Hey everyone, I'm really worried right now. I have an Acer Swift 3 (N21C2) running Linux, and I recently updated to kernel version 6.16.3. Things were fine at first—I even rebooted a few times without any problems. But after I shut it down last night, it won't start up now. When I press the power button, the blue LED flashes briefly, and then nothing happens; it just turns off. Plus, my USB ports are dead and not providing any power. This feels like some deep power management issue, possibly triggered by the new shutdown process in the kernel. I've already tried performing an EC reset, but it hasn't worked. Has anyone faced something like this after a kernel update? What should I do next? It's super frustrating that a software change seems to have bricked my laptop.
3 Answers
It sounds like you've encountered a power management issue rather than a permanent hardware failure. The kernel update might have interacted with an existing bug in your laptop's firmware during shutdown. You mentioned trying an EC reset, which is good. Just make sure you're doing it the right way for your Acer Swift 3 model:
1. Unplug the AC adapter.
2. Hold the power button for 30-60 seconds.
3. Release the button and plug the AC back in.
4. Try powering it on again.
If you're comfortable, you might also consider disconnecting the battery to fully reset the EC. Additionally, check the CMOS battery, as a failing one can lead to boot issues too, though it's probably not the main cause here.
I had a similar issue, and the repair shop said I'd need a new motherboard. So now I'm just getting a new laptop instead 😩.
What distribution are you using? It's tough to help without that info. If you're on a bleeding-edge distro, this can happen with kernel updates. I usually recommend sticking to more stable versions, especially for beginners.
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