Sudden death issue on the Acer Chromebook 11 (C740) (auron_paine)

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System Details

  • Device: Acer Chromebook 11 (C740) | Board name: auron_paine
  • OS: Debian 13 (Linux)
  • Firmware Type: UEFI Full ROM (MrChromebox)
  • Firmware Version: "Unknown"
  • Internal storage type: M.2 SATA SSD

Summary of the Issue

Sudden “No POST” / Black screen issue. The device powers on (fan spins, blue power LED turns on) but displays absolutely nothing on the internal screen. Connecting an external monitor via HDMI yields no signal either. Pressing the power button a second time immediately cuts power to the device, regardless of how long it has been running. Strangely, the device was working perfectly the day before with no changes made to the OS or firmware.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Press the power button to turn on the Acer C740.
  2. Observe the hardware powering on, the cooling fan spins up, and the blue status light turns on.
  3. Wait for display output (internal screen remains completely black, no backlight/UEFI splash screen).
  4. Connect an external display via HDMI to check for video output.
  5. Press the power button a second time.
  6. The device instantly powers off (no ACPI graceful shutdown delay, instant death).

Expected Behavior

  • The device should display the MrChromebox UEFI splash screen on the internal display.
  • It should then hand off to GRUB and boot into Debian.
  • The external display should receive a video signal.
  • Pressing the power button while the device is on should trigger a normal ACPI shutdown sequence, not instantly cut the power.

Troubleshooting Steps Already Attempted

  • Waited for an extended period to see if it was just a slow boot or display initialization delay (no change).
  • Tested with an external monitor via HDMI (no signal detected).
  • Reseeded Battery
  • Unplug Internal Display
  • Removed write-protect screw
  • Removed SSD