12-08-2020, 05:59 AM
Hi there!
I've tried to run my issue with Pine64 support, but they're no longer responding, so I reach out to you.
The main problem is that my computer suddenly wouldn't boot. The lights that usually go on to indicate that it's starting up were just dead: no lights.
I'll run my email conversation here, top->bottom, oldest->latest.
My initial email to support, politenesses cut:
When I attach the power cable to the supply, the light next to the power-cable entry-point shines red (as it always does when attached to a power cable), but other than that, it's completely dead.
I press the power button and nothing happens. I hold it for half a minute, yet nothing happens, by which I mean there are no lights that go on (which they otherwise usually have, i.e. the power light and the other lights between the keyboard and the screen).
I've charged the battery to the max, and nothing happens when I try to switch it on.
I've tried using a microSD card that's previously worked to boot from, but nothing happens this time. I used a Debian image then, without any issues.
I've opened the Pinebook Pro up and checked the cables and the switches, but they are as they should, according to https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php?title=Pinebook_Pro_Troubleshooting_Guide#New_from_the_factory_-_Pinebook_Pro_won.27t_boot_.2F_power_on - and I've not opened the Pinebook Pro prior to this problem occurring.
All the switches look as they should, and using the 'reset' button (underneath the hood, i.e. the button next to the one named 'restore') doesn't help either.
Pine64 support replied:
Please open the Pinebook Case, unplug the Lithium battery, connect the two jumper cable on the mainboard. Plug in DC power supply,
please advise whether your Pinebook Pro able to power up everytime.
Please note that jumper cable and battery connection is mutual exclusive.
My response:
I've just tried what you suggested, but the computer still won't start. I can't even see a red light after I've followed your instruction and connected the power cable.
Pine64 support asked whether I'd tried using different USB-C charging cables, possibly to make sure I wasn't trying to use a 0%-battery computer. I'd tried several different ones and also attached the electrical-charging cable that was included with Pinebook Pro. The battery should be fine, fully charged, and the battery was in superb condition when disaster struck.
Pine64 support then answered this:
Please check out the below steps and check whether your Pinebook Pro back to life.
1. Disable eMMC using switch #24 list on https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pinebook_Pro_Main_Page#Mainboard_Switches_and_Buttons
2. Please add Android image to microSD card, the build locates at here: https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pinebook_Pro_Software_Release#Android_7.1_microSD
3. Plug in the microSD card to Pinebook Pro and check whether able to boot up properly.
4. If able boot up, this implied your eMMC may be corrupted. If not, please lets know your observation.
I responded this:
I can confirm that I *can* boot the computer by disabling eMMC and then running the Android image from a MicroSD card!
Pine64 responded:
Please try download this build, dd to microSD. Boot up from microSD and follow on screen instruction to rebuild eMMC.
https://osdn.net/projects/manjaro-arm/storage/pbpro/kde-plasma/20.02.1/Manjaro-ARM-kde-plasma-pbpro-20.02.1-emmc-installer-20.02.1.img.xz
Kindly take note that data in eMMC will be format and lost.
I was *not* able to boot from that image (after I unarchived it and used dd to MicroSD, and also tried using Etcher just to make sure - both methods worked to burn the image to the MicroSD card).
I tried to boot with both eMMC disabled and enabled, via the switch under the bottom panel of Pinebook Pro, and neither worked.
I've since tried to boot from different images from Pine64 via MicroSD, but I haven't been able to boot from Manjaro, Kali, or Debian (all eMMC/MicroSD bootable according to the aforementioned Pine64 software page that their support people linked to): the lights on the keyboard level of the computer won't come on.
However, they *do* come on when I boot from the Android 7.1 image. I'm able to boot the image and use the OS, which is currently the only way for me to use the computer at all.
I also tried to boot a postmarketOS image (eMMC/MicroSD bootable) from MicroSD and after a while a big screen pops up and says 'unable to mount root partition'.
If anybody here has any tips on how to fix this, please comment.
Please know that I'm not at all Linux-savvy, which means I've not tried anything beyond the above. I'd love to be able to just use the Pinebook Pro and not have it collect dust while I wait for Pine64 to answer, if they will.
