touchpad not working and overheating, diagnostics battery test issues

[sigmundex]

My (out of warranty, purchased fall 2016) laptop has been having minor issues with what I assume to be overheating for the past 6 months or so. Very occasionally, the screen will turn black, it will make a screeching sound, and it shuts off. This has only happened a few times. The fans run very loud at all times, so I think there is probably some dust that needs to be cleaned out. 

Over the past few weeks, the touchpad has become less and less responsive. Soemtimes it works like normal, but then it will randomly stop. The top right corner sticks up, and it does not click very well. It feels as though something is stuck under it. Today, the touchpad stopped responding entirely. 

I downloaded HP Hardware Diagnostics to test the system, and everything passed except the battery test says "CANCELLED". I've tried to run the battery test several times, and it cancels each time. I can past the test log here if that would be useful, but it turns out jumbled because of the HTML. 

[Riddle_Decipher]

@sigmundex

Thank you for joining HP Forums. 

I'll be glad to help you 🙂 

As I understand the touchpad isn't working, device is overheating and has batter issues,

No worries, as I'll be glad to help you, that said, I'll need a few more details to dissect your concern & provide an accurate solution: 

Have you attempted to update the BIOS to resolve these issues?

Did you check with an alternate wall outlet or power cord/adapter? (this should affect the battery test, please do and let me know if it helps)

Does an external mouse work fine?

While you respond to that, here's what you need to do:

Attempt using an alternate/external mouse.  

(If that works when the touchpad is disabled on Synaptic software, it would mean that it's a touchpad failure, 

However, if the external mouse doesn't work either, it could be a software/driver issue). 

Uninstall and reinstall the drivers for your mouse: 

Go to the Device Manager and select your mouse. Uninstall it and then restart your computer. During restart, your mouse driver will automatically be reinstalled. 

• 1.   Click on Start and type ‘Device Manager’. 

• 2.   Click Device Manager. 

• 3.   Click + sign next to Mouse. 

• 4.   Right-click on mouse entry and choose "uninstall". 

• 5.   Restart your computer. 

Meanwhile, here's what you need to know about overheating issues:

Symptoms of heat issues and causes of excessive heat  

The following list describes some of the issues caused by overheating in the notebook:  

• Games stop responding during play.  

• Windows stops responding during use.  

• Fans inside the notebook become louder because they are spinning faster as the laptop gets hot, to remove the heat.  

• When starting the laptop, it sometimes stops at a black screen and does not open into Windows. Windows usually stop responding when it does open.  

The following list describes some causes of excessive heat:  

• Dust inside the laptop.  

• A new component, such as a hard drive, is added. The extra component causes the power supply to work harder and generate more heat. Extra heat also radiates off the new component and adds to the temperature inside the case.  

• Over time, some cooling fans might slow down and wear out, as the laptop is getting hot, depending on the usage of the laptop.  

• High ambient room temperature.  

Step 1: Removing dust and lint by cleaning vents  

Step 2: Ensuring proper space for ventilation  

Step 3: Updating the BIOS  

Step 4: Using HP CoolSense technology  

Step 5: Placing the notebook in a cooler room  

Step 6: Testing for hardware failure  

If the hardware has failed, capture the failure ID and revert for further assistance.  

 
If the Fan is Noisy and Spins Constantly, PC is Warmer than Normal: Click here for more details. 

Do get back to me as I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, 

That said, If I have helped you resolve the issue, 

feel free to give me a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon 

followed by clicking on 'Accepted as Solution' 

And Have a great day Ahead!

[sigmundex]

Thank you for helping me!

I have not tried to update BIOS yet. I just attempted the battery component test again, with it plugged into a different outlet, and it still says cancelled. An external mouse works fine. I reinstalled the synaptic touchpad drivers, but the problem is still occurring. I'm fairly certain that this is a hardware issue with the touchpad, because it does not click down like it used to. My suspicion, which I'm hoping proves false, is that the battery is pushing up on the touchpad. I would like to open up the bottom of the laptop to clean the vents and look at the battery, but it is held together by very small star shaped screws that I do not have any way of removing at the moment. Even if I had the correct screwdriver, I would be very worried about stripping them. 

I'm getting an error message when I try to install HP CoolSense, it says that I have a newer version already installed, but I don't. I will try to install it again soon when I have more time. However, in the process of attempting this installation, I restarted my computer, and the touchpad is working again! It still doesn't click down, but I am able to move the cursor. 

edit: after about 30 minutes, the touchpad no longer works at all, but restarting seems to be a quick fix.

[Riddle_Decipher · Accepted solution]

@sigmundex

Thank you for replying with this detailed response 😉 

I appreciate your time and efforts,

Going by your response, I recommend you Contact HP to have the device repaired via HP,

As this seems to be a hardware malfunction within the touchpad as you've rightly confirmed.

Also, the fact that there's an error on the HP Cool-sense among other overheating issues,

the best thing to do, is to have the device repaired:

HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link:  

* Open link:  www.hp.com/contacthp/

* Enter Product number or select to auto detect

* Scroll down to "Still need help? Complete the form to select your contact options"

* Scroll down and click on HP contact options - click on Get a Case & phone number.

They will be happy to assist you immediately. 

If the unit is under warranty repair services under the manufacturer's warranty will be free of charge.

If you would like to thank me for my efforts to help you, 

feel free to give me a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, 

Followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution".

Have a great day!