HP Spectre Folio Won't Power On

[Caveat-Emptor]

Yup, exactly the same problem - twice.

Happened the first time about 4 months ago - left it overnight and it fired up next morning - happened again last Friday and as of today, nothing.

No sign of life.

My wife uses this laptop professionally for our business, so I hope HP can fix it, or at least recover the information.

If the FBI can recover information from 'dead' laptops, I fully expect HP has the know-how to do so.

This was s stylish and expensive piece of kit and she's had it since Christmas 2019.

Be a shame to find out that HP's engineering team are building dogs and lemons...

[Echo_Lake]

@Caveat-Emptor

Thank you for posting on HP Support Community.
 

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, I have a few troubleshooting steps we could try to fix the issue:  

• Firstly, remove the hard drive from the computer.
• Once the hard drive is removed turn on the computer without the hard drive- While booting as the computer doesn’t detect a hard drive so it’ll automatically roll back to the previous bios.
• Put the HDD back in and turn it ON. It might give an error about the improper shutdown. Just click continue and it should boot to windows.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[Caveat-Emptor]

I checked the web and HP's own site and I realised (unfortunately) that the way this laptop is constructed makes it susceptible to overheating failures, because of the fan-less build.

Elegant, but an engineering 'wet-dream'... Intel should have known better.

There was absolutely zero guidance wrt allowing the machine to cool before closing the lid and the patch to turn down the CPU speed to reduce heat came far too late for most people.

HP was not particularly pro-active about telling owners about the problem they foresaw (presuming they actually did).

You know who we are and it shouldn't be our job to warn ourselves about your products.

Your suggestion about removing the 'hard-drive' is pretty disingenuous as the whole thing has to be dis-assembled to remove the SSD, so while I'm in there, I might as well replace the motherboard.

This thing is so dead, the Good Lord himself couldn't breathe life back into it, so pulling out the SSD is not going to give the BIOS any CPR. A Taser couldn't do that.

So I'm only replacing the motherboard  for data recovery, and it's a lesson hard-learned.

Particularly when the tiny motherboard is $700 plus then the labour on top to add , to replace.

Daylight robbery.

Little wonder you are picking up so much flak. 

Most of it is, sadly, deserved, though it's not your personal fault.

[Echo_Lake]

@Caveat-Emptor

Thank you for posting back.

Thank you for remaining patient. 

As we have limited support boundaries in the support community as of now.

I would request you to contact our Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link: www.hp.com/contacthp/

Please feel free to contact us here anytime you need any further assistance. Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[Caveat-Emptor]

Thanks, but I'll pass.

My experience of the HP support group has been less than stellar.

It took them 2 attempts and 10 weeks to fix my Spectre G1 bluetooth problem under warranty, 3 months after purchase.

Prefer to avoid that half-baked capability again, for the princely sum they will undoubtedly charge and there's a saying in our country which suggests that  'Anything you get for nothing is not worth having'.

Like useless advice.

I handed the Folio in to Houston Micro Center today and we're working on the least risky approach to change the motherboard without busting the screen.

It may come down to cutting the leather neatly along the hinge to access the hinge split screws, to get the keyboard out.

Any sensible manufacturer would have put a zip there, for the few cents and infinitely easier access.

Another insane manufacturing folly.

Suggestion for your marketing people - in future just say 'This HP product will last around  2 years of normal use, after which toss it in the trash, because short of a miracle, it is nigh impossible to repair because of the way we built it.'

That's the truth of it.

Sadly.

Now I buy the three year warranty, write off the machine over three years and if it breaks, apart from the inconvenience, its your problem to replace.

Only way,  and I spend the thick end of 5 grand on my laptops as I use them to make my living.

Come back Vaio - I miss you...