Unsolved
4 Posts
4
24189
XPS 15 9550, random sudden turn-off when running on battery, ASF2 Force Off
Hello Dell Community, My Dell XPS 15 (9550) was experiencing random sudden shutdown in the past months and years when running on battery. BIOS Power Event logs shows ASF2 Force Off. I already have checked the internet and the dell community forums for possible solutions but I didn't found the solution. I have also performed some troubleshooting trying fixing the issue but no success. Based on my research this issue is common to Dell XPS series laptop and also possibly affecting other laptop series such as Dell Precision, Inspiron, and Latitude Series.
In this post, I will describe my experience, troubleshooting performed, and result of my research, and propose a possible solution to Dell to help us fix this issue.
Description:
The problem started a few years back, probably 2018 or 2019 when my original battery (56 wh) is performing poorly after using it for few months. I have experienced random shutdowns when running on battery and the system doesn't recognized the correct capacity of the battery. My laptop can be used longer when it is already at 1-15% charged while at 16-100% it drains faster. I have assumed that the problem is with the battery so I bought (6-7 months ago) a new battery with the higher capacity to replace the old one. After replacing the battery the issue still persists. When the sudden turn off happens, I cannot turn on the laptop when it's not connected to the charger. When I go to the BIOS and check the Power Event logs, I've found the log/error "Power Off - ASF2 force off". I've also tried checking the internet for possible solutions and also performed some troubleshooting to fix the problem but I didn't found the solution.
Performed Troubleshooting:
In trying to solve the issue, I have performed some troubleshooting to fix the problem. The troubleshooting that was performed are the following.
- Performed Battery Calibration based on this (link1) and this one (link2)
- Performed both Dell SupportAssist Full Hardware Scan and Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA) (basic and extended mode) with all tests passed (on-charger or on-battery) and result says the battery is in excellent condition.
- Performed new Battery force re-detection using this guide. (link)
- Tried running the system in Windows 10 Safe Mode (Issue still persists when in safe mode).
- Tried to install other Linux based operating system (i.e. Ubuntu) to check if the issue also occurs in the other platforms but still, it also occurs in other platform.
- Cleaned the system board, re-seated RAM and SSD, cleaned the fans, and reapplied thermal paste.
- Reinstalled the Operating System (Windows 10 Home SL) several times and with the latest drivers, software, and OS updates installed. I've also updated firmware and BIOS (tried different versions and loading/restoring BIOS to factory default settings).
Observations after some troubleshooting:
After performing multiple troubleshooting mentioned above the problem still persists. But I've found out that after updating the BIOS to the latest BIOS update (1.13.1) released last Jan 06, 2020 and after cleaning the laptop fans, the frequency of the issue was reduced. Previously, even during the initial startup (after windows login) the laptop suddenly turns-off (improperly). But now it happens less frequent than before. But still, the issue still randomly occurring.
After my latest observations, I'm so desperate in identifying the issue and fixing it. So i tried to perform a System Stability Test using AIDA64 Extreme (v6.20.5300) to check if it can trigger the sudden shutdown. I have performed it both when running on charger or on battery. When I ran it with the charger is plugged, my laptop rarely or doesn't thermal throttle. It also stays at safe temperature (around 75-82°C). It ran it for 6 hours without any issues.
But after performing System Stability Test on battery, the problem occur after few seconds or minutes only. I thought initially that this is caused by overheating; but after checking AIDA64's result after the sudden turn-offs I've found out that the laptop didn't thermal throttle and overheat, and it turns-off even at 48°C and 60°C. It looks like the system doesn't properly handle sudden increase in workload when running on battery. I've tested it on both with my old and new battery, still the same issue occurs. Below are the test setting which triggered the sudden turn-off.
System Stability Test configuration:
Stress CPU - enabled
Stress FPU - enabled
Stress cache - enabled
Stress system memory - enabled
Stress local disks - disabled
Stress GPU(s) - enabled
Duration - few seconds or minutes
Running on battery
I've also performed some research about the ASF2 force off error and its connection to it occurring when running on battery. After my research, I've found out that similar issue also exists in other laptops mentioned below.
