Introduction
In the event your Framework Laptop 13 (11th Gen Intel® Core™) isn’t powering on, it may be necessary to reset the state of the Mainboard by fully cycling power to it. Usually you’ll only need to do this if directed to by a Knowledge Base article or by the Framework Support team.
If you're on a Framework Laptop 13 (11th Gen Intel® Core™) and have needed to reset your Mainboard more than once, it may be that your RTC battery has reached the end of its cycle life and is no longer holding a full charge. You can reach out to Framework Support to request a free replacement RTC battery or if you have expertise with soldering, an RTC Battery Substitute module that removes the need for an RTC battery. To make the request process go smoothly, enter the email address that you ordered the 11th Gen product on and/or include photos of the system and Mainboard serial numbers.
Tools
Parts
No parts specified.
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Power off the Framework Laptop by navigating to the Windows icon on the bottom left and clicking on "Power" followed by "Shut down," or if on Linux, the equivalent action there.
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Unplug your power cable from the USB-C Expansion Card in your Framework Laptop.
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Close the lid on your Framework Laptop and place it upside down on a soft, non-marring surface, such as the bag that it shipped in.
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Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, unscrew the 5 fasteners on the Bottom Cover. These fasteners will remain attached in the Bottom Cover so that you do not lose them.
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The fastener on the bottom left (circled in red) will not unscrew as far as the others, as it is acting as a lifter for the Input Cover.
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Flip the Framework Laptop back over and open the lid to around 120 degrees.
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The bottom right corner of the Input Cover lifts up when the five fasteners are properly unscrewed from the previous step. You should not have to use any excessive force to remove the Input Cover.
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Carefully lift the cover up from the bottom right corner. If you need to, you can use the spudger end of the Framework Screwdriver to lift it as well. Lift the Input Cover off the Mainboard, flip it over (keyboard side down), and place it about halfway on the Bottom Cover.
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Using a SIM Eject tool or another small pin (such as a paperclip), carefully insert the pin into the hole at the bottom edge of the coin cell receptacle, and tilt it down to eject the coin cell battery. Please use caution here as improper removal can potentially result in damage to the RTC cradle
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Place the coin cell off to the side for now.
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Carefully disconnect the Battery by gripping the connector edges with both fingers and slide the connector straight down from the socket.
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With all power now removed from the Mainboard, let it sit for two minutes to allow any residual power to discharge.
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Now with the Battery still disconnected and the RTC Coin Cell still removed, plug your Power Adapter back into the laptop. At this point, you should see the LEDs on the left and right sides of the Mainboard start to blink red. This confirms that the board is powered on and in a reset state.
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Disconnect AC power from the laptop.
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Re-insert the RTC Coin Cell battery by sliding in the top edge first, and then pushing down on it until it clicks into the receptacle. Make sure the Coin Cell is aligned well, and don't apply too much force, as forcing the cell in could damage the receptacle.
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Carefully slide the Battery connector back into the mainboard, gripping both edges of the connector and sliding in straight without letting the connector twist or bend.
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At this point, plug the Power Adapter back into the laptop and let it charge for five minutes. The LEDs on the sides of the Mainboard should blink red when the Power Adapter is plugged in.
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If the LEDs did not blink red, with the Power Adapter still plugged in the the laptop, follow the earlier instructions to unplug the main Battery and plug it back in. After this, the LEDs should start blinking, confirming power. If not, please reach out to Framework support.
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After five minutes, you can disconnect the Power Adapter and reassemble the laptop.
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The cable should be inserted far enough that the white line almost touches the receptacle.
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If it is not inserted far enough, you'll need to flip up the black latch on the other side of the connector, slide the cable in further, and then close the black latch again.
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Flip the Input Cover over the Bottom Cover so that the keyboard is facing up and attach it to the Bottom Cover by aligning the top and bottom edges of both covers.
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The covers are magnetic and should fit into one another easily. If you feel any resistance simply lift the Input Cover up and try again.
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Close the Framework Laptop and turn it upside down to reveal fasteners on the Bottom Cover.
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Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, screw all 5 fasteners back in.
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Plug your Power Adapter back in and let the laptop charge for 24 hours. You can use your laptop during this time, but keep it plugged in to let the RTC Coin Cell fully recharge.
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If you run into any issues during this process, please reach out to the Framework Support team. We’re here to help.
And again, if you're on a Framework Laptop 13 (11th Gen Intel® Core™) and have needed to reset your Mainboard more than once, it may be that your RTC battery has reached the end of its cycle life and is no longer holding a full charge. You can reach out to Framework Support to request a free replacement RTC battery or if you have expertise with soldering, an RTC Battery Substitute module that removes the need for an RTC battery. To make the request process go smoothly, enter the email address that you ordered the 11th Gen product on and/or include photos of the system and Mainboard serial numbers.
If you run into any issues during this process, please reach out to the Framework Support team. We’re here to help.
And again, if you're on a Framework Laptop 13 (11th Gen Intel® Core™) and have needed to reset your Mainboard more than once, it may be that your RTC battery has reached the end of its cycle life and is no longer holding a full charge. You can reach out to Framework Support to request a free replacement RTC battery or if you have expertise with soldering, an RTC Battery Substitute module that removes the need for an RTC battery. To make the request process go smoothly, enter the email address that you ordered the 11th Gen product on and/or include photos of the system and Mainboard serial numbers.
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17 Comments
I cant seem to make a framework laptop 13 AMD DIY edition reset its bios password using this guide. this guide, the LED colors blinking etc. is not exactly matching the behavior on the AMD edition of framework. what am I doing wrong here? any update or more precise information for more framework laptop models etc? thanks.
If I have followed these steps twice now, and after 24 hours the laptop will still not turn on when trying to power up, is my next step to replace the RTC coin cell?
Everything else seems to be okay, minus the coin cell. If I leave my laptop on, or asleep, everything is fine. But after letting it charge for 24 hours, it still will not power on after I shut it down.
Thanks for the help!
Side note: I think this was a result of stupid Windows modern standby. Twice a week I had the machine try to shut down, and would get stuck and not shut down. Then the machine ramps fully for 5 minutes, and I have to manually hold the power button down to turn it off. I hope Microsoft eventually resolves this standby nonsense.
Laptop was plugged into one of those wall outlets you can switch off; accidentally switched it off. A week later, the laptop was a brick. No lights, no charge. Followed this guide, now the LED side lights are solid white when the AC adaptor is plugged in. Now it's a brick with a tiny white LED. Ordered a new battery. Repeated this guide. No dice.
If I haven't used my laptop for ~7 days, it won't boot up without being plugged in. Support suggested this guide. It didn't make any difference. Easy enough steps to follow but it did not fix my problem. I can't recommend Framework to others because of how quickly the RTC battery dies. It's a huge inconvenience.
I have gone through this guide several times without success!
