Maintenance and Service Guide

Table Of Contents
3. Reset BIOS to default (9. Soft reset (Default Settings) on page 90) to prevent booting to another device.
4. Run HP Hardware Diagnostics (6. HP Hardware Diagnostics and Tools on page 84) to isolate major faulty
hardware issues.
HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI) tool to test hard drive, memory and system.
Thermal Monitor (available only to authorized service providers/technicians) tool to monitor
temperature limits of processor and GPU. See “HP Thermal Monitor” in 6. HP Hardware Diagnostics
and Tools on page 84.
5. Remove or undo recently added hardware (5. Remove or uninstall recently added hardware, software
on page 83). For example, incompatible memory or new solid-state drive storage.
6. Reseat cables and connections (10. Reseat cables and connections on page 90). Pay attention to proper
installation of memory and hard drive.
7. Verify that a minimum of at least 100 MB of free space is available on your Windows partition.
8. If you can start Windows:
a. Update BIOS and drivers (4. Update BIOS and drivers on page 83) to support updates for
incompatibilities.
b. Get all the latest updates, using Windows Update.
c. Undo recent changes:
Startup using Last Known Good Conguration.
Use System Restore.
Roll back device driver in Device Manager.
d. Check for specic Error Message. See Common blue screen error messages on page 140.
e. Boot to safe mode (11. Test with minimum conguration on page 91) to troubleshoot issues.
9. If you cannot start Windows:
a. Boot to safe mode. (11. Test with minimum conguration on page 91)
b. Use Startup Repair to x Windows startup les.
c. Undo recent changes using System Restore to revert to a previous “working” state.
d. Check for specic STOP error by analyzing Crash Dump (retrieved via a bootable USB). See Use
Windows Debugging Tool on page 141.
e. Restore computer using System Recovery or image backup to factory settings.
10. Lastly, test with essential hardware conguration (11. Test with minimum conguration on page 91)
along with a veried working operating system (i.e., USB Windows-To-Go), if available, to isolate the
software issue.
Tips & tricks
In some cases, the computer may reboot automatically before you have time to read the blue screen.
To identify the error message itself, disable the automatic restart using one of the following methods:
Right-click on My Computer, and then select Properties > Advanced. Under Startup and Recovery, select
Settings. Clear the Automatically Restart check box.
Common issues and possible solutions 107