HP laptop powers on but doesnt start up

Question

When I press the power button the quickplay buttons light up and it sounds like the computer is starting but before the HP screen shows it powers back down. It will keep cycling on and off unless I press the power button and turn it off. I usually wait a few seconds and try again. Sometimes it starts easily and other times it can take 15 minutes or more to get it to start up. How should I fix this?

Answer 1

The way I debug startup problems:

1. Remove all external devices before powering up. That's mice, keypads, external monitors--anything that connects via a cable. If it starts now, one of these devices was the problem.
2. Remove the hard drive (very easy on HP laptops). Will it start now? Then the problem is the hard drive, or the cable.
3. Remove the RAM. Will it start now? Guess where the problem lies.
4. Try pressing the F1 key during powerup to get to the BIOS. Does this work?

There are several documents at hp.com that might help you:

Resolving Startup Problems in Windows 98, ME, and XP

Troubleshooting Motherboard Issues

Troubleshooting Power Supply Issues

I hope that's helpful.