HP laptop blink codes?

[Headcase_Fargone]

So my wife's laptop just stopped working today and I don't have a lot of experience with troubleshooting them. I found a list of blink codes on HP's site, but it doesn't seem to correspond to what's happening on this one.

Upon powering on all lights turn on and stay steady. Power LED, wifi module LED, trackpad LED, etc. They stay steady for 6 or 7 seconds then turn off for a moment, then stay steady again for another 6 or 7 seconds. This continues indefinitely. I stopped counting after 12 last time and pulled the battery.

The only thing I can think of is that's what HP calls one blink and it's a CPU issue? I take it these laptops don't beep like desktops do?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Steltek]

What is the HP model number of the laptop? Can you feel the CPU fan putting out any air at the vent?

 

[wirednuts]

im going to lean against a bad cpu only because it does turn on for a few seconds.

cant rule it out though, not a lot of data to go off of.

you have tried plugging it into the wall right?

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

What is the HP model number of the laptop? Can you feel the CPU fan putting out any air at the vent?

Pavilion DM-3. Yes, the fan spins up very briefly each cycle.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

im going to lean against a bad cpu only because it does turn on for a few seconds.

cant rule it out though, not a lot of data to go off of.

you have tried plugging it into the wall right?

Yeah, even tried doing a "hard reset" according to their site. Pulled the batter, held power for 30 seconds, put battery back in, plugged into AC. Same thing.

 

[wirednuts]

ok. im not sure if that laptop has beep codes or not. you might try pulling out the ram and trying to turn it on. if it beeps at you then youll know there is beep codes. then, try putting just one stick of ram in and seeing if it works...

 

[Steltek]

For that model, the LEDs you want to look at are the ones near the CAPSlock and NUMlock keys, as well as the battery power LED.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...cname=c01443366&lang=es&lc=en&product=4041574

Are they doing the same thing?

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

For that model, the LEDs you want to look at are the ones near the CAPSlock and NUMlock keys, as well as the battery power LED.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...cname=c01443366&lang=es&lc=en&product=4041574

Are they doing the same thing?

All LEDs on the thing light up and go off simultaneously. Four or five of them.

 

[Steltek]

Yeah, even tried doing a "hard reset" according to their site. Pulled the batter, held power for 30 seconds, put battery back in, plugged into AC. Same thing.

Try doing this again, only don't plug the battery back in. Hook it up to AC and try to start it without the battery.

If that doesn't change anything, I'd follow wirednuts' suggestion to try to start it up without any memory modules installed. It probably wouldn't hurt if that doesn't get a response to disconnect the hard drive as well.

If none of this makes a difference, I'd say you probably have a major motherboard issue.

 

[wirednuts]

Try doing this again, only don't plug the battery back in. Hook it up to AC and try to start it without the battery.

If that doesn't change anything, I'd follow wirednuts' suggestion to try to start it up without any memory modules installed. It probably wouldn't hurt if that doesn't get a response to disconnect the hard drive as well.

If none of this makes a difference, I'd say you probably have a major motherboard issue.

yup. and it is possible the board fires up like that with a dead cpu, but usually motherboards wont even turn on at all if the cpu isnt working properly.

 

[Headcase_Fargone]

Tried both suggestions and no change. I did notice that I was mistaken though. Not all LEDs come on, only the power, wifi module, and trackpad LEDs light up. Caps lock, scroll lock, and sound mute stay off the entire time.

It is sounding more and more like a CPU or motherboard issue though. I didn't get any beeps during any of these attempts.