Issue turning on the laptop

[Michel_Fayad]

I’m having trouble getting my HP Omen 16 to turn on. When I press the power button, it only flickers slowly in white—no fan spin-up, no display, no beeps, nothing. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

• Battery/Charger behavior

  • With the charger plugged in, the orange charging LED also flickers slowly.

  • Once the battery reaches 100%, the LED turns solid white and charging stops, as expected.

• Power-on attempts

  • Single press of the power button (both plugged in and on battery) → only the slow white flicker

  • Long-press (10+ seconds) to force shutdown, then press power → same flicker, no boot

  • Tried starting in Safe Mode (via BIOS/Windows key shortcuts) → no additional response

  • Held Win + B during power-on → no BIOS recovery or beeps

  • Held Win + V during power-on → no change

Any idea what the problem might be? 

[Max3Aj]

@Michel_Fayad, Hello and welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for posting your question. I'm here to help you get things back on track.

I understand your HP Omen 16 is showing a slow white flickering power button with no fan spin, no display, and no beeps, even after trying several recovery key combinations. You've done a great job with initial troubleshooting, let’s go a bit deeper.

Perform a Hard Reset

This clears residual power and resets the EC:

• Disconnect the charger and any peripherals.
• Press and hold the power button for 15–20 seconds.
• Reconnect the charger (leave battery if internal), then try powering on.

Try a BIOS Recovery (Blind)

Even if the screen is blank, this might trigger recovery:

• Plug in the charger.
• Press and hold Windows + B (or Windows + V) and then press the power button for 2–3 seconds.
• Continue holding Win + B/V for another 10–15 seconds.
• Wait and listen for fan spin or beeps.

If this doesn’t work, proceed to the next step.

Check for Signs of Life

• Does the charging LED behave normally when the battery is low?
• If the white LED flickers slowly, it may indicate a power rail or EC fault.

Use HP Hardware Diagnostics (if accessible)

If the laptop ever powers on:

• Tap F2 repeatedly at boot to enter HP UEFI Diagnostics.
• Run the System Test and Component Tests (especially motherboard and memory).

I hope the information shared has been useful and resolves your concern.

Wishing you a smooth and hassle-free experience ahead!

If this solution helped, please click “Accepted Solution” so others can benefit too. Don’t forget to hit the “Yes” button if you found this helpful!

Warm regards,

Max3Aj

HP Support

[Michel_Fayad]

Hi Max,

Thanks for the suggestions so far. All the suggested steps in your message have been attempted and here’s what I can confirm:

• No sign of power-up – pressing the power button only yields the slow white flicker; no fans, beeps, or display activity.

• Charging behavior – the orange LED flickers slowly while charging this was not the case when the laptop was working, it used to be a non-flickering orange light. Once at 100%, it turns solid white and stops flickering.

A couple of questions:

1. Power-rail vs. EC fault:

   • What exactly is a power rail fault, and how would it present on an Omen 16?

   • What does an EC (Embedded Controller) fault involve, and are there simple diagnostics I can run to isolate it?

   • Is there a quick fic for those? 

2. Internal inspection:

   The only step I haven’t tried is opening the chassis to reseat cables and modules—but I’m not comfortable handling the hardware myself. Is there a safe, step-by-step way to check internal connections without professional tools? 

Any additional guidance or diagnostics you can share would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

@Michel_Fayad, Thanks for the detailed follow-up! Based on your observations and the additional context, here's a deeper dive into the power rail vs. EC fault, and guidance on internal inspection and next steps.

Understanding the Faults

Power Rail Fault

A power rail is a circuit that delivers specific voltages (e.g., 3.3V, 5V, 12V) to different components. A fault here means one or more of these voltages aren't reaching the components due to:

• A failed voltage regulator
• A short circuit or damaged capacitor
• A motherboard trace issue

Symptoms on Omen 16:

• No fan spin, no display, no beeps
• Slow flickering LED (as seen in your case)
• Charging LED behavior may be abnormal (e.g., flickering orange instead of solid)

This is typically not user-serviceable and requires motherboard-level diagnostics.

Embedded Controller (EC) Fault

The EC manages low-level functions like power button behavior, battery charging, keyboard input, and thermal control.

Symptoms:

• Power button LED flickers but no boot
• No response to BIOS recovery keys
• Charging LED behaves erratically
• No fan or POST activity

Diagnostics:

• EC faults are hard to isolate without specialized tools.
• If BIOS recovery (Win+B or Win+V) fails and there's no POST, it's likely EC-related.

Internal Inspection – Safe Steps

If you're not comfortable opening the chassis, it's best to avoid it. However, if you're considering it, here’s a safe, minimal approach:

Before You Begin

• Use an anti-static wrist strap
• Work on a clean, flat surface
• Use a plastic pry tool (no metal)

What You Can Safely Check

1. RAM Modules – reseat them carefully.
2. SSD/HDD – ensure it's properly connected.
3. Battery Connector – check for looseness.
4. DC Jack Board – inspect for burn marks or loose cable.

Next Steps

Since all external recovery attempts failed and the LED behavior is abnormal, this is likely a motherboard or EC-level fault. We suggest you please visit the nearest HP authorized service center, the service team will check and assist you. 
Kindly follow this link to locate the nearest HP service center: HP® Service Center Locator - United States | HP® Support
(Select the country from the dropdown menu and enter the city name or pincode) 

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Yes” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support