I've tried to run my issue with Pine64 support, but they're no longer responding, so I reach out to you.
The main problem is that my computer suddenly wouldn't boot. The lights that usually go on to indicate that it's starting up were just dead: no lights.
I'll run my email conversation here, top->bottom, oldest->latest.
My initial email to support, politenesses cut:
When I attach the power cable to the supply, the light next to the power-cable entry-point shines red (as it always does when attached to a power cable), but other than that, it's completely dead.
I press the power button and nothing happens. I hold it for half a minute, yet nothing happens, by which I mean there are no lights that go on (which they otherwise usually have, i.e. the power light and the other lights between the keyboard and the screen).
I've charged the battery to the max, and nothing happens when I try to switch it on.
I've tried using a microSD card that's previously worked to boot from, but nothing happens this time. I used a Debian image then, without any issues.
I've opened the Pinebook Pro up and checked the cables and the switches, but they are as they should, according to https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php?title=Pinebook_Pro_Troubleshooting_Guide#New_from_the_factory_-_Pinebook_Pro_won.27t_boot_.2F_power_on - and I've not opened the Pinebook Pro prior to this problem occurring.
All the switches look as they should, and using the 'reset' button (underneath the hood, i.e. the button next to the one named 'restore') doesn't help either.
Pine64 support replied:
Please open the Pinebook Case, unplug the Lithium battery, connect the two jumper cable on the mainboard. Plug in DC power supply,
please advise whether your Pinebook Pro able to power up everytime.
Please note that jumper cable and battery connection is mutual exclusive.
My response:
I've just tried what you suggested, but the computer still won't start. I can't even see a red light after I've followed your instruction and connected the power cable.
Pine64 support asked whether I'd tried using different USB-C charging cables, possibly to make sure I wasn't trying to use a 0%-battery computer. I'd tried several different ones and also attached the electrical-charging cable that was included with Pinebook Pro. The battery should be fine, fully charged, and the battery was in superb condition when disaster struck.
Pine64 support then answered this:
Please check out the below steps and check whether your Pinebook Pro back to life.
1. Disable eMMC using switch #24 list on https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pinebook_Pro_Main_Page#Mainboard_Switches_and_Buttons
2. Please add Android image to microSD card, the build locates at here: https://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pinebook_Pro_Software_Release#Android_7.1_microSD
3. Plug in the microSD card to Pinebook Pro and check whether able to boot up properly.
4. If able boot up, this implied your eMMC may be corrupted. If not, please lets know your observation.
I responded this:
I can confirm that I *can* boot the computer by disabling eMMC and then running the Android image from a MicroSD card!
Pine64 responded:
Please try download this build, dd to microSD. Boot up from microSD and follow on screen instruction to rebuild eMMC.
https://osdn.net/projects/manjaro-arm/storage/pbpro/kde-plasma/20.02.1/Manjaro-ARM-kde-plasma-pbpro-20.02.1-emmc-installer-20.02.1.img.xz
Kindly take note that data in eMMC will be format and lost.
I was *not* able to boot from that image (after I unarchived it and used dd to MicroSD, and also tried using Etcher just to make sure - both methods worked to burn the image to the MicroSD card).
I tried to boot with both eMMC disabled and enabled, via the switch under the bottom panel of Pinebook Pro, and neither worked.
I've since tried to boot from different images from Pine64 via MicroSD, but I haven't been able to boot from Manjaro, Kali, or Debian (all eMMC/MicroSD bootable according to the aforementioned Pine64 software page that their support people linked to): the lights on the keyboard level of the computer won't come on.
However, they *do* come on when I boot from the Android 7.1 image. I'm able to boot the image and use the OS, which is currently the only way for me to use the computer at all.
I also tried to boot a postmarketOS image (eMMC/MicroSD bootable) from MicroSD and after a while a big screen pops up and says 'unable to mount root partition'.
If anybody here has any tips on how to fix this, please comment.
Please know that I'm not at all Linux-savvy, which means I've not tried anything beyond the above. I'd love to be able to just use the Pinebook Pro and not have it collect dust while I wait for Pine64 to answer, if they will.