Hello, me again. Happy new year. Before going on holiday I stored my new elitebook safely away. Unplugged. Now I have plugged it in, set up ready to go but nothing is happening. Please help anyone.

omaria - 2021-01-02 13:32:00

Make sure you have the power turned on, (yeah I know it seems obvious but.......), so that the machine IS definitely getting some power. Does it show a light somewhere on it, maybe by where the power plugs in ? To show it's getting power ?

nice_lady - 2021-01-02 13:39:00

1: Disconnect the AC adapter (important!)
2: Hold the power button for 30 seconds (count it)
3: Reconnect the AC adapter, wait until the charging light comes on
4: Try powering on again. 99% certain it will boot.
- Last step, update the BIOS to prevent happening again.

Edited by cookee_nz at 1:42 pm, Sat 2 Jan

cookee_nz - 2021-01-02 13:41:00

cookee_nz wrote:

1: Disconnect the AC adapter (important!)
2: Hold the power button for 30 seconds (count it)
3: Reconnect the AC adapter, wait until the charging light comes on
4: Try powering on again. 99% certain it will boot.
- Last step, update the BIOS to prevent happening again.

Do NOT go updating the BIOS. This can BRICK your device, (turn it into something about as useful as a doorstop). This should also not be required on a new device at all.

nice_lady - 2021-01-02 13:51:00

nice_lady wrote:

Do NOT go updating the BIOS. This can BRICK your device, (turn it into something about as useful as a doorstop). This should also not be required on a new device at all.

Normally, your advice is sound. However in this instance (respectfully) you're wrong. It's a known issue. And despite what many will tell you, new devices are the ones often most in need of a BIOS update because of performance feedback from the field early in their life. I have NEVER had an HP BIOS update 'brick' a unit. EVER. That's why it's called "Sure Start" And I've done literally thousands. But... even in the highly unlikely event something did go wrong, it would be repaired under warranty, and being an EliteBook, it will be done onsite, next business day in most cases. And when the tech either recovers the BIOS, or replaces the Mainboard, the first thing that will be done is to bring it up to the latest version.

OP; ignore the BIOS update advice if you wish. But if you contact HP for support, (for virtually any issue) that will be their first recommendation because it fixes so many issues. BTW, what model EliteBook is it? (from the product number below the Serial Number)

Edited by cookee_nz at 2:02 pm, Sat 2 Jan

cookee_nz - 2021-01-02 13:59:00

Hmm....ok but you better give omaria some EXACT instructions on how to update the bios because she's a legend round here lol and needs to have her hand held most of the way I'd guess, (no insult to you omaria lol).

nice_lady - 2021-01-02 14:14:00

nice_lady wrote:

Hmm....ok but you better give omaria some EXACT instructions on how to update the bios because she's a legend round here lol and needs to have her hand held most of the way I'd guess, (no insult to you omaria lol).

Usually, it's as simple as running the HP Support Assistant which will have come pre-installed. It's the Blue question-mark in the system tray (along from the clock).
If it has a Yellow alert ('bang') on it, one or more 'important' updates are pending. No alert means it's up to date.
If it has a Red alert then one or more 'critical' updates are pending.
Best select all updates and let it complete them.

cookee_nz - 2021-01-02 14:21:00

Thanks all, its fixed thanks to some brain box computer illiterate husband who spotted a power icon button i didn't even know is a power icon. A little circle with a vertical line through it..........duh!!!!! But thanks for the very caring attempts to help.

omaria - 2021-01-02 14:26:00

omaria wrote:

Thanks all, its fixed thanks to some brain box computer illiterate husband who spotted a power icon button i didn't even know is a power icon. A little circle with a vertical line through it..........duh!!!!! But thanks for the very caring attempts to help.

Hmmm you mean you plugged it in and expected it to run without being turned on ? Rofl.

nice_lady - 2021-01-02 14:34:00

yeah, go on roll your eyes again LOLOL
This is a new toy and turns on differently from the others i have used.
I think its time for senior net.

Edited by omaria at 2:41 pm, Sat 2 Jan

omaria - 2021-01-02 14:39:00

The power button on the keyboard is a real trap for young players, still catches me out but never considered it for your issue. Easy to overlook the obvious.
Personally, I prefer an actual seperate power button but I guess somewhere a saving was made by putting it on the keyboard. Glad to hear it's all good. I still recommend checking the Support Assistant updates. Happy New Year :-)

Edited by cookee_nz at 2:45 pm, Sat 2 Jan

cookee_nz - 2021-01-02 14:45:00

cookee_nz wrote:

Normally, your advice is sound. However in this instance (respectfully) you're wrong. It's a known issue. And despite what many will tell you, new devices are the ones often most in need of a BIOS update because of performance feedback from the field early in their life. I have NEVER had an HP BIOS update 'brick' a unit. EVER. That's why it's called "Sure Start" And I've done literally thousands. But... even in the highly unlikely event something did go wrong, it would be repaired under warranty, and being an EliteBook, it will be done onsite, next business day in most cases. And when the tech either recovers the BIOS, or replaces the Mainboard, the first thing that will be done is to bring it up to the latest version.

