My laptop needs a hard reset to turn on

[T3r_50n15t]

I've had my laptop for almost a month now and there are no issues with it except that most of the time I'll need to hard reset it everytime I need to turn it on after shut down—it doesn't power on the normal way like the first couple days of purchase where I just press the power button until it turns on. Instead, when I do that and I think it turns on, it turns itself back off with a 'sigh' sounds and that's when I do the hard reset.

I've tried the power option solutions and did try a few diagnostic tests on the BIOS menu, and I'm worried that me entering BIOS mode might have been the start of the problem as this did not happen until I tried that option.

Even after turning on my laptop, I'd get a small blue box on the screen before pressing "Enter" and the laptop boots perfectly after. Any ideas on how to fix this so I don't have to hard reset every single time? This is my first HP laptop and any help would be appreciated.

[Sneha_01]

Hi @T3r_50n15t 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're dealing with a somewhat tricky issue where your HP laptop doesn’t turn on normally after a shutdown and requires a hard reset (or reset via holding the power button) to power up. The issue seems to have appeared after accessing the BIOS.

Here's a step-by-step guide to troubleshoot this issue and try to resolve it:

1. Power Reset (Hard Reset)

It’s good that you’ve already tried a hard reset, but let’s make sure that this reset is done properly as it can sometimes resolve startup issues:

• Shut down your laptop completely.
• Unplug the power cable and remove the battery (if it's removable).
• Hold the power button for about 15–30 seconds to discharge any residual power.
• Reconnect the battery (if removable) and plug in the power cable.
• Try turning it on again and see if it starts normally.

2. BIOS Settings

Since you mentioned the issue started after accessing the BIOS, it’s possible that a setting there might be affecting how the laptop powers up. Let’s reset the BIOS settings:

• Enter BIOS again by pressing the F10 key during startup (before Windows loads).
• Once in the BIOS menu, look for the Reset to Default or Restore Defaults option. This will reset all BIOS settings back to factory defaults and might help with the power issue.
• Save the changes and exit BIOS. Your laptop will restart, and hopefully, it will boot up normally from now on.

3. Check Power Settings in BIOS

• While you're in BIOS, make sure that settings related to Fast Boot or Secure Boot are configured correctly. Sometimes, these can interfere with the startup process.
• Fast Boot: Try disabling Fast Boot if it’s enabled. This setting can sometimes cause issues with startup.
• Secure Boot: Make sure Secure Boot is enabled (or set to default), as this ensures proper booting in most cases.

4. Windows Power Settings

Since you've tried the power options in Windows, let’s ensure everything there is configured properly:

• Open Power Settings: Go to Settings > System > Power & Sleep > Additional Power Settings.
• Click on Choose what the power button does.
• Ensure that the settings for when the power button is pressed are set to Shut Down and not anything else that might cause confusion during startup.
• Turn off fast startup by clicking on Change settings that are currently unavailable and unchecking Turn on fast startup. This can sometimes cause issues with booting up.

5. Driver or Firmware Update

• Outdated drivers or firmware could be contributing to the issue. Check if there are any updates available for your laptop’s drivers or BIOS/firmware:
  1. Visit the HP Support website and enter your laptop's model number.
  2. Download and install any BIOS or driver updates available for your laptop.
• It’s also a good idea to check for Windows Updates to ensure that your operating system is fully up to date.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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

Rachel571

HP Support

[T3r_50n15t]

I've tried all those solutions and even checked the BIOS security utility menu; secure boot is enabled by default, but I did not find the "restore to default" option except in the security tab 

I've also checked if there was any possible BIOS or drivers update, but the laptop is brand new so everything is up to date

I'm worried that the problem might be in the CMOS, as I'd occasionally get that small blue box telling me about it. Any possible non-risky fix for that?

[Sneha_01]

Hi @T3r_50n15t 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're dealing with an odd issue where your laptop isn’t powering on the usual way, and you're having to perform a hard reset each time. The fact that it happens after you tried entering the BIOS mode is interesting, but let’s explore other possible causes and fixes for this problem.

Possible Causes:

1. Power Management Settings: Sometimes, the system’s power settings can cause issues with powering up properly. It could be that your laptop is in a weird state when it’s powered off, which is why it needs a hard reset.
2. BIOS Settings: If the issue started after you accessed the BIOS, there may be a setting in the BIOS that’s causing this behavior, especially if it affects power on/off states.
3. Hardware Issue: There could be a problem with your laptop's hardware, like the power button or motherboard, causing it to fail to boot up properly.
4. Firmware or Driver Issue: Outdated BIOS firmware or power management drivers can cause issues with turning the laptop on properly.

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Reset BIOS to Default Settings:

Since you mentioned you entered BIOS, it might have accidentally been changed. Let’s try resetting the BIOS settings to default to rule out any configuration issue there:

• Restart your laptop and press F10 (or the appropriate key for your model) to enter the BIOS.
• Once in the BIOS, look for an option like Restore Defaults or Load Default Settings (this may be under the Exit or Advanced tab).
• Select it, save the changes, and exit the BIOS.
• Check if the problem persists after resetting to default settings.

2. Update BIOS Firmware:

If the BIOS version on your laptop is outdated, that could be causing the issue, particularly with power management.

• Go to HP’s official website, find your laptop model, and check if there are any available BIOS updates.If an update is available, download it and follow the instructions to update your BIOS.After updating, restart your laptop and see if the issue is resolved.

3. Check Power Settings:

Since you've already tried some power-related options, let’s double-check these power settings:

• Turn off Fast Startup:
  • Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
  • Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  • Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended), and then click Save changes.
• Reset Power Settings:
  • Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Restore default settings for this plan.
  • This will reset all power-related settings, which could help fix any issues caused by incorrect power settings.

4. Perform a Hard Reset:

Performing a hard reset can help if there’s an issue with the laptop’s power cycle. Here’s how to do it:

1. Power off the laptop.Unplug the power cable (if connected).
2. Remove the battery (if removable).Hold down the power button for about 30 seconds.
3. Reconnect the battery (if removable) and power cable.Try turning on the laptop again.

5. Check for Hardware Issues:

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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

Rachel571

HP Support