I have an HP OMEN 16 whose Hall sensor has been disconnected for about a year without causing any noticeable problems. Recently, I removed the heatsink and replaced the thermal paste on the CPU and GPU. Since then, Windows has occasionally become unstable, and a clean Windows 11 reinstall did not resolve the issue. When the laptop warms up during normal setup and light use, the display suddenly turns black and the keyboard stops responding. The power button still works, but I have to hold it down to force a shutdown. I have not installed any games yet, so I have not tested it under a heavy workload. The fans appear to be in good condition. Could the disconnected Hall sensor be responsible, or is a loose connection, heatsink installation problem, overheating, or other hardware damage more likely?
3 Answers
Because the symptoms began immediately after the repaste, I’d first suspect something disturbed during disassembly rather than the Hall sensor. You only need to remove a few screws to lift the heatsink, but it’s still possible to slightly loosen a display, keyboard, battery, fan, or motherboard connector. Power the machine off completely, disconnect the battery if accessible, and carefully reseat every connector you touched. Also check that the heatsink is sitting flat, the screws were tightened in the correct order, and no paste got onto surrounding components.
The Hall sensor is probably unrelated if the laptop worked normally for a year with it disconnected. That sensor is generally used to detect when the lid is closed, so a problem there would more likely cause sleep or display-on/off behavior, not a complete system freeze where the keyboard also stops responding. Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures with a hardware tool if Windows stays running long enough, and check whether the crash happens at a consistent temperature.
The failed Windows recovery message and the black-screen lockups may both be consequences of an abrupt hardware crash rather than a Windows installation problem. A clean reinstall won’t fix a bad connection, unstable RAM, power issue, or overheating. Run the manufacturer’s built-in hardware diagnostics, especially the memory and storage tests. If possible, test with an external display and inspect the RAM and SSD connections as well. If temperatures are immediately excessive or the system still hard-locks after reseating everything, the heatsink or motherboard may need professional inspection.
The fans being in good condition is helpful, but it doesn’t rule out poor heatsink contact. Uneven screw pressure or too much paste can make temperatures spike as soon as the system warms up.