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Your computer won’t display or is black while running.
The screen may have accidentally been disabled. Press and hold the “fn” key on the keyboard while also pressing the “f4” key at the top of the keyboard or the corresponding screen key.
The computer is running but the display is black. Press the spacebar (or any keyboard button) to make sure the computer is not asleep. Perform a hard reset by pressing and holding the power button for at least 10 seconds. If the screen does not display after turning it back on, connect an external monitor. If the monitor displays, the computer screen may need to be replaced. See the Screen Repair for instructions on fixing the problem.
The device is hot to the touch, has a burning smell, or makes a buzzing noise.
The computer is making a loud buzzing noise and is hot to the touch. Turn-off and move the computer to a clear, flat surface free of surrounding clutter and wait a while for it to cool down. If the issue persists or gets worse, the fan may need replacement. See the Fan Replacement guide for instructions.
If there is a noise but the fan is not spinning, the hard drive could be faulty. Save any files on the computer to an external source and replace the hard drive. See the Hard Disk Drive Replacement guide for more instruction on repairing your device.
When typing or using the trackpad, it does not do anything
The touchpad may be asleep or turned off; double tap the top left edge of the touchpad to restart it.
If the touchpad is unresponsive after restarting is (as stated above), the driver may be overloaded. Perform a hard reset by holding the power button for at least 10 seconds.
Dissasemble the laptop base and check for loose connections then reattach as necessary. If this is unsuccessful, the trackpad needs to be replaced. See the Keyboard and Touch-pad Repair guide for more instruction.
If the computer keys are physically stuck in the downward position, remove the key or keys and clean the connections. Go to Notebook Key Sticks for more information.
If the keyboard is completely missing the key, a replacement will need to be purchased.
Some or all keys on the keyboard are not responding. Disassemble the laptop base and isolate the keyboard backing. Check to see if any connections are loose and reattached as necessary. If this does not solve the issue, the entire keyboard may need to be replaced. See the Keyboard and Touch-pad Repair guide for instruction on fixing your device.
The battery is depleting quickly or the device won’t charge
If the battery drains quickly after charging the fan may be broken. See Fan Replacement guide for instructions on fixing your device.
Plug in the computer and observe what happens. If the computer does not begin to charge (indicated by the lightning bolt symbol over the battery indicator), test the computer without the battery but still plugged in. The battery can be easily removed by sliding the lock to the unlocked position and pushing in the slider on the opposite side. If the computer is still functioning, the battery needs to be replaced. See the Battery Replacement for more instruction.
Perform the same test as described in the Faulty Battery section. If the computer shuts off, it is compelling evidence that your power port is damaged and needs to be replaced. See HP Charging Port for more information.
The drive is plugged in but won’t register on the computer
If the USB connector does not fit all the in the port, there may be debris inside the port. Use a compressed air can to blow out the debris or, if you can see the debris, carefully take a paper clip and pull it out.
The motherboard may have been short-circuited by debris. To test this, try connecting several external devices. If none of the devices are accessible through the computer, try plugging them into a non-problematic computer. If the devices function on the other computer, the motherboard or USB port may need to be replaced. See the Motherboard Repair guide for more instruction.
If the computer is not reading the USB drive, try to use another port. If another port works, the previous port may be faulty. If another port does not work, try the USB on another computer; if this does not work, the USB may be damaged. See the USB Port Repair guide for more instruction.
