Laptop turns on, caps lock blinks, but the screen doesn't show.

Question

HP EliteBook 8560p

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thecommodorefan @thecommodorefan

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crwdns2931729:0crwdne2931729:0: Dzi 16, 2024

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Laptop turns on, caps lock blinks, but the screen doesn't show.

I want a laptop, but I don't want to spend three-hundred dollars. So my family has this old HP EliteBook 8560p and I thought I would use it temporarily. I knew from the start that the HDD was broken. So I swapped out the original drive with a known-good one. I did a quick check through to make sure that all the cables were connected. Then I pressed the power button. The lights turn on, the HDD starts, the fans spin, the caps lock light starts blinking, the screen stays off, and that's all it does. I left it like that for five minutes and the screen stayed off with the fan going full speed. Any ideas?

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@thecommodorefan connect an external monitor and see if that changes anything. Check your RAM modules. If you have more than one, pull it and see if that changes anything. Of course, it is also possible that this is a BIOS issue. Not a BIOS battery issue but a true failed BIOS.

crwdns2934271:0Dzi 16, 2024crwdnd2934271:0 oldturkey03 crwdne2934271:0

Hi @oldturkey03

That is possible. Instructions below in edited Answer.

crwdns2934271:0Dzi 16, 2024crwdnd2934271:0 mike crwdne2934271:0

@aactech awesome. Thank you for incorporating!

crwdns2934271:0Dzi 17, 2024crwdnd2934271:0 oldturkey03 crwdne2934271:0

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mike @aactech

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crwdns2931729:0crwdne2931729:0: Dzi 16, 2024

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HP Corrupt BIOS Recovery

Recover the BIOS using a key press combination. Turn off the computer. Press and hold the Windows + b keys, and continue to press those keys while you press and hold the power button for 2 to 3 seconds. Release the power button, but continue pressing the Windows + b keys.

Note: On some models it may be the V key that works.

Here is the link to the

Maintenance and Service Manual

Swapping out all components such as hard drive, Wi-Fi, etc. and seeing if you can get the screen on. Then add other components, one at a time, until screen does not come on. Defective component found!

Any info on history of laptop?

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I tried the BIOS recovery, but it didn't work. I'll skim through the service manual. Thank you so much for finding it because I can never find any service manuals.

As for the history of the laptop, it had a bit of a rough life. It was bought in... 2017, I think, by a friend of ours from a local university because my parents like to cheap out when it comes to technology. It was used a LOT but was relatively kept up with. It worked just fine until 2021 when the hard drive quit. Then it sat in the living room in a drawer until now.

crwdns2934271:0Dzi 17, 2024crwdnd2934271:0 thecommodorefan crwdne2934271:0

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@thecommodorefan connect an external monitor and see if that changes anything. Check your RAM modules. If you have more than one, pull it and see if that changes anything. Of course, it is also possible that this is a BIOS issue. Not a BIOS battery issue but a true failed BIOS. — oldturkey03
Hi @oldturkey03

That is possible. Instructions below in edited Answer. — mike
I tried the BIOS recovery, but it didn't work. I'll skim through the service manual. Thank you so much for finding it because I can never find any service manuals.

As for the history of the laptop, it had a bit of a rough life. It was bought in... 2017, I think, by a friend of ours from a local university because my parents like to cheap out when it comes to technology. It was used a LOT but was relatively kept up with. It worked just fine until 2021 when the hard drive quit. Then it sat in the living room in a drawer until now. — thecommodorefan

score 2 · Answer 1 · 2024-04-17T05:11:47-07:00

F024 Ritosankho Halder @f024ritosa91869

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crwdns2931729:0crwdne2931729:0: Dzi 17, 2024

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Fan always runs at dull speed, so seems like a corrupt bios. As mike said, try holding down win+b or v while powering it on. There is also a bios recovery utility thing from hp. You can go to support.hp.com > your model number > software and driver> bios. Then download the latest one, download the utility and make a recovery usb. Detailed instructions are available on the website.

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Thank you for the elaboration. I didn't even know that software existed.

crwdns2934271:0Dzi 17, 2024crwdnd2934271:0 thecommodorefan crwdne2934271:0

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