Black screen and loud noise

[Cj2025a]

Please can somebody advise over this as I am not a technical person I just use the laptop! I have a very old hip pavilion and I have been using it as an interim whilst I research a new laptop. About five hours ago I turned it on and just got a loud fan noise and nothing else. I tried turning it off but this didn’t work - I assumed once battery died I could turn back on again but it’s been five hours so I would assume that’s not going to happen? I’m not bothered about the laptop as I am about to upgrade but there is a work document I need to get it off. Could anybody explain what may be going on? Why would it be making loud noises if it was switched off? I am very confused. Thanks in advance for any advice Chris 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Cj2025a 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for posting your query! We're here to help you get back up and running.

It sounds like your HP Pavilion may have encountered a hardware failure, possibly related to overheating or a malfunctioning component like the fan or motherboard.

Here's a breakdown of what's likely happening and how you might retrieve your important document:

 

Overheating or Faulty Fan:

A loud fan noise often indicates that the laptop's cooling system is under stress, trying to cool down the hardware.

If the fan keeps running even when the laptop is "off", the system might not have fully powered down, possibly due to a stuck power state or a deeper hardware issue.

Power Drain Issue:

Even if you let the battery drain completely, some laptops maintain minimal functionality to protect hardware, especially if there's a malfunction.

 

1. Force Shut Down:

Hold down the power button for at least 10-15 seconds. This should force the laptop to turn off entirely.

 

2. Accessing the Document:

If you manage to turn the laptop back on, try booting into Safe Mode (usually by pressing F8 or Shift + F8 during startup). This might allow the system to run with minimal resources, enough for you to retrieve your document.

Alternatively, remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer as an external drive. You can do this using a SATA-to-USB adapter, which allows you to access the data on the hard drive.

 

3. Check the Fan and Power State:

If the fan continues to spin loudly, it could be a hardware issue, and attempting to repair or replace components might not be worthwhile given its age.

Ensure you don’t leave the laptop running for long in this condition, as it may overheat further.

 

4. Backup Options:

If you are unable to retrieve the document yourself, a local technician can help by recovering the hard drive and transferring the files to a new device.

As you’re researching a new laptop, this might be a good moment to explore cloud storage options (like OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.) for automatic backups in the future.

It’s frustrating when a laptop misbehaves at the most inconvenient time, but there’s a good chance your work document can be recovered with one of these methods.

If this solution hits the spot, please come back and click "Accepted Solution" to help others find the answer. And if you'd like to say thanks, select "Yes" on the bottom left of the public post, as that would make our day! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye