Black screen blinking caps lock 3 long and 1 short

[Zone3o]

Hi

My laptop won't turn on after I replaced one of my fans. After pressing the power button my caps lock blinks for 3 long times and 1 for a short time. I thought maybe the new fan was the problem cause when i press the power button my old fan turns on, but my newly replaced fan doesn't, so I tried unplugging it, but it still didn't solve the problem. I tried switching my ram sticks, tried only 1 ram stick at a time but it also didn't work. I tried pressing the power button for 15 sec hoping a hard reset would fix my problem, but I don't know if the hard reset worked. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Zone3o,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

Here's a troubleshooting guide for your laptop that won’t turn on after replacing the fan, and where the Caps Lock blinks 3 long and 1 short time (which could indicate a hardware issue, often with the CPU or Motherboard😞

1. Check Fan Installation (Touch & Visual)

• Turn off the laptop and disconnect the power source.
• Open the laptop casing again and ensure the new fan is properly connected to the motherboard. The fan connector should be firmly seated in the socket without any loose connections or bent pins.
• Feel the fan's movement: Give the fan a gentle spin to ensure it moves freely without obstruction. A blocked fan could trigger a hardware issue.

2. Examine Other Components (Visual)

• While the laptop is open, visually inspect other components (RAM, CPU, connectors). Make sure you didn’t accidentally loosen any cables or connections when replacing the fan.
• Double-check the thermal paste on the CPU heatsink. If the fan replacement disturbed the heatsink, you may need to reapply thermal paste to ensure proper cooling.

3. Power Drain (Touch)

• Disconnect the battery and unplug the AC adapter.
• Hold the power button for 15-20 seconds to drain any residual power.
• Plug the AC adapter back in (without the battery), and try powering it on. This step helps clear any power issues that might be causing the error.

4. Test with Original Fan (Touch & Sound)

• Reconnect the original fan and try powering the laptop with just that. If the laptop boots successfully, this confirms the new fan might be faulty.
• Listen for the fan sound upon startup; if the original fan spins and the laptop powers on, you may need to replace the new fan with another compatible model.

5. Blink Code Interpretation (Visual)

• Observe the blink pattern carefully: The 3 long and 1 short Caps Lock blink code is usually related to the processor or motherboard failure. If you have tried reseating RAM and other components, the issue might be more serious, like a faulty CPU or motherboard.
• Consider contacting HP support for further assistance or taking it to a repair technician if the blink pattern persists after checking the connections and components.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it’s likely a more serious hardware issue that may require repair. I recommend you contact phone support. 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.