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Found a weird fix for a laptop that wouldn't boot past the BIOS screen
Had a client bring in a Dell Inspiron that just froze on the logo. I tried the usual stuff, clearing CMOS, checking RAM, even a fresh Windows install from a USB. Nothing worked. Out of ideas, I pulled the CMOS battery for a full 24 hours, not just a few minutes. Plugged it back in and the thing booted right up like nothing happened. Has anyone else had a stubborn BIOS issue that needed a really long battery pull?
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kimmurphy4d agoMost Upvoted
OH MAN, I gotta chime in here because @karen_sanchez49 is totally right about the nuclear option thing, but I have to gently point out something. That 24 hour battery pull is actually overkill in MOST cases. The real secret is that even a 10 minute pull gives the motherboard capacitors enough time to fully drain. The reason the 24 hour trick works for some people is because they're actually letting the BIOS chip reset its volatile memory, which happens in like 30 seconds once the power is totally gone. What I've found is that people who do the long pull are usually dealing with a stuck capacitor or a component that needed a full discharge cycle. But if you really want to be thorough without waiting a whole day, just pull the battery AND hold the power button down for 60 seconds. That drains everything way faster than just sitting there. Still though, gotta respect the dedication of leaving it for 24 hours. That takes some serious patience.
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karen_sanchez492mo ago
Yeah, that "full 24 hours" trick is the nuclear option. Sometimes you just gotta out-stubborn the stubborn tech.
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Honestly it's the only thing that works sometimes. These systems are built to wear you down. Gotta fight fire with fire.
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luna_wright2mo ago
I used to think being super polite was the only way to get help. Then my internet was out for 8 days straight and I finally just kept calling every single day, asking for a manager each time. They sent a tech out on day nine.
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