I have a HP Pavilion Gaming laptop with an R5-4600H processor, and I recently tried to connect an external HDD using a USB-to-SATA adapter. To get the drive to power on, I mistakenly connected a 12V supply instead of the usual 5V. I only realized the mistake after about 3 minutes, but now my laptop won't turn on at all. It shows 5 long and 3 short flashes on the Caps Lock key, which concerns me.
The motherboard model is DA0G3HMB8D0. I'm really worried here—should I assume the CPU is fried, or is it just the controller that's affected? Does this model include any over-voltage protection? And regarding my internal storage—an HDD and an SSD—am I facing any chance of data loss?
3 Answers
Honestly, it sounds like your motherboard might be toast, unfortunately.
Generally, you can't really 'repair' a motherboard unless you're an expert. But at least you could remove the SSD to potentially access your data, assuming Bitlocker isn't a concern or you've saved the key somewhere.
How exactly did you connect the 12V supply to that adapter? Some of those adapters come with a 12V DC input for larger desktop drives. Those typically need 12V to start, while smaller laptop drives usually run fine on 5V.
I used an external 12V DC power brick with a female DC to female USB connection.
Got it! That makes more sense now.
What's the best way for me to figure out if I just need a new motherboard or if it can be repaired? I've heard repairs can be cheaper locally.