AFS2 force off on battery related issue - possible affected systems found in Dell Community Forum:
- Dell XPS 15 9550 (link1, link2)
- Dell XPS 15 9575 (link1, link2)
- Dell XPS 13 9360 (link1, link2, link3, link4, link5)
- Dell Precision 15 5510 (link1)
- Dell Precision 3510 (link1)
- Dell Precision M6700 (link1)
- Dell Gaming Laptop Series 7000 (link1)
- Dell Inspiron 15 7567 (link1)
- Dell Inspiron 15 7570 (link1)
- Dell Latitude E5430 (link1)
After browsing the internet and reading related issues, there is no found definitive solution to this problem. It also looks like this issue is not unique to my laptop only nor to this specific model (XPS 15 9550). Based on my readings, I've identified some possible causes of this problem.
Theories/Possible Causes:
- Power Management unable to handle sudden increase of workload based on the AIDA64 test as mentioned above.
- Possible issue on Dell's Power Management Algorithm when on battery (old or new) which triggers the ASF2 Force off.
- Power Management conflict after replacing the battery
- Doesn't properly detect/recognize newly installed lower/higher capacity 56whr, 84whr or 97whr battery (detects only the old battery's condition) and causes conflict
- Other issues that only the BIOS developer can identify and fix. It looks like this issue can only be fixed by a BIOS update.
A lot of people are having this issue and are disappointed not having this fixed till this day. This is not an isolated issue but also affects their multiple Dell laptop products. I hope dell will take this issue seriously and give their best efforts in releasing a BIOS update to fix this issue. They can improve what they have done to the Dell XPS 15 9550 1.13.1 BIOS update to make the laptop usable and stable.
I have put so much effort in diagnosing and trying to solve this problem. I hope my efforts won't go to waste and Dell would hear me out and take action to this problem.
Fixing this issue will not only make their customer happy but will also save them costs in repairs and replacements due to the same reported issues.
garyohlman
1 Message
0
June 22nd, 2020 08:00
I am having a similar issue with my XPS 15 9560 When I stress the computer (run shotcut) or cpu intensive process, while on battery the computer immediately will turn off. I can not turn the computer back on without first plugging it in even if for a minute. It does not matter that the battery is fully charged and the computer is not hot.
Please find a fix.
MattWW85
1 Message
0
July 25th, 2020 06:00
Exactly the same problem for me, running Dell XPS 15 9560 (purchased 1 year warranty expired on 11/25/18). My originally battery died so I replaced it with a GreenCell battery (no official Dell batteries available). Followed instructions around initial charging cycles and under normal circumstances the battery is working fine.
Just as above, when a resource intensive process is run (game or AIDA264), the machine shuts off and is non-responsive until AC adapter is plugged in. The BIOS (v1.19.2) reports ASF2 force off, but all diagnostic tests come back clean.
The system does not shut down in this way when running on AC.
Love this laptop, so will be disappointed if a fix isn't developed.
iamTisme
3 Posts
0
July 26th, 2020 07:00
My XPS9560 received a BIOS update a week or so ago. I haven’t had time to test the new battery.
Did anyone else get the new BIOS and have you had time to test it?
trvzn
7 Posts
1
August 9th, 2020 13:00
I was able to solve the problem on my 9560 and it has been working for almost a month now. Here are the 3 things I did:
1. updated the BIOS to 1.19
2. disabled Performance->Speedstep on the BIOS menu
3. disabled Performance->Turboboost on the BIOS menu
I am not able to say which of these actually solve it, if it was in case just one and not a combination of them all, because I tried them all at the same time. I has now been functioning properly both in windows and linux and no stress test causes it to turn off.
