Help Me

[Ardy4]

I have an HP Victus 15 (FB0147AX). One morning, when I powered it on, I got a BIOS message saying the system had previously shut down due to overheating (or something similar). However, I had shut it down normally the previous night, and Windows Event Viewer also showed a proper shutdown. Since the laptop had never overheated or shut down while I was using it, I wasn't convinced it was a thermal paste issue.
To test it, I plugged in the charger (battery was above 90%) and played a game. After about 30 minutes, the laptop suddenly powered off. I waited another 30 minutes before trying to turn it back on, but it wouldn't start.
I opened the laptop and found that the battery was severely swollen. I disconnected the battery and tried powering the laptop using only the charger, but it still showed no signs of life—no charging LED or power LED.
I verified with a multimeter that the charger is working correctly and that power is reaching the motherboard through the DC jack cable. Despite this, the laptop remains completely dead.
What could be causing this, and what should I check next? I live in a rural area where there are no laptop repair shops or qualified technicians nearby.

[haythamkha]

Based on the symptoms, I would not treat this as a thermal paste issue at this stage.

The first and most important point is safety. Since the battery was severely swollen, do not reconnect or reuse it. HP recommends discontinuing use of the notebook if the battery is swollen until the battery can be replaced:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_4158581-4158704-16

After removing the battery, try a full power reset as recommended by HP:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_1997208-1551050-16

Steps:

1. Disconnect the AC adapter.
2. Disconnect the swollen battery.
3. Hold the power button for 30–60 seconds.
4. Connect only a known-good original HP AC adapter.
5. Try powering on the notebook without the battery installed.

Also verify the AC adapter using HP’s official AC adapter troubleshooting guide:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_2025983-1502949-16

If there is still no charging LED, no power LED, and no response at all, while voltage is confirmed reaching the motherboard through the DC jack, then the issue is most likely on the motherboard power input/charging circuit, not Windows, BIOS, or thermal paste.

Possible failed areas include the input protection fuse, DC-in MOSFETs, charging IC, or a shorted power rail caused by the swollen battery or a related power fault.

At this point, I would avoid repeated power-on attempts. The battery must be replaced, but replacing the battery alone may not revive the laptop if the motherboard power circuit has already failed. The safest next step is HP service or motherboard-level inspection by a qualified technician.