There are many reasons that a computer cannot startup or boot into the Windows operating system. If your computer does not start or boot, you might see or hear symptoms to indicate the general area of the problem.
If your computer does not turn on, wait at least 5 minutes before troubleshooting the computer. Your computer might be installing an update for Windows or the BIOS or detecting new hardware. During this update process, you can expect the screen to be blank for several minutes. It might damage the computer if this process is interrupted. Do not turn off or unplug the computer during the update process.
Use the procedures in this document if the LEDs turn on to indicate that power is available and the sound of a fan or spinning hard drive can be heard, but no colors, images, or text are displayed on the LCD screen.
If the computer does not turn on (no lights or sounds) or the screen displays an error message, see HP PCs - Computer does not boot or start.
If the computer does not turn on and LED lights blink or you hear beeping sounds, see HP Notebook PCs - Computer beeps or a light blinks during startup.
If your computer suddenly fails to boot properly, perform a hard reset (power reset).
For detailed instructions on resetting your computer, see HP PCs - How to Power Reset Your Computer.
The screen might remain black when there is a corrupted graphics driver or a problem with the LCD screen back light. To test the screen, attach an external monitor and restart the computer. This test is helpful if the screen is black, but you can hear that the computer is operating.
If you do not have an external monitor, it might be possible to see an image by switching to low-resolution mode. To change the resolution, turn on the computer, and then press the f8 key. If the screen is working at the BIOS level, a text screen is displayed and you can select the Enable low-resolution video option. If the screen is not working at the BIOS level, contact an authorized repair center.
When you upgrade the BIOS on your notebook, your hard drive stores a copy of the previous BIOS version. As long as the hard drive remains functional, you can recover and install the last good version of the BIOS.
Follow these steps even if the monitor is blank.
When you try to turn on a computer, one of the first hardware tests performed is the memory check. If the start-up test cannot access the memory chips, the testing stops and no additional actions can be taken. When you press the power button, the LEDs might glow for a moment and a fan might start to spin, but then all action stops.
This problem must be resolved before you can boot into the BIOS or Windows and perform any other tests.
Some notebook PCs have two memory slots and two memory modules. If you experience a black screen error, the problem could be with one of the memory modules or with one of the memory slots, or one of the modules might not be seated properly in the slot.
To determine if a memory module is causing the failure, try to isolate the problem by using the following procedures.
The memory module compartment on most notebooks is located on the bottom of the case. The exact position varies by model. However, on some models, the memory compartment is under the keyboard. See your User Guide or Maintenance and Service Guide for the exact location of memory modules on your notebook.
A computer might fail to start due to an issue with the hard drive. To test for hard drive problems, you can use these procedures.
Contact HP Customer Support for further assistance if the issue persists.
Enter your product serial number to view warranty status and to change your location, if necessary.
Select a support option. Support options vary by country/region.
After you have completed the troubleshooting process and your computer has booted normally into the Windows operating system, follow these procedures.
Run HP Support Assistant to update HP software and drivers.
Run Windows Update to update the operating system and software.
Run an antivirus program to remove any viruses or malware.