HP Pavilion DV7-1245DX No boot/POST, Caps Lock and Num Lock lights blink once repeatedly

[vns_firefly]

Sorry I'm late, as you can tell my computer is down again. 😛

About my dv7:
_My battery is broken by accident, so I use my dv7 without it (adapter only). I plug it in 24/24 even when it is powered off, just like a desktop computer. 😄
_I don't have a cooling pad, so I put the computer upon 4 bottle caps for ventilation. The drawback is that the cooling fan seems more prone to dust.

About my optical drive trick, sadly, it doesn't work twice. The error turned out to be very random in my case; I encountered it the day after and didn't manage to break into my own computer at first. Then I borrowed another laptop because I had to work on one, and when I removed the network cable from the dv7, it continued booting into Windows! I was astonished at the sight of a dv7 working properly as if it couldn't care less about the Capslock and Numlock leds still flashing indicating POST error, really (by the way, it was like that the previous time, too). The most funny thing about this is that neither the error nor the fix can be replicated. In fact, I contacted my aunt (which is an expert) and had her come over the next day, only to find out the dv7 worked just fine. As she explained, the problem has not fully emerged. Even if I bring it to the center, all the tech guys can do for me are carrying out regular maintanence, replacing parts that look bad, and thus partially fix the error. All in all, it cannot be guaranteed that the same error will not happen again (just like the OP's case). I must continue using the computer until it is clearly broken somewhere, and then replace that whole part. I think it sounds logical. I hope that helps somehow.

[AxshunJaxun]

Glad that it seems to be working for now. Thanks for letting me know. Keep the thread updated if you can 🙂

[nizar180]

I have the same problem from the first time they have been used my computer
And I re-boot device promised to times when I want to run
Any solutions

[AxshunJaxun]

Hey nizar180, 

Is this happening on a brand new, out of the box computer? If so, I would say take it back for an exchange or return.

If you've had this computer for a while, usually the 1-blink pattern indicates a processor failure and it will need to be replaced. You could try reseating it but that is very tedious work and may be better left to a computer repair shop.

Also, are you saying that when you reboot, the blink code goes away?

[jhoeke12]

I couldn't get mine to boot either but i opened the cd/dvd drive, put in a music cd, and closed it and this caused it to boot.  as I type this, the caps lock and num lock blink.  I have to say that i'm not too happy to read that this is probably some expensive repair!  I thought HP made quality, long-lasting products.  Also, the touchscreen above the keyboard (controls volume, mute, turn on/off wifi card, etcetera is just about useless as I think it worked for about the 1st month I owned this computer.  Also, if one wants to see the keyboard (ie what letters/numbers on on what key), it requires a rediculous amount of light.  putting white lettering on glossy keys was a poor manufacturing choice.

[jhoeke12]

I bought my dv7-1448dx in fall 2009, i suspect that the warranty is long gone and that I'm stuck forking out the funds to buy another laptop?

[AxshunJaxun]

Computer components failing is not a problem exclusive to HP. Just like car parts, refrigerator parts or air conditioner parts eventually fail, all computer parts have a limited life-span too. Some parts fail sooner than others. Sometimes a part may not fail for the entire time you use that unit. It may, in some cases, be due to the way it was or was not maintained. In other cases, it may have nothing to do with the way it was or was not maintained. It may be simply due to the environment it was in. I'm not saying this was the case for a Caps/Num Lock light blinking issue. I'm just trying to convey that it's not something anyone can really forecast. Part failure is unpredictable. 

With a 1-blink pattern, normally, you can't boot at all so it is fortunate that you are still able to get it to boot. I would strongly suggest saving all personal files externally while you can do that conveniently. Even if the rest of the computer were to fail, you could still take the hard drive out and transfer files so it's still doable if you can't boot, but it isn't convenient.

Once you have everything backed up, you could try updating the BIOS, or if it's already up-to-date, you could try setting it to defaults. You could also try reseating the processor (1-blink pattern indicates processor), remembering to reapply thermal paste if you detach the fan and heat sink assembly. 

Check your current BIOS version by pressing FN + ESC. Look for 'F.##'. The latest version is F.49 for the Pavilion dv7-1448dx. If you have an earlier version, download and install F.49 from the link below.

Update BIOS version (sp45071)

If you already have F.49, boot into the BIOS by tapping F10 at power on. Once inside BIOS press F9 to set it back to defaults. It happens instantaneously. You won't see any feedback most likely. Then just press F10 to save and exit. If the blinking issue still hasn't gone away, you could consider trying reseating the processor. I must warn you, this is a tedious task and I can't guarantee that it would resolve the blinking issue. 

You don't necessarily have to go out and buy a whole new computer. You could check with a local repair shop and see what the cost of just replacing the processor would be. In most cases though, it is more cost effective to put that money toward a new machine. I wish you the best of luck with that and hope that updating the BIOS or reseating will help. Please let me know if you have any questions. I would be glad to help.

[jhoeke12]

When I push function [plus] escape, nothing happens to tell me what BIOS I have.  is a window supposed to pop up somewhere?  should i focus my concentration to a certain area of the computer screen when pushing these 2 keys?  also, now my computer will not charge when plugged in.  However, when I turn the computer off, the charging works fine.

[AxshunJaxun]

To find your current BIOS version, you can also:

• Click the Start button
• Type 'msinfo32' and press Enter
• Look about halfway down on the right side
• Look for 'BIOS Version/Date'
• Make note of the 'F.##' version number and post it in your reply please

A outdated BIOS could cause the charging issue. If that is the case, F.49 will resolve that issue. If it is not caused by an outdated BIOS, you could try 

1. Shutdown
2. Remove battery and leave out 
3. Remove AC Adapter
4. Hold the power button for 10 seconds
5. Plug AC Adapter in - leave battery out
6. Press power button to start the computer
7. Click Start > Type 'device' > Click Device Manager
8. Expand Batteries
9. Right-Click on each Microsoft ACPI item and click Uninstall - Uninstall both before restarting
10. Shut down
11. Remove AC Adapter
12. Put battery back in
13. Press power button to turn on the computer 
14. Let it load to the desktop and wait 5 minutes on the desktop
15. Shutdown
16. Plug AC Adapter back in
17. Press power button to turn the computer back on 

I know that's a lot of steps but let me know if your battery will charge after completing those steps. Sometimes the ACPI drivers just need to be uninstalled and reinstalled to work out the quirks/glitches that can develop over time. Let me know the results when you get a chance 🙂

[AxshunJaxun]

Any luck with those steps?