Last Updated on September 13, 2023 by Dave Farquhar
If your HP Elitebook or other HP laptop won’t turn on, I have an easy fix. We used them at a previous job and I taught this trick to all of my coworkers who had difficulty getting their laptops to power up in the morning. It’s easy, and takes less time than calling the helpdesk, and less time than going direct to desktop support too.
Table of contents
- The one-minute fix when an HP Elitebook won’t turn on
- What if your HP laptop’s battery light flashes and won’t turn on?
- When your HP Elitebook won’t turn on because of overheating
- One more problem that seems related but is slightly different
- What about HP desktops?
The one-minute fix when an HP Elitebook won’t turn on
First, unplug the AC adapter from the laptop and/or undock the laptop.
Next, flip over the laptop and look for a latch to release the battery. If the laptop has a removable battery, slide the latch open to release the battery. Pull the battery out and set it aside. If it doesn’t have a removable battery, continue with the next step.
Now, for my magic trick. Flip the laptop over, open the lid, and press and hold the power button for at least 15 seconds. I generally go the extra mile and hold it for more like 30.
Now, replace the battery if you removed it. Dock the laptop or plug the AC adapter back in, and try the power button again. Chances are, your laptop will fire up now.
And that’s all there is to it when an HP Elitebook won’t turn on. Usually. Let’s talk about the two exceptions.
What if your HP laptop’s battery light flashes and won’t turn on?
If the orange light flashes briefly and the HP Elitebook still doesn’t turn on, that means the battery is dead and the computer can’t get power. This means the battery isn’t charging from the AC adapter. Check to make sure the AC adapter is plugged firmly into the computer or docking station, the power cord is firmly plugged into the AC adapter, and the other end of the cord is plugged firmly into the wall. If you dock the laptop, make sure it’s firmly seated in your docking station. A too-loose connection in any of those places will cause the battery to not charge and eventually run out.
Checking and fixing all of these things should only take an additional minute, if that.
When your HP Elitebook won’t turn on because of overheating
If your HP Elitebook or other HP laptop still won’t turn on, the laptop may be overheated. If the laptop shut off suddenly while you were using it and feels warm to the touch, it almost certainly overheated. Here’s how to fix an Elitebook 8440 that overheats. It’s not usually a difficult fix either. Other models of Elitebook will be very similar.
I’ve written about this trick before, and it’s not always necessary on all hardware, but it definitely helps HP Elitebooks when nothing else will. This trick works on other HP laptops as well. For that matter, it generally works on most other brands of laptop with a removable battery.
One more problem that seems related but is slightly different
Sometimes your computer has trouble coming out of hibernation. It seems to be on, because it makes noise and the LEDs all light up, but only displays a black screen. Here’s how to fix the black screen after hibernation problem. This is another problem that’s not exclusive to HP Elitebooks, as it seems to be more of a Windows problem or a video driver problem.
What about HP desktops?
Desktop computers are a bit different from laptops. And if you’re wondering, that same pattern holds true for other manufacturers as well.
David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.