So my laptop hasn't been working for the past few days and every time I go to turn it on all the lights (wireless button, power button, mute button, etc.) work and I can hear the fan working but the screen is completely black and the caps lock and num lock blink 3 times. I read online that the three blinks mean that the RAM needs to be reseated. I reseated the RAM as well as switched it with a working RAM but my computer still is not booting up. Is there anything I can do to fix my computer quickly on my own? I have to leave very soon for a trip and would like to bring my laptop with me.
Hp Elitebook 8470p won’t boot, caps lock blinks 3 times
hardware-failurehp-elitebooklaptopmemory
Related Solutions
I had to try this procedure many times: remove battery for a few seconds, insert battery and power on. At the end Windows could boot up and I update the BIOS using HP installer. Now it is working again.
First, remove and reseat the memory modules to make sure they are well connected.
Try a BIOS reset on this circa-2011 design with the HP BIOS Update routine:
Do Win-B and keep holding them down while you press-and-hold the power button for 3 seconds. Let go of the the Power button while still holding Win-B. If the Power light goes out, repeat with only 2 seconds press-and-hold of the power button.
If that does not bring up the HP BIOS Update, then repeat the above with Win-V instead.
Since you report this results in five flashes, HP's troubleshooting web page section titled "BIOS flashing light error codes for computers released between 2011 and January 2015" states you have a general system board failure, and therefore your vendor for the replacement motherboard should be contacted.
When you get that motherboard replaced:
One or the other should lead you to on-screen instructions for recovery, but if the same recovery message shows up repeatedly, shut down the laptop, and go to another Windows machine to visit Software and Downloads at https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/laptops to download a BIOS recovery app file onto a blank USB flash drive to make a Recovery USB Flash Drive.
That page will ask for your PC's exact part number from the serial number sticker on the underside. Once you get there, make sure to change to the original Windows version your laptop first shipped with (since this machine ceased production before Windows 10 was released to manufacturing). Look on the laptop for the sticker which shows that version.
Launch the app after downloaded, and choose Recovery USB Flash Drive. When if finishes, close that app and then safely eject the flashdrive.
Then, insert the USB flash drive in the failing laptop, and use the combination keystroke/power-up process again.
Do Win-B and keep holding them down while you press-and-hold the power button for 3 seconds. Let go of the the Power button while still holding Win-B. If the Power light goes out, repeat with only 2 seconds press-and-hold of the power button.
If that does not bring up the HP BIOS Update, then repeat the above with Win-V instead.
Either should invoke the BIOS recovery, and with the USB flash drive just created, will reinstall your BIOS.
Best Answer
3 beeps is a memory error according to HP, see chart below
http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01732674#AbT2