OP; ignore the BIOS update advice if you wish. But if you contact HP for support, (for virtually any issue) that will be their first recommendation because it fixes so many issues. BTW, what model EliteBook is it? (from the product number below the Serial Number)

I had one years ago that went bad couldn't be recovered. But I think bigger issue these days is a lot of machines come with bitlocker enabled by default which if not disabled and keys backed up prior to bios update could lead to data loss

king1 - 2021-01-02 15:48:00

king1 wrote:

I had one years ago that went bad couldn't be recovered. But I think bigger issue these days is a lot of machines come with bitlocker enabled by default which if not disabled and keys backed up prior to bios update could lead to data loss

Yes that can happen, but the HP BIOS update process now not only specifically stops and warns you but can also temporarily suspend Bitlocker before proceeding. None the less, it's wise to have the BL recovery key (which you should have regardless anyway) and suspend it before doing the update. But having said that, I'd had many where there was no choice and not had a failure or loss of data yet. ('Yet' he says) :-)

Edited by cookee_nz at 4:06 pm, Sat 2 Jan

cookee_nz - 2021-01-02 16:05:00

A far worse scenario is where someone has purchased an ex-lease corporate Laptop from the likes of PB Tech or any of the recycling companies, the previous corporate forgot to remove the BIOS Admin password before disposal and the reseller has no idea who the prior owner was. There's (now) no way to reset the BIOS Admin PW on an HP commercial unit so the only option is to replace the Mainboard. Fortunately there are not many required BIOS updates that are absolute show-stoppers so a locked unit 'should' still be ok for most folk. I just wouldn't want one myself.

cookee_nz - 2021-01-02 16:11:00

cookee_nz wrote:

The power button on the keyboard is a real trap for young players, still catches me out but never considered it for your issue. Easy to overlook the obvious.
Personally, I prefer an actual seperate power button but I guess somewhere a saving was made by putting it on the keyboard. Glad to hear it's all good. I still recommend checking the Support Assistant updates. Happy New Year :-)

I like the 'issue for young players' LOLOL does that mean young in years or young in knowledge of technology??

omaria - 2021-01-02 22:42:00

You're as young as you feel.
I suspect you normally power the system up with a wave of the mouse or touch of the keyboard. What you are doing there is "waking it up" out of "Sleep" mode, which is a power saving state.

bit - 2021-01-03 06:54:00

learning as i get older :)
on 2nd thought......getting older as i'm learning LOL (slow learner)

Edited by omaria at 11:38 am, Sun 3 Jan

omaria - 2021-01-03 11:37:00

Had a doozy the other day. Had no home phone, no dial tone. Did EVERYTHING ELSE inc ring vodafone before realising that the modem just needed restarting grrrrr. Wasted a morning.

muppet_slayer - 2021-01-03 13:15:00

Sometimes the obvious isn't.

nice_lady - 2021-01-03 13:26:00

Nice lady, you are always most helpful and patient. I very much appreciate your help (and attempts to help) I want to wish you a wonderful 2021. May your best days of 2020 become your worst days of 2021. :)

omaria - 2021-01-03 19:00:00

Aww that's very nice of you ????

nice_lady - 2021-01-03 19:39:00

Some times those power keys on the keyboard are not obvious.

tygertung - 2021-01-04 08:04:00

I shall never forget it however, lesson learnt.

omaria - 2021-01-04 12:13:00

omaria wrote:

Thanks all, its fixed thanks to some brain box computer illiterate husband who spotted a power icon button i didn't even know is a power icon. A little circle with a vertical line through it..........duh!!!!! But thanks for the very caring attempts to help.

A trivia aside for the easily entertained. Why is the power button on symbol a little circle with a line in it? Because that circle is a zero and the line is a one. Binary off on.
Another while im at it, the bluetooth symbol? Whats that ?that little spikey B. Its a Norse rune, Its the joining or of two other runes hagall and bjarkan, the initials of Viking king Harald Bluetooth, the man that united the Danish tribes under his one war banner .The radio doesn't want to start fights though, it all about uniteing devices you see.

ronaldo8 - 2021-01-09 10:32:00

ronaldo8 wrote:

A trivia aside for the easily entertained. Why is the power button on symbol a little circle with a line in it? Because that circle is a zero and the line is a one. Binary off on.
Another while im at it, the bluetooth symbol? Whats that ?that little spikey B. Its a Norse rune, Its the joining or of two other runes hagall and bjarkan, the initials of Viking king Harald Bluetooth, the man that united the Danish tribes under his one war banner .The radio doesn't want to start fights though, it all about uniteing devices you see.

Yeahhh.....except that it can be quite a battle to get bluetooth things to work together sometimes.

nice_lady - 2021-01-09 12:52:00

My tooth is white....all of them are actually :)

omaria - 2021-01-09 14:13:00

nice_lady wrote:

Yeahhh.....except that it can be quite a battle to get bluetooth things to work together sometimes.

Haha, threaten them with a large double headed axe. See how you go.

ronaldo8 - 2021-01-09 16:54:00