got the somewhat same problem with my v3000. It runs on xp and it won't boot. Keeps looping through the black startup screen that asks to select either safe mode, last known working config or normal start. With normal start seem but after a couple secs has a flashing blue screen that brings back the black startup screen. Also noticed that it seems to be heating really fast. Any ideas on what this could be.

Had a similar problem:
I did not use my Presario V3000 (V3018US) for 3 month while on vacation. When I returned it did not boot, the screen was black, most blue LEDS are on.

Tried different things, e.g. booting with the recovery DVDs but without success.

I finally disconnected the little backup battery under the hard disc cover and the laptop booted and works fine again. I connected the battery an it still works.

I have the same problem

I need help !!!!

Ben Mas said:

I had the same problem like you, with the defferent reason. After using V3000 from morning to afternoon, when I want to use it again in night, my V3000 cannot be boot up. All the blue light still on, but I cannot see anything on the monitor. I try to open all the screw driver but I change my mind, I search anywhere about the same problem I had, and I decided to follow Ben Mas, open the hard drive cover then pull out the batteray (back up batteray) connector, connect the V3000 to the power supply, the notebook boot up... Then I shut it down, replug the batteray connector and the hard drive. Then my V3000 came back normal.... Thanks to Ben Mas....

All the reading I did freom HP/Compaq suggested the BIOS upgrade was due to fan speed and the subsequent overheating of the CPU - causing an instant auto shut down of the PC and soon as it is powered on..

This is consistent with all the posts here... the only thing that all seem to have in common is that there is no commonality as to when the laptop will power on and when it won't !!!

Meaning that perhaps we all face different physical environmental conditions.... I have exactly the symptoms described on my Presario v3000... here is how I got mine to work...

I held the laptop up so that the small air intake slot where the fan is positioned was well up in the air.. I positioned a small desk fan blowing (cold) air direct into that slot and ... the machine powered on for the first time ... this meant I could at least get important files off and then look to the BIOS upgrade to fix...

Hi, seem like we have the same problem, but I did what you done, and nothing happends, the problem persist.
I readed in a service manual, that the procedure your are telling is for restarting the BIOS, and I don`t find a solution.

I'm sorry the "fan trick" didn't work... perhaps a more powerful fan...

About the BIOS upgrades... I did read on web site the area that told us what models were experiencing the problem and were eligible for a free BIOS upgrade at a repair centre.

Of course, my model was not one of the ones listed and good old tech support told me that my model was fine.. !!!!! very frustrating as model was not fine and experienced exactly the symptoms described..

aarrggghhh !!

(footnote: I've been experiencing repeated Blue Screens in recent times...especially after I loaded a couple of resident programs that I am certain used every bit of RAM I had... swapped the DIMMS out.. all works perfect)

Hi! I have a friend owned a Presario V3000 and ask me to fix it. When trying to boot, it beeps; 1 long beep and 2 short beeps. What I did that make the machine boot is press and hold the Fn or Function key then F5 many times. I did this because I saw the moon image under the F5 key. To our amaze it works! Hope it helps.