continously flashing caps and num lock dv7

[verbaetim]

I've got a vista dv7-2120sa that I recently bought off ebay as spares repairs to use the keyboard, fan and battery on my long term laptop which is a windows 7 dv7-2230sa. I'm assuming the parts are all compatible but the ebay laptop is in very nice condition so would like to try and get it working. Thing is it only gets as far as a blank screen, the fan works, the disc drive works ie I can hear it moving, lights are on but the caps lock and num lock blink continuously at intervals of approx 3-4 seconds - any ideas?

[Dragon-Fur]

This document will help with the blink / beep codes:

HP Notebook PCs - Computer Does Not Start and Emits an LED or Beep Code

Included are a couple of things you can try (to get the notebook booted) that do not even require you to take it apart.  Who knows?  One of the easy fixes might work!

Good Luck!

[verbaetim]

Thanks for that, the blinks just go on and on though with no apparent pause of more than 3 or 4 seconds - I could probably leave it for half an hour and it would still be blinking in the same way

[Dragon-Fur]

Check the Power Adapter.

HP Notebook PCs - Troubleshooting LED Blink Codes or Beep Codes During Startup or Boot

HP Notebook PCs - Testing and Using the AC Power Adapter

You might check each of the components as you can.  For example, in addition to checking the AC Power adapter, check the memory and the rest of what you can get to.

Reference:HP Pavilion dv7-2120sa Entertainment Notebook PC support

Manuals:  HP Pavilion dv7-2120sa Entertainment Notebook PC User guides

In particular:  HP Pavilion dv7 Entertainment PC - Maintenance and Service Guide

Disassemble the HP Pavilion dv7 laptop

[verbaetim]

I've removed and refitted the two memories and tried it without the battery in. Also tried keeping the esc key pressed straight after pressing power button aswell as repeatedly pressing f11 straight after start button but no different. The furthest I got was with a notice saying there was no bootable device or something like that - tried a Norton disc in the drive and it looked promising with windows starting up but then kept asking for a product key over and over

[verbaetim]

I'll try my original hp ac adaptor as the one supplied with the ebay laptop is not an hp one

[Dragon-Fur]

I should think you might find the Product key on the lable on the bottom) on a notebook of this vintage.

The product key is a 25 character-number code and can be used to install the original Operating System.  If you cannot find, use, or decipher the product key, you can buy a copy of Windows 7 for the computer and then install the HP software from the system's webpage.

HP dv7-2120sa > Solve a Problem > Start-up / Shutdown > Start-up / Boot-up

Calls:

Consumer Notebooks - Testing for Hardware Failures (Windows 7, Vista)

Extra Reference:

Notebooks - Computer Does Not Start (Windows 7, Vista, XP)

Depending on when the notebook was manufactured (mid 2009 and more recent), you might be able to update the diagnostics to use the UEFI set.  The main advantage of using this method is that of the GUI (graphics interface).  You can live without it.  Assuming you can use it, you can install the UEFI onto a USB stick and use that to run the modules.

Click the Kudos Star!

It is a nice “Thank You” for the Experts who come to your aid.

[verbaetim]

Seem to have tried everything now and still the same - I have noticed a small dent on one side, could the knock have dislodged something inside which is causing the problem? I have tried (rightly or wrongly) fitting another hard drive that I know is ok although that was windows 7 and not vista but that didn`t make a difference

[verbaetim]

I`ve now decided to swap the keyboard and fan over from the laptop I bought on ebay to my original one - the keyboard is no doubt the same but having downloaded the HP service manual it looks like the part numbers for an Intel fan (my original laptop) are different to those of an AMD fan (the ebay one) but will they fit anyway and work ok?

Fan

Description Spare part number

For use only with computer models equipped with AMD processors 488885-001

For use only with computer models equipped with Intel processors 480481-001