What steps should I take to resolve the display and fan problems?
What steps should I take to resolve the display and fan problems?
I rarely use laptops, but I was asked to replace the keyboard on this HP laptop (HP Elitebook x360 830 G). I did it because a key was broken and I had to take apart everything without much experience before putting it back together in the new keyboard. I managed to do it fairly easily, but once everything was connected, I didn’t see a display at all. The keyboard lights came on, but after a while the fan started running until it reached full speed.
I’ve already tried these steps:
- Verified all connections are secure
- Reconnected cables, RAM, and CPU/heatsink
- Reapplied thermal paste
- Tested display on an external monitor (still no output)
I considered flashing the BIOS since it might be a corrupted issue, but the manual didn’t explain how to do that. Any advice or suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!
My suggestion is to bring the laptop to a repair shop and have an expert handle it.
For learning, try purchasing broken or faulty laptops and experiment with them (or ask someone to guide you).
However, using someone else's laptop without any experience beforehand is a poor choice.
I completely understand your point and appreciate the suggestion for gaining more practice! However, this is specifically for a class project, and I'm currently working on school computer work. I'm just trying to provide a strong reason to either give up or fix it so my teacher can let it go. Right now, the issue remains unresolved, and I still don't know what's wrong. I hope this helps explain why someone without much laptop experience (though I do have some general computer skills) is tackling it.
Is it like a class project/homework? Laptop repair? If so, teacher should have taught you all the knowledge needed for component replacement and all the possible issues that may come from it. Since else-ways, the study method is the worst kind: throw into the water with no swimming skills and either sink or swim.
Here's video of that laptop KB replacement:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S3hETScltg
Now, i can't tell if you did the KB replacement as seen on video, or did you completely disassemble the laptop. For complete disassemble, you could've knocked off resistor/cap from the MoBo (very easy to do). And that bricked the laptop.
For repair shops, Northridge Fix is one of the better ones,
link:
https://northridgefix.com
While Northridge Fix is USA based, they accept international shipping and can do repairs worldwide. (If you're located outside of USA.)
Alex, founder and owner of Northridge Fix, often posts electronics repair videos to his Youtube channel, that i find interesting and informative to watch.
Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@NorthridgeFix/videos
E.g laptop repair after it bricked due to thermal paste change;
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ6omWxfCCc
They also sell all and every kind of equipment to do with electronics fixes. Soldering stations, microscopes, flux, capacitors, mosfets, connectors etc.
So, if anything, you should watch Alex'es videos to see how to repair laptops (if you're into that). But keep in mind that even industry pros can't fix everything and some are deemed "no fix". Like the one i linked above.
To be clear, it seems this was an additional task added without my input that I could have declined by the IT department who contacted my instructor. The laptop belongs to another teacher and all data is securely backed up. The IT staff were reluctant to proceed, so they handed it over to my instructor for distribution among us, which I was present with at that moment. I believe the problem stemmed from a single missing cap on the key, which still worked—probably within my capability level. My skills were limited to basic tasks like removing RAM, battery, and screen components beforehand. Two weeks later, the IT team advised repairs, stating the keyboard plate would need replacement. I found a tutorial suggesting I’d have to fully disassemble the device and request help from the IT department since I lacked sufficient experience. After about five hours of troubleshooting, I approached my instructor to escalate the matter, explaining my uncertainty about the exact issue and the specific problems encountered. He advised I continue working on it until I resolved it or confirmed I couldn’t fix it. That’s the full context of the situation.
My machine is a G9 HP laptop, so the entire keyboard was integrated. To replace it, I had to dismantle most components and reassemble them back into the keyboard. I understand this could risk damaging the MOBO, but I handled it carefully knowing my limitations. I wouldn’t want someone else to fix it, as it’s school property. If necessary, I’d prefer to hand it over to the proper IT team.
Please accept my gratitude for the advice and suggestions on improving my understanding of laptop issues and electronics in general. I also appreciate your support through Tech YouTube channels—I’ll explore your recommendations. Thank you very much for your assistance thus far!
I was curious about whether you actually turned on the laptop and checked if it functioned properly before you opened it. If not, and you just assumed it would work, it seems like IT staff might have intentionally provided a faulty device to test your ability to identify serious problems and possibly fix them. Or maybe they knew it would be a bad laptop from the start.
This sign points to a core issue—either the CPU, motherboard, or RAM. Since the CPU includes an integrated GPU, a faulty iGPU could indicate a deeper problem with the CPU itself (like the Core Ultra 5 135U).
With a laptop, replacing parts isn’t as straightforward as it is for desktop PCs, making diagnosis more challenging. This complexity leaves many people uncertain about what to do.
The usual way to diagnose laptops involves removing the motherboard and inspecting it closely with a high-resolution microscope, checking for missing or loose components (as shown in Alex’s videos). If nothing is found, another method is to power on the device and use a thermal camera to identify hotspots. Testing voltage at the motherboard components can also help, but this requires knowledge of the motherboard layout and proper measurement tools like a multimeter.
What I’ve observed comes from watching Alex’s repair tutorials rather than my own hands-on experience. My background is more in understanding hardware issues for desktop computers, while I lack practical skills in soldering, flux, or using specialized tools. Instead, I enjoy observing the process (like his videos).
I verified it earlier, it powered on and off properly, indicating something likely occurred during the repair.
Since the external and internal displays aren't showing or functioning, I'm unable to proceed with repairs. I suspect a corrupt BIOS might be the issue, so I plan to flash the BIOS and perform a full battery refresh to see if that resolves the problem.
I completely agree with your thoughts—it's frustrating that laptops lack the same level of interchangeability as desktop systems.
I checked the video footage, but without a thermal camera at any lab station, I can only proceed with the microscope and voltage checks if the BIOS is the root cause.
Lol, it seems this situation goes beyond my expertise. I’m not getting paid, but I’m doing my part to report this issue to IT. Also, I found the video you shared really helpful—it covered a lot of basic laptop troubleshooting tips. I also watched his channel’s MOSFETS video, which was very informative too. A solid resource!
I really don't understand how a corrupt BIOS issue could happen. It seems like it might be related to trying to flash the BIOS and then interrupting the process before it could complete. For reference, desktop MoBos also include a BIOS chip and can still function even after 10 or 20 years; however, BIOS remains stable unless damaged.
There are cases where devices like Frameworks laptops are built with upgradeable BIOS systems, which is why they remain functional despite age. It's unclear why major companies such as Apple, HP, or Lenovo don't adopt this approach—it might not significantly affect the final price or make manufacturing easier.
In the desktop market, Dell stands out for sticking to proprietary components, especially on desktops, making them difficult to upgrade.
Upgrading components is better for extending a laptop's life, but currently, if one part fails, you're usually forced to either take it to a repair shop at a high cost or replace the entire unit, ideally from the same brand if possible.
Yeah I don't know really know either, but the symptoms are common for a corrupt BIOS and its at least a direction to try and fix. Anyways I can't work on it on the weekends anyway so maybe get back to you on more info or maybe if I solved it. Thanks once again for the help so far.
Unfortunately, I was taking too long, so my instructor finally asked me to hand it off to the IT team. It was a relief and a bit annoying now, but I'm glad I finished after troubleshooting for over a week and a half. Thanks again for your help, responses, and tips!