Three flashing lights on Pavilion Won't turn on

[EidoUK]

I have a Pavillion Notebook.

I left it running doing a deep virus scan, which takes time. It was plugged into the power cable at the time, which was on at the plug.

Upon returning to it, I found it turned off, which it shouldn't be. I tired to turn it back on, but I got three white flashing lights where the power plugs in.

I have read a few other things online, about holding power button for 60 seconds etc, but nothing works.

If I disconnect the battery and plug the power cable in, nothing happens, and I don't get the three white flashes when I press the power button. The laptop doesn't seem to acknowledge the presence of the power cable.

Also, when the power cable is plugged in, with or without the battery, there is no power light of any kind present anymore.

I am also worried about a corrupted HDD on account of it going off in it's circumstances. I am currently in a legal case and can't afford to not have this working or lose data. I need to get it working again asap. 

There seems to be a few variations of this problem, and I haven't found anything directly related to my circumstances. Please can someone help.

Thank you so much.

[EidoUK]

I forgot to add -

When I turned it on before, the screen came on, but the HDD did not start up.

I hard powered it off, and then restarted the laptop. It then worked properly, and booted up the HDD. It was a bit slower than usual, but that wasn't uncommon, it often runs slower for some reason. I usually put it down to the anti-virus program.

At the point when I left it running with the anti-virus running, it was working fine. I had tried randomly accessing things on the HDD just to be sure, and everything seemed fine. I don't think there's any issue with the HDD itself.

I don't know if any of this is of relevance. Even if the HDD is down, the laptop should still power on, I'm sure.

[zoey7886]

@EidoUK, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding three flashing lights on Pavilion! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

Your HP Pavilion Notebook is experiencing an issue indicated by three flashing lights and it is not turning on. This could be related to several potential problems, such as issues with the processor, power supply, or system board.

Check Air Vents and Fans:

• Ensure that the computer’s air vents are not blocked.
• Verify if the processor cooling fan is running when you turn on your notebook.

Inspect the Processor:

• Open the hood of your notebook and press the power button.
• Check if the processor fan is spinning. If it is not, ensure that the fan’s cable is plugged onto the system board header.
• If the fan is connected but not spinning, consider replacing the heatsink/fan assembly.

Power Supply:

• If you suspect a power supply issue, ensure the power cable is seated correctly into the system board.
• Try removing all attached devices like hard drives, diskette drives, optical drives, and expansion cards.
• Power on the system, and if it enters the POST (Power-On-Self-Test), power off and replace each attached device one at a time to identify the faulty component.
• If the issue persists, consider replacing the power supply or system board.

Memory and Graphics:

• Reseat the DIMMs (memory modules). If the problem persists, replace the DIMMs one at a time to isolate any faulty module.
• For graphics issues, reseat the graphics card if you have one installed. If the notebook uses integrated graphics, inspect the system board.

System Board:

• Check if the system board has any visible signs of damage. If necessary, replace the system board.  

Hope this helps!

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[EidoUK]

There's literally zero power on the laptop, other than three white flashing lights at the power in if I press the power button with the battery inserted.

If I take the battery out, there isn't even that.

So I can't do the things you suggest as there's literally zero power.

Should the HP Pavilion 15 I have run if plugged into the power cable, but without a battery installed?

If I plug the power cable in, with or without a battery, the power light does not come on anymore like it used to (amber or white depending on charge).

[Garp_senchau]

@EidoUK, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you so much for posting your query! My colleague is currently out, but don't worry – I’ll be taking over and making sure we get this sorted for you.

I suggest you refer to this guide for troubleshooting the issue: HP Notebook PCs - Computer beeps or a light blinks during startup | HP® Support

I truly hope these steps help get things back on track. If you have any questions or need any further clarification, just let me know – I’m happy to guide you through it and make sure everything works perfectly.

Take care, and I hope you have an amazing day ahead! 😊

Problem solved? 🎉 That’s fantastic! If you could mark this as the Accepted Solution, it would help others find their way here faster. And if you found this helpful, a simple ‘yes’ would mean a lot – it makes my day and gives this reply a little street cred! 🏅

Regards,

[EidoUK]

That still doesn't help, it's too generic 'trt this try that's rather than directly responding to the problems I am having.

I would really appreciate some answers directly relating to the following please, so I can hopefully work towards finding a solution to fix this.

1. This is some kind of hardware power fault. Maybe the battery maybe not. The battery is 13 years old.

Does this model of Laptop require the battery installed to work, even when plugged in? Im sure I heard once that it did.

The three flashing white lights are on the power

LED when the on button is pressed, and that is the maximum sign of any power present. It does this with the battery installed, but if the battery is taken out, and the button is pressed, it doesn't even do this.

There must be a known reason for this pattern surely.

2. I have recently found out online about 'Battery Reset'. There is a small hole on the laptop next to the power LED, which I gather now is the Battery Reset. Could you please let me know exactly what the battery reset does, and if the battery needs to be in or out when it's pressed,as there is contradictory information online regarding this. I need to see if this will help in any way.

Thank you.

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @EidoUK, 

Thank you for your response

In order for us to identify any hardware issues, please first let me know the blinking pattern—are there just three white lights blinking, or are there other lights blinking as well? Additionally, the information to look for the blinking patterns is in the document I shared.

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

Please provide the model's name or product number as well; this will enable us to check for a battery reset button, if one exists.

 Take care and have a good day. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Regards,

[EidoUK]

To HP - I've been sidetracked by other things and haven't had a chance to follow up with the last tech info I received just yet.

Will do so in the next few days and get back to you on if anything came of it. Thanks. 

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @EidoUK,

No worries at all—Take your time

Just check in whenever you're ready. 

Take care and have a good day. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Regards,

[Banlix]

The problem you are experiencing seems almost the same as mine.

Previously, my laptop would not boot, and HP PC Hardware Diagnostic UEFI gave this information:

 

In fact, before that happened yesterday, I had used my laptop, and there were no problems with the SSD.

It happened in the afternoon. After I let it and I tried to turn my laptop back on before 12.00, before the change of day, the laptop successfully booted and entered Windows, But before entering the lockscreen there is an update process. After successfully logging into Windows, I looked at what updates were installed, and it turned out to be related to Windows Configuration Update. 

Only, when it can't boot, I tried turning on the laptop several times and there was a BSOD, only I didn't have time to take a picture of it.

Could it be that your laptop is also experiencing this?