Nikoel
1 Message
0
August 15th, 2020 19:00
The solution above is not really a solution. Basically what you’ve done is disabled high performance capability of your laptop so it’s running at base frequency of 2.8GHz on a laptop which can do 3.8gHz. This is a big performance hit and defeats the purpose of purchasing this laptop to begin with
You can do middle of the isle approach by downloading throttlestop and using a non-turbo profile for when you’re on battery only
Basically you’ve paid for a high performance BMW and artificially limiting performance by reducing the revs from 6,000 to 4,000
Add me to the list of people experiencing this issue. I have also tried using little thermal strips on the temperature sensor with mixed results - still no real solution found
trvzn
7 Posts
0
August 18th, 2020 05:00
@Nikoel Yes, it's far from perfect, but the problem presented was the random shutdown. Some may be willing to take the performance hit since a laptop is usually bought by those in need of mobility. But to those who can afford to keep the laptop docked at all times, by all means, have your BMW running at full speed in the parking lot because that's what Dell has given us.
Nevertheless, I think the information I presented in the previous posts and you added here should be more than enough to Dell to step up and do something about it. Multicore processing over 2.8GHz causes the laptop to shut down immediately.
kingjii
1 Message
1
September 7th, 2020 14:00
I put in a brand new OEM dell battery in my inspiron 13 after 2 years due to degraded battery life. And the sudden shutdown problem started.
So I tried everything discussed in this thread, along with several others (e.g This) to no avail. I've had this problem for almost a year and was ready to give up, but I think I finally found something that works. It's been 48 hours and I have not experienced a shut down. It seemed too simple to work so I never gave it a shot, but if I had only started with this. Anyway, you can google, reset dell battery or just follow the instructions below:
1.Power up and shut down with AC adapter plugged. Remove the adapter and unscrew/remove the battery.
2. Plug in the adapter and power on the laptop (without the battery) and login to your home screen. Check to make sure the taskbar says no battery inserted or something along those lines.
3. Power down, unplug the adapter from the laptop, screw in/re-insert the battery. Power on the laptop and voila.
I read somewhere that this method is not taught to the dell reps, not sure if it holds true but given how dumb this problem is, wouldnt be surprised. Anyway, good luck to all and hope this simple solution helps.
Also, since it's working I didn't bother going and tinkering with power settings but my advanced battery power settings match the instructions in the linked thread.
qieterm
1 Message
0
September 12th, 2020 03:00
I encountered the same issues as described in this thread: sudden power-downs when on battery-only. It always happened within 5 minutes of starting up. Starting up again was only possible by using the adapter.
The problem started right after installing a new battery.
I just wanted to report that the solution described by @kingjii worked for me. I've now had several multiple hour sessions on battery only, without shutdowns.
Thanks @kingjii !
SteveLenz14
18 Posts
0
October 15th, 2020 09:00
I'm having the exact same problem and none of the noted fixes have worked including the last one.
Where is Dell's response to this?
It is nearly pointless to have a laptop that can't run on battery power. I will need to buy a new one and wonder if Dell is worth risking buying again. The last Dell laptop I had also had a well documented fatal problem. I want to maintain brand loyalty but where is our customer service loyalty in return?
sre_brad
1 Message
0
October 15th, 2020 13:00
@trvzn I tested these adjustments. I only disabled the Turboboost and that ended up being the fix. Had previously gone through a new battery and was banging my head against the wall, really appreciate this find.
Lertu
5 Posts
0
October 28th, 2020 19:00
any solutions?
Dunc_H
2 Posts
0
November 16th, 2020 05:00
Replaced old battery then consistently had this shutdown problem - After trying everything I followed the suggested route by kingjii (see below) and it worked (so far anyway) also gave inside a good clean - the amount of dust and fluff on fans and near heatsinks was huge. Fans running much slower now as well
Thanks kingjii
"So I tried everything discussed in this thread, along with several others (e.g This) to no avail. I've had this problem for almost a year and was ready to give up, but I think I finally found something that works. It's been 48 hours and I have not experienced a shut down. It seemed too simple to work so I never gave it a shot, but if I had only started with this. Anyway, you can google, reset dell battery or just follow the instructions below:
1.Power up and shut down with AC adapter plugged. Remove the adapter and unscrew/remove the battery.
2. Plug in the adapter and power on the laptop (without the battery) and login to your home screen. Check to make sure the taskbar says no battery inserted or something along those lines.
3. Power down, unplug the adapter from the laptop, screw in/re-insert the battery. Power on the laptop and voila.
RnBeer
5 Posts
1
November 16th, 2020 07:00
I ended up here as am searching for insights about the exact same scenario happening to my 3-month old XPS 15 9500.
