Help! Any ideas on Asus laptop that doesn't detect SSD?

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › Help! Any ideas on Asus laptop that doesn't detect SSD?

jonathan18

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#289451 7-Sep-2021 08:34

My son's laptop has decided this morning to pack a sad, and instead of booting into Windows it opens on the BIOS with it stating there's no SSD installed (specifically 'no storage device present'). It seems to be running fairly hot, and the battery is going down quickly.

It's an Asus Vivobook Flip (TM420IA-EC089T), bought at the start of this year.

I've found a few other reports of the same problem with Asus laptops, and I get one of the logical causes could be the SSD has become unseated - but I'm concerned that if I do check this I could be voiding the warranty and/or cause further damage (it's not like laptops of days gone by, where it was simply a matter of undoing a specific cover on the back for direct access, but fully removing the base and disconnecting the keyboard etc).

Can anyone advise me of what else I may be able to do to determine the cause and/or fix the problem? Is it worth opening the back to check the SSD seating?

It was bought from Just Laptops, so I imagine we'd have to send it back to Akld for warranty repairs and given it's my son's daily driver for school that does create some problems...

Thanks for any ideas.

xpd

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#2773370 7-Sep-2021 08:36

Being new, and its not working anyway, I'd send it back for them to sort out.

Whether you hold onto it or not, your son still cant use it.

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MaxineN

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#2773373 7-Sep-2021 08:44

Not voiding warranty if you check yourself. Just know that it’s secured by clips and screws so divorcing the back cover from the laptop will require some finagling. Additionally I can’t see how unless they failed to screw the SSD in properly during production but suppose anything can happen with these laptops(considering I bought and recommended these before in the past, I no longer recommend them due to QA issues and how broken the preinstalled windows 10 installation is).

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rp1790

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#2773378 7-Sep-2021 08:51

I have this frequently with an Asus small PC where it can't find the boot device, which is an SSD. Try booting into the setup and I think it might be pressing F5 to restore defaults and then F10 to save and exit.

Dynamic

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#2773387 7-Sep-2021 09:10

We supplied an ASUS ZenBook UM425 to a client in March, and it had intermittant boot problems where the SSD was not detected. We checked and re-seated the SSD, but it did not make a difference. I did not try replacing the SSD with a spare. Sent it in for service under warranty, and got it back three weeks later with the fault fixed but zero paperwork advising the repair method.

The service place was TechCentral and they are on 09 571 2418 according to the sticker on the bottom of my laptop. https://www.asus.com/nz/support/service-center/new%20zealand You could ask if they are open for essential repairs (presumably yours is being used for education purposes) and what their turnaround time is likely to be. If you were lucky, the person you speak with may be aware there is a bad batch of SSDs in recent ASUS machines and advise replacement will be their plan. I doubt they would courier a replacement part, but you could try asking. At best expect to be without it for a week, but with the couriers bring backed up it may be longer.

Normally we'd supply an HP ProBook with a 3 year next business day warranty, but with supply chain issues there were none in stock when the client needed one in March. When they basically threw the ASUS back to us in May, we replaced it with a ProBook and I've inherited the ASUS machine for the moment.

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jonathan18

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#2773392 7-Sep-2021 09:16

MaxineN: ... (considering I bought and recommended these before in the past, I no longer recommend them due to QA issues and how broken the preinstalled windows 10 installation is).

Yep, and I completely blame you for the recommendation! See https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=37&topicid=275838&page_no=2#2627608

(joking)

jonathan18

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#2773402 7-Sep-2021 09:31

Thanks for all the posts - interesting to see a few on here with the same problem from other Asus devices.

I decided to go through the Asus help steps as I'm sure I'll be asked if I've done this, and unsurprisingly one of the first things is to ensure BIOS is the latest; of course, I can't install this via Windows, but even trying to do so via Asus' 'EZ Flash' (in the BIOS itself) doesn't work as the USB stick isn't showing as a storage device (whereas it's clearly showing on the BIOS's front page, and it's def. the right file and the stick formatted in FAT32). So updating the BIOS isn't feasible (though I'm sure that wouldn't fix the problem!), and resetting the BIOS back to defaults doesn't sadly doesn't sort the problem.

Thanks, Dynamic, for recounting your own experience and providing the contact details - I'll give them a call and see what they're able to do, but it's a bad time for trying to get this sorted. This also makes me feel it's not even worth trying to check the SSD's seated correctly.

Yep, used for school work every day, so is an important device. I've set him up with my Asus C302 Chromebook which will hopefully do the job in the interim.

Mehrts

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#2773406 7-Sep-2021 09:42

With BIOS updates over USB drives, sometimes USB 3.0 will cause issues for whatever reason. If you happen to have an older USB 2.0 drive lying around, I'd try that before giving up on that method.

You could also try live booting into Linux (Linux Mint for example), and see if the SSD is showing up there. If so, you may be able to pull some files off it.

Just a thought.

jonathan18

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#2773408 7-Sep-2021 09:42

I spoke to Just Laptops and they've advised me to log a return on their website; looking at that, they kinda steer one to contacting the manufacturer directly for repairs (I assume the Asus repairers will be TechCentral, as mentioned by Dynamic.), though also have the option to use their own repair service (which they said isn't too delayed at the moment).

What would people advise? I'm sure wanting it to be done properly but also not to take too long.

Cheers.

1101

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#2773410 7-Sep-2021 09:47

MaxineN: Not voiding warranty if you check yourself.

worst advice ever. This is just not true .
Even Authorized Resellers opening up Notebook to install an upgrade SSD can void warranty for some Brands : Ive known of that happening

Dynamic

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#2773411 7-Sep-2021 09:48

Assuming there is a faulty component, who is paying for it? Will ASUS reimburse Just Laptops? In my experience, that is just too hard for an international company. Will ASUS recognice JL's expertise and ship them replacement parts to install? Maybe. Perhaps ask JL that question.

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MaxineN

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#2773415 7-Sep-2021 09:51

1101:

MaxineN: Not voiding warranty if you check yourself.

worst advice ever. This is just not true .
Even Authorized Resellers opening up Notebook to install an upgrade SSD can void warranty for some Brands : Ive known of that happening

There is no warning label or even any word on this specific laptop. Not the worst advice and I'm not going to argue either that they should or should not send it in for warranty. Just offering an opinion since they want minimal downtime and it fixed pretty quickly.

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jonathan18

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#2773448 7-Sep-2021 11:03

Wow, that was a frustrating experience...

Tech Central website down; Facebook page not updated since 2016; engaged phone line...

So to Asus... Absolutely appalling line quality for the Asus 0800 number - sounded like the worst possible 'underwater' 1990s MP3 rip - so incredibly difficult to understand what the CSR was saying. 23 minutes to log a job; and a turnaround time of 15 working days (excluding courier pick-up/delivery), so I imagine my son will be without his laptop for a month or so. Awesome...

Thanks for the posts and ideas.

1024kb

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#2776286 11-Sep-2021 09:10

1101:
MaxineN: Not voiding warranty if you check yourself.

worst advice ever. This is just not true .
Even Authorized Resellers opening up Notebook to install an upgrade SSD can void warranty for some Brands : Ive known of that happening

I could give much worse advice. Without even trying.

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