Pavilion dv7 won't charge or even power up

[Headsquirrels]

My partner's father gave me his old dv7 when my PC packed up and said he couldn't get it to turn on, so I was welcome to it if I could fix it.

Basically, it won't turn on at all. I started by plugging it in, and the AC adapter light came on but the laptop wouldn't power on. When I had another look, the AC adapter light had gone off again. Addressing the obvious possibility that the power adapter was faulty, I bought a new one.

I just plugged the laptop in with the new cable and there's no adapter light, and the laptop won't power on. I thought maybe the baterry might need replacing, but surely regardless of the battery's status, the laptop SHOULD turn on when plugged into the mains?

Can anyone suggest anything else that might be the issue? Am confident in messing around with it to try and get a fix, but really don't know where to start!

[MKazi]

@Headsquirrels

Thank you for posting on HP Forums, MKazi is at your service. 

I understand that you have an HP Pavilion dv7 series laptop and it does not power on. I have read your post comprehensively and you've done a remarkable job performing the steps.  

Yes, the laptop should power on in the absence of the battery when the ac adapter is plugged in. I recommend you to perform the following steps to isolate the issue and arrive at a fix: 

• Power off the laptop.
• Remove the battery out. If the battery is integrated and does not have a latch to release it then leave the battery inside the laptop.
• Disconnected AC adapter from the laptop.
• Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds.
• Reconnect the battery and plug the AC adapter.
• Power ON the laptop.

If the laptop still does not power on then disconnect the charger and remove the battery out. Now, connect only the ac adapter to the laptop and check if it powers on. Also, observe if the ac adapter light cones on the laptop. Likewise, connect only the battery and disconnect only the ac adapter and check if there is a response.

In case the laptop continues to be powered off then the evidence points towards an internal hardware failure. It is a good idea to contact our HP phone support team to explore the hardware service options for your HP laptop.

I sincerely hope this information helps. Feel free to let me know how it goes. 

All the best! 🙂

[Headsquirrels]

Thanks so much for your response. Here's how the tests went:

Power off the laptop. (not applicable)

Remove the battery.
Disconnected AC adapter from the laptop.
Press and hold the power button for 15 seconds.
Reconnect the battery and plug the AC adapter.
Power ON the laptop.

Result: the laptop did not power on. The AC adapter light flashed for a second when I turned on the AC adapter at the plug socket, but did not remain on.

If the laptop still does not power on then disconnect the charger and remove the battery. Now, connect only the AC adapter to the laptop and check if it powers on. Also, observe if the AC adapter light cones on the laptop.

Result: as before, the laptop did not power on. The AC adapter light flashed for a second when I turned on the AC adapter at the plug socket, but did not remain on.

Likewise, connect only the battery and disconnect only the AC adapter and check if there is a response.

Result: the laptop did not power on.

[MKazi]

@Headsquirrels

You're welcome. 🙂

Thank you for your super quick response. 

The results point towards an internal failure with the laptop. I suggest you to reach out to our HP phone support team to explore the available service options for the laptop.

Feel free to keep me posted for any further questions.

it is an honor to share this platform with you.

Cheers! 🙂

[Headsquirrels]

The laptop is from 2011 and the warranty is long-expired so trying to get a professional to diagnose and fix it would likely be more than the laptop is worth. I've referred to the Maintenance and Service Guide, and taken it apart enough to remove the power connector cable and a replacement is arriving today. If that doesn't fix the issue I'm not sure what to try next. It could just be that the laptop is beyond saving - when I opened it up, an awful lot of the components were held in place by sellotape! I don't think this laptop was well cared for in the past.

[DavidSMP]

@Headsquirrels,

I read this post. Thanks for replying. It is splendid to hear from you again. Your patience and time are greatly appreciated. You've displayed magnificent commitment, immense patience coupled with sound technical skills to try and resolve the issue. Kudos to you for a job well done. 🙂 As @MKazi is out for the day, I am taking over from here.

.If the computer is more than 3 years old then service options with HP are no longer available because the original suppliers and manufacturers who manufacture and supply the parts to Hp to build and service the computer don't do so anymore.

As you've tried everything here and the issue still persists, You may need to contact a local technician to get the printer repaired as long as it is cost-effective. Since you've mentioned that the cost of repair is almost or more than the cost of the computer, then prudence prevails. I think you have loads of it and it is best to go for a new replacement computer with a complete year's hardware warranty and complete peace of mind. 

I am being honest about it by keeping your best interest in mind without beating around the bush. I don't live in Bill Gates neighborhood and precisely understand where you come from.

Please visit HP shopping via this link: http://hp.care/2rQLe1b and select the country. You might get a phone number to contact them. Please follow the on-screen instructions.

Good luck.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes. To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed week ahead. 🙂

Cheers!

[Headsquirrels]

Took the whole thing apart and replaced the AC jack connector but that hasn't made any difference. This laptop is still dead as a doornail.

At least it was a good opportunity to check that everything was connected properly inside!

Apart from dismantling it again and switching out every removable component one by one (not doing that) can anyone suggest anything which might be a likely culprit? This thing isn't worth spending any more money on, but I'm very stubborn and don't like giving up!

NB: the only other small anomaly I've noted is that when I DO plug in the power cable and switch it on, aside from the brief flare of the charging light which then goes away, when I turn it OFF at the socket and pull out the AC cord, the charging light comes on again, for about 3 seconds, then fades out. In case that's helpful.

[DavidSMP]

@Headsquirrels,

I reviewed this response completely. I understand precisely where you come from. It is difficult to gauge which component has failed without looking into the computer. We need to look inside the computer and then test what went wrong. So a local technician's assistance might help if you choose to go that route. It is not fixable on in the HP support forums.

It could be any component on the motherboard that has failed. It could be the power button also.

If this helps, to simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed week ahead. 🙂

Cheers!

[Headsquirrels]

I think I'm going to try replacing the power button board, but then give up!

[DavidSMP]

@Headsquirrels,

I am being really candid about it. It is not worth spending too much on the computer. Before long you realize that you've spent more on it than buying a new computer and find it not working. It might be an exercise in futility.

I don't live in Bill Gates's neighborhood and understand precisely where you come from. It is a good idea though to try the option that you mentioned and check how it goes before giving up on it.

If this helps, To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed week ahead. 🙂

Cheers!