Maintenance and Service Guide
The red LED blinks to represent the major error category (long blinks). The white LED blinks to represent the 
minor error category (short blinks). For example, 3.5 indicates 3 long red blinks and 5 short white blinks to 
communicate the processor is not detected.
Table 7-2 Front panel LEDs and audible code indications
Component 
tested
Major/
minor 
code Error condition
Notebook 
Caps 
Lock/Num 
Lock LED Desktop Action
BIOS 2.2 The main area (DXE) of BIOS has 
become corrupted and there is 
no recovery binary image 
available
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 2
2.2 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
Follow the Crisis Recovery instructions at 
http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/
c02693833/.
  2.3 The embedded controller policy 
requires the user to enter a key 
sequence (SureStart 2.0)
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 8
2.3 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
If you want an analysis of the event that 
caused Sure Start recovery, replace the 
board and send the bad board back. 
Otherwise, press this key combination to 
restore BIOS and boot: Up Arrow + Down 
Arrow + Esc.
  2.4 The embedded controller is 
recovering the boot block or 
DXE. Since it takes 10 sec. or so 
to load the DXE image and get 
video in the DXE case, this blink 
code is necessary. (SureStart)
Battery LED 
White and 
Amber 
blinking
2.4 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
Wait for DXE recovery to complete.
Hardware 3.2 The embedded controller has 
timed out waiting for BIOS to 
return from memory 
initialization
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 3
3.2 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
System board replacement.
  3.3 The embedded controller has 
timed out waiting for BIOS to 
return from graphics 
initialization ( 4/13- Graphics 
adaptor not found)
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 4
3.3 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
If the system has an MXM module, try a 
dierent MXM module. Otherwise, the 
board most likely needs to be replaced.
  3.4 The system board displays a 
power failure (crowbar) *
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 5
3.4 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
System board replacement.
System 
board
5.2 The embedded controller cannot 
nd valid rmware
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 7 (2 
BB failure) 
Battery LED 
Blinking = 1 
Hz (3 B 
failure)
5.2 - Power 
LED 
(red.white)
System board replacement.
  5.3 The embedded controller has 
timed out waiting for the BIOS
CAP/NUM 
Blink = 1
Not 
implemented
System board replacement.
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