RAM / hardware issues

[Ad_El]

Hi, recently i used virtualbox on my HP laptop where i was trying one OS, it was kinda glitchy so i saved it's state and put my laptop in sleep. At the morning when i turned on my laptop and restored that vb machine state, my laptop was suddenly very laggy and unstable, so i checked my ram usage and found there are only 3,37GB of ram available out of 12GB which i have physically installed. After second restart laptop refused to boot to windows and every time that windows loading wheel appeared it stucked and won't do anything. I need to reset bios settings every time i want to boot to OS or to install media, otherwise it won't boot. I managed to try replacing ram modules but every time i install any ram to bottom left slot, capslock led will blink 5 times slowly and 3 times fast, if i leave that slot empty it will normally boot, but system is still kinda laggy including graphical and sound glitches. I'm sorry for this long text, but i'm kinda out of ideas what can be wrong with it. Thanks for any help:D

[Max3Aj]

@Ad_El, 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 how frustrating it must be to deal with these performance and boot issues after using VirtualBox. Let's go through this step-by-step to help you resolve the problem.

Understand the Blink Code

The 5 slow + 3 fast blinks on the Caps Lock LED indicate a memory (RAM) failure. This aligns with your observation that one RAM slot is causing issues.

HP Notebook PCs - Computer beeps or a light blinks during startup | HP® Support

Test RAM Modules and Slots

You’ve already done some testing, but here’s a more structured approach:

• Test each RAM stick individually in the working slot to confirm both sticks are functional.
• If both sticks work individually in the good slot, the RAM modules are fine.
• If the system fails to POST when either stick is placed in the bottom-left slot, that slot may be physically damaged or have a motherboard fault.

Reset BIOS to Defaults

Since resetting BIOS allows the system to boot, it’s possible that a corrupted setting is causing instability.

• Turn off the laptop.
• Press and hold Windows + B, then press and hold the Power button for 2-3 seconds.
• Release all keys. This should initiate a BIOS recovery/reset.
• Alternatively, enter BIOS (F10 at startup) and choose "Restore Defaults".

Run HP Hardware Diagnostics

Use HP’s built-in diagnostics to check for hardware issues:

• Turn off the laptop.
• Press Esc repeatedly, then F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics.
• Run the Memory Test and System Test.

Update BIOS and Drivers

Corrupted or outdated firmware can cause memory mapping issues.

• Visit the HP Software and Driver Downloads page.
• Enter your product: HP Pavilion Gaming - 15-ec0002nc.
• Download and install the latest BIOS, chipset, and graphics drivers.

If the bottom-left RAM slot is confirmed faulty and the system is unstable even with one stick, the motherboard may need servicing. Since this is a hardware-level issue, in that case, 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: support.hp.com/sk-sk/help/service-center
(Select the country from the dropdown menu and enter the city name or pincode) 

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