I have a HP laptop (Pavilion dv6110US) that will not completely boot. It never reaches the Windows logo. It tries to come up, shuts off, and tries again. This continues until I do a hard shutdown. I have had this computer for just over a year. What could be the cause of this? I am guessing that the motherboard is bad. Am I correct? Thanks, Tony

Tony Chandler, January 2008

Hmm. I just fixed an HP DV6110us that would not completely boot, by using the Win XP CD, selecting "R"epair Console, then selecting FIXBOOT from the list. That reinstalled the hard disk master boot record, which fixed the problem.

Chuck, April 2012

Hi look I have been using computers for 15 years or so and am an old git (55) and have had the very same issues on my HP Pavillion Pavilion DV6000 (3.5 years old) from this morning.

Previously had the wirless card issues and had fan / bios thingy upgrade and been back to HP 3 times in 1st 2.5 years (extended warranty due to known issue)

Closed down fine 8 hours ago in early hours so assumed not hardwear failure as such, and spent 30 mins looking on forums from my desktop upstairs for an answer as I, like us all these days, needed the work on my laptop or I was screwed.

Well you will love this one, after trying the battery thing, you know:
unplug the power cable, remove the battery, hold down the on/off button for 30 seconds to dissipate electrical static = it still wouldnt power up!

My wife who incidentally cant find the on/off button on a computer and who keeps her 10 year old mobile cause its the only one she knows how to use said to me:

'Bob you use it on the arm of the sofa then put it on the carpet next to the sofa when you have finished so its probably all that dust inside'
Yea, I thought the same 'stupid female dont be daft'

Anyway just before getting a rope to hang myself I thought why not, so I got my can of Staples (or any) Air Duster, which if you hold it down for more than a few seconds the solvent carrier comes out as well and I removed the battery and sprayed all the air holes on my laptop, especially around the power connector and wow was I amazed at how much dust came out!

Wife says 'hey dont laugh, thats the same as altzheimer sufferers, they get some stuff on the brain that blocks the normal flow of electrical things'

RESULT = I AM TYPING THIS ON MY LAPTOP!

I am not a tech freak, I am old, read some real rubbish on forums, oh and I love my kids to bits and I swear on my kids lives that the above is all 110% true!!!!!!!

try this, May 2010

1. Take out the battery.
2. Take out any usb accessories.
3. Remove main power suppy (charger).
4. Hold power button down for 30 seconds.
5. Place power suppply in only but do not put in the battery.
6. Turn on the laptop.
7. Now place in the battery.

Tony lol, November 2008

Have you made the reboot disks? Try that. Put the disk in before starting up. I had similar with an old laptop and by doing that it is going again.
Good luck

lynn, February 2008

if it is still loading or attempting to load, then your fan is possibly bad (i.e. not working at all!) Do NOT keep trying to turn on your computer as the processor has built in heat protection and sends a command to the power source to immediately shut off so you won't fry your board.

Unfortunately, i speak from recent experience as of three weeks ago, because i kept trying to start my Gateway MX6450, it would get up to windows loading screen then shut back off. What i thought was a DC jack problem turned out to be a cooling problem, and because of my multiple attempts to restart, i fried my board. After only 4 attempts to restart, mine fried and now it is completely dead, no response to anything. Take it immediately to a repair service or order another fan (considerably cheaper than a motherboard!!!) and connect it before you attempt to restart.

It could of course be something else, but this is the most simple explanation that comes to mind (and the one you actually want to have, because the rest become increasingly more expensive to fix!!) Good Luck!

PhoenixRising, January 2008