amber light blinks computer slows down

[JeremySimons]

My HP Envy 17m works fine. But after a few hours the amber light by the power chord starts to blink and then the computer suddenly slows down dramatically. It makes me think it is overheating, but it is barely warm. So I turn it off, wait a while, and then everything is fine again. It seems to happen whether the computer is plugged in or not.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @JeremySimons ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP ENVY - 17m-bw0013dx amber light blinks on the computer slows down Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

• Power Supply or Battery Issue: The blinking amber light near the power cord could indicate a problem with the power supply or battery. If the battery is not charging properly or if there's an issue with the power supply, it could lead to performance issues as the system struggles to draw enough power.
• Overheating: Even though the laptop doesn't feel hot to the touch, it's still possible that it's overheating internally. Over time, dust and debris can accumulate inside the laptop, obstructing airflow and causing components to heat up. This could lead to performance throttling to prevent damage to the hardware.
• Software or Driver Issue: Sometimes, software or driver issues can cause performance problems. It's worth checking for any updates to your operating system, drivers, and BIOS, as these updates can sometimes address performance issues.

Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

• Check Power Supply and Battery: Make sure the power cord and adapter are functioning properly. Try using a different power outlet or a different adapter if possible. If you're using the laptop with the battery, try removing the battery and running the laptop solely on AC power to see if the issue persists.
• Check for Overheating: Use software like HWMonitor or SpeedFan to monitor the temperature of your CPU and GPU while the laptop is in use. If temperatures are consistently high, it could indicate an overheating issue. You can try cleaning out the laptop's vents and fans with compressed air to remove any dust buildup.
• Update Drivers and Software: Make sure all your drivers, including graphics drivers, are up to date. Also, check for any available updates for your operating system and BIOS.  Software and Drivers for HP ENVY - 17m-bw0013dx
• Check for Background Processes: Sometimes, background processes or programs can hog system resources and cause performance issues. Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to check for any processes that are using a lot of CPU, memory, or disk resources and close them if necessary.
• Run Diagnostics: Many laptops come with built-in diagnostic tools that can help identify hardware problems. Check your laptop's user manual or the HP website for instructions on how to run diagnostics. HP PCs - Testing for hardware failures

Refer to this document: HP ENVY - 17m-bw0013dx  user manual 

HP Notebook PCs - Using and troubleshooting the AC adapter
HP Notebook PCs - Battery light turns on and off while the battery is charging

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

[JeremySimons]

Gaya, thank you for those suggestions. I have not had success with them yet, but I am trying to implement them.

Since the issue happens consistently after I have been using the laptop for several hours it seems reasonable to think that there is some kind of overheating going on, even though nothing even feels warm.  But when the amber light starts blinking you can hear the fan running, and when I turn it off the fan runs for a while, and when it stops the light stops blinking.

It doesn't look to me as if it is even possible to open the laptop up to clean the fan without simply breaking it, so I am trying to figure out how to clean the fan, or even where it is.

I did get a new power cord, but that made no difference.

I love the fact that the Envy with its solid state construction is lightning fast even though it is three years old, but issue is making me wonder.