Essential hardware conguration
NOTE: This step is to be used by authorized service providers only. HP will not honor the warranty for a system
tested with the system board removed without the heat sink, fan, etc.
If none of the steps above resolve the issue, start the computer with essential hardware only. The purpose is to
remove as much as hardware as possible while still maintaining the computer’s ability to turn on.
This essential conguration is often used to troubleshoot power-on related issues, such as no-boot, reboot, and
freezing issues.
The essential hardware consists of the following:
● System board
● AC adapter (unplug nonremovable battery or remove battery)
● Processor (and heat sink/fan). (Processor may be integrated into the system board.)
● Memory (one veried working memory DIMM)
● Graphics card (if no VGA port is available on the system board). Platform may have both Intel integrated
graphics and discrete graphics. Therefore, discrete graphics card may not be needed.
● External VGA monitor
● External USB keyboard
● External mouse
NOTE: After the service door is removed, disconnect all connections (internal keyboard, display, discrete GPU,
hard drive/solid-state drive, daughterboards, etc.) to achieve the essential hardware conguration above. DO
NOT disassemble the system board from its enclosure at this time.
Reverse the procedure above by reinstalling each piece of hardware removed, one piece at a time, and testing
your computer after each installation. Since your computer works with only the essential hardware installed,
those parts must be working properly. This means that one of the hardware components removed is causing the
computer to not work properly. By installing each device back into the computer and testing each time, the
failing hardware will eventually be identied.
Safe mode
A driver conict often results in a blue screen error message. Therefore, booting in safe mode can resolve many
issues in Windows because safe mode forces the computer to load a limited version of Windows which only
contains essential les. Safe mode is useful for troubleshooting problems with programs and drivers that might
not start correctly or that might prevent Windows from starting correctly.
If a problem does not reappear when you start in safe mode, eliminate the default settings and basic device
drivers as possible causes. Refer to the links below for how to start your computer in safe mode:
● http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01835750
● http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03439317
General troubleshooting steps 73
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