Caps lock light flashes once, then no power - HP Envy x360

[nick-gable]

My Envy x360 recently stopped working after connecting a charger to it that appeared to be faulty. A previous day, my friend had connected that same charger (USB-C) to his computer, and his computer at that point powered off and would not power on again. I connected the day after to my own computer and faced a similar issue, where my computer would not show any signs of life (no power indicator when plugged in, would not turn on).

I opened up the computer and removed the SSD from it so that I could read some of my data off of it. After doing that, I also unplugged the battery connector cable and plugged it back in per some advice I found on another forum post with similar issues. After doing this, my computer now is able to power on, but only briefly. As of right now, the only "signs of life" my computer is showing are these:

• When I plug in a charging cable, the power indicator light comes on. This light started as orange, but changed to white when I left it connected overnight, leading me to believe that there is some level of communication with the battery indicating that it was charged. 
• When I press the power button, the power indicator light comes on for about 5 seconds. No display activity is seen, and none of the keys are responsive (including keys that would light up when pressed, like Caps Lock or the Camera block key). After about 3-5 seconds, the caps lock key flashes exactly once, and then the computer turns off.

It is worth noting in all of this that my drive is not connected, since I have been taking files off of it that I needed imminently after the failure. 

My main question for anyone in this community is: does anyone know with confidence what the single flash of the Caps Lock key means? I've looked at the HP guide for notebook laptops and caps lock error codes, but there is no reference to a single flash on that page. In other forum posts, I've seen a different chart that seems to indicate that a single flash refers to a CPU problem, but I'm not too sure on that because a) those posts seem to be older; b) the sourcing on those posts is questionable, linking to HP support pages that no longer exist; and c) because a CPU failure seems less likely to be the problem after something that seems very related to the power systems of the device.

Of course, if anyone else has had a similar problem or insights, please let me know 🙂 Also, I have already tried a hard reset numerous times - that seems to be the classic suggestion to these sorts of problems, but unfortunately this seems to be more severe of an issue for me. 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @nick-gable 

Welcome to HP Support Community!

We noticed that this thread hasn't had any updates in a while since your original post; while this is rare, we didn't want this post to remain unanswered, so, here's the solution to your query. We hope it helps you and everyone viewing this post 😊

Thanks for laying out the situation so clearly—it’s evident you’ve already taken thoughtful steps to isolate the issue. Based on your description, the laptop briefly powers on, the Caps Lock key flashes once, and then it shuts down again. This behavior, especially after exposure to a potentially faulty USB-C charger, points to a deeper hardware-level fault—possibly related to the system board or embedded controller.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s known and what you can try next:

---

🔍 Understanding the Single Caps Lock Flash

HP’s official documentation doesn’t list a single flash as a standard diagnostic code. However, in some models, a single blink may indicate a CPU or system board failure, especially if no other activity (fan spin, display, or POST beeps) occurs. Given that the issue began after using a charger that previously damaged another device, it’s plausible that a power surge affected the motherboard or power delivery circuitry.

---

🛠️ Steps to Try (Based on HP’s Official Guidance)

These steps are adapted from HP’s startup troubleshooting guide:

1. Perform a Full Power Reset

• Disconnect the AC adapter.
• Remove any external devices (USB drives, peripherals).
• Press and hold the power button for 15–20 seconds.
• Reconnect the AC adapter (preferably the original one that came with the laptop).
• Try powering on again.

2. Check for Signs of Shorted Components

Since the issue began after using a suspect charger, inspect the USB-C port and surrounding components on the motherboard (if accessible) for:

• Burn marks
• Smell of burnt electronics
• Discoloration or corrosion

If you’re comfortable, you can also try disconnecting the internal battery and powering the laptop with just the AC adapter to see if behavior changes.

3. Re-seat RAM and SSD (if applicable)

Even though the SSD is removed, try reseating the RAM module(s) if accessible. A poor RAM connection can sometimes cause boot failure without clear error codes.

4. BIOS Recovery (if supported)

Some HP laptops support BIOS recovery via key combinations (like Windows + B or Windows + V while powering on). If the system board is still responsive, this might trigger a recovery attempt.

---

🧩 If the Issue Persists

Given the symptoms and the history with the faulty charger, the most likely culprits are:

• System board damage (power delivery or embedded controller)
• CPU failure (less common, but possible if power surge occurred)

At this point, HP recommends service evaluation. You can refer to HP’s official support for repair options:
👉 HP Notebook Startup Issues – Official Guide

---

Let me know if you'd like help identifying compatible parts or preparing for a service request. I really appreciate how methodical you've been—your approach makes it much easier to pinpoint the issue. We’ll get through this.

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

Thanks for being part of the HP Community!

Regards,
Hawks_Eye.