Been noticing random reboots recently. I can't build a pattern on when it happens but it appears to be happening more, after I leave the PC on, and not use it for a quite some time. When I go back to it, instead of it waking up, I face an actual power-on boot with this "Power Off - ASF2 Force Off" logged in the BIOS every time.
One thing weird that I noticed though is this.... after it turns on from a "Power Off - ASF2 Force Off" case, the battery won't charge regardless if you plug /unplug to any of the 3 USB C ports. I would have to shut it down, unplug the USB C, plug it again, then everything works fine, until this happens again.
Everything checks out to be OK in the thorough HW scan. No logged (BIOS) thermal issues (and I know for a fact that it doesn't overheat). I have factory reset twice already. Updated drivers and BIOS via the Dell Update. Battery health is excellent.
Couple of things in my system that I can't rule out yet:
1) Been using the XPS 15 9500 with a Dell D6000 dock to charge the system. This leaves me with "slow charging" alarm understandably (but the system charges still, slow).
2) Added a 1TB NVMe to 2nd slot (while keeping the supplied 512 NVme)
Hope a definitive fix for this happens if this is not at all HW-related.
trvzn
7 Posts
0
November 27th, 2020 01:00
@RnBeer Let's hope Dell fixes it for us (if ever). Meanwhile, have you tried any of the solutions presented here? If so, can you report on the outcome?
RnBeer
5 Posts
2
November 28th, 2020 00:00
@trvzn Thanks for acknowledging... long post ahead.
I’ve a spent so many hours/days this week with DELL-Cares, troubleshooting my issue on this 3-month old PC.
Just to summarize the situation on my system - Dell XPS 15 9500 (10875H, 512GB, 4K @ most recent BIOS 1.4):
1. Shutdown and reboot will happen immediately after it wakes from a relatively long sleep. You’ll see the login screen for a few seconds then it will shutdown and reboot. All active workspaces/apps are gone (as expected)
2. “ASF2 - force off is logged” in the BIOS power logs and “event 6008 previous system shutdown was unexpected” is also logged in the Windows Event Viewer
3. After the system boots from the abnormal shutdown, the PC can be used normally only that the all USB C ports will not charge the PC. Its says system is not charging when you plug the charger. All USB dongles/peripherals work though.
4. For the charging to be back, I have to shutdown, unplug, plug...then everything is back to normal, until the dreadful shutdown/reboot happens again.
The following have been done on the system (includes those suggested by DELL-Cares) :
1. Factory Reset (3 times); all drivers updated
2. Fresh Windows install (ALL SSD partitions deleted); all drivers updated
3. Removed the SSD at slot 2 that I added
4. Removed the USB Dock that I normally use it with
5, System File Check - all ok
6. BIOS HW Diagnostics - Basic and Advanced (Thorough) - All test passed; no shutdowns during the entire tests
7. Left the PC in BIOS UI overnight - no shutdowns
Long story short, they can’t find anything and in the end, they said this is for motherboard replacement Too bad am not from the USA.
I told Dell that I seem to notice that it started after a BIOS update although am not sure about this. I wanted to rollback but the older BIOS versions are no longer in the support page and Dell said it is not at option.
BUT here’s a thing, after dealing with Dell-Cares, I tried what was suggested here somewhere i.e. to disable C-states. This seem to have worked!! Been waking up the system from overnight sleep/hibernation with no shutdowns at all.
So this leaves me questions. Is my HW faulty at all or am I right that it is a BIOS thing ? In the details of the latest BIOS is says something like ....improves system skin temperature. Could something have been messed up with the C-states?
Anyway, I will have to figure out a way to have this sent back to the US.
This is my first DELL from years of using the Spectre line, as I cannot resist the new aspect ratio of the XPS 15, Terrible experience though. What makes it worst is as @dc_sam have documented above (you can count the XPS 15 9500 now in the long list), it’s been happening on multiple models for years and no definitive solution or a proper recall ? When I contacted them, it appeared that this is something NEW to them. Glad to see the awesome community though.