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- Notebook Boot and Lockup
- Orange HDD Light Permanently on when laptop is powered

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05-21-2016 03:25 PM
Hi, I have a Pavilion DV6 and not to long ago, i put it to sleep to do some other stuff. When i did, I noticed the "HDD" light was orange.(see attached image) I've noticed this before but it only blinked. It was never permanently on. I then came back and shut down the laptop. The light was off. As I started back the laptop, the light came on and was permanently on during useage. I then slept the laptop and left it for an hour or so and came back. The light was still on. This happened when the laptop was both plugged in and unplugged from a power supply. All other lights (mousepad, wifi, mute, charging, powerbutton) work fine.
Has anyone experienced this problem/ have a solution?
Thanks in advance.
05-22-2016 01:47 PM
Hi @KSRW395,
Welcome to HP Forums!
I have read your post, understand that the hard drive light shows orange permanently on your laptop. I want to assist you in this matter.
You can see from the above graph that when the light is orange, the HP ProtectSmart Hard Driver protection has parked the hard drive.
HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection protects a hard drive by parking the drive and halting data requests under either of the following conditions:
● You drop the computer.
● You move the computer with the display closed while the computer is running on battery power.
A short time after the end of one of these events, HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection returns the hard drive to normal operation.
To identify HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection status, you can select Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Windows Mobility Center:
● If HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection is enabled, a green check mark is superimposed over
the hard drive icon.
● If HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection is disabled, a red X is superimposed over the hard
drive icon.
● If the drives are parked, a yellow moon is superimposed over the hard drive icon.
The icon in the Mobility Center may not show the most up-to-date status for the drive. For immediate updates after a change in status, you need to enable the notification area icon.
To enable the notification area icon:
1. Select Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive
Protection.
NOTE: If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
2. On the Icon in System Tray row, click Show.
3. Click OK.
If HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection has parked the drive, the computer behaves in the following ways:
● The computer will not shut down.
● The computer will not initiate Sleep or Hibernation, except as described in the following Note.
NOTE: If the computer is running on battery power and reaches a critical battery level, HP
ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection allows the computer to initiate Hibernation.
Before you move the computer, HP recommends that you either shut it down or initiate Sleep or
Hibernation.
Using HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection software:
The HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection software can be enabled or disabled by an Administrator.
NOTE: Depending on your user privileges, you may be unable to enable or disable HP
ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection. Privileges for non-Administrator users can be changed by
members of an Administrator group.
To open the software and change settings, follow these steps:
1. In Mobility Center, click the hard drive icon to open the HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
window.
– or –
Select Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive
Protection.
NOTE: If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
2. Click the appropriate button to change settings.
3. Click OK.
Please let me know if this information helps you resolve the issue by marking this post as "Accept as Solution", this will help others easily find the information they may be looking for. Also, clicking the Thumbs up below is a great way to say thanks!
Let me know if you need further assistance.
Regards,
I work on behalf of HP
Please click “Accept as Solution ”on the post that solves your issue to help others find the solution.
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09-27-2018 10:14 AM
Hello,
Thank you for posting in this thread. Unfortunately based on when the last response was made, I have closed this thread to help keep comments current and up to date. We recommend starting a new thread for your issue.
To be more helpful with your post, you can add key information if you desire:
1. Product Name and Number (please do not post Serial Number)
• Example: HP Pavilion DV2-1209AX or HP Deskjet 3000 Printer CH393A
2. Operating System installed (if applicable)
• Example: Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 7 64-bit
3. Error message (if any)
• Example: ""Low disk space"" error in Windows
4. Any changes made to your system before the issue occurred
• Examples: Upgrading your Operating System or installing a new software; or installing new hardware like a printer, modem, or router.
If you have any other questions about forum posting, please feel free to send me a private message!
Thank you
I work on behalf of HP