cover is not attached at the top near the function keys and the battery connector is at the bottom near the touchpad.
 
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