it normal for my HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk1x to stay on a black screen until I press Enter to boot?

Understanding and Troubleshooting Black Screen Issues on the HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk1x

Introduction

Experiencing unusual startup behavior can be frustrating, especially when your laptop doesn’t display the usual boot logo or progress indicators. If you own an HP Pavilion Gaming 15-dk1x and notice that your device remains on a black screen until you press the Enter key, you’re not alone. Such behavior may seem peculiar, but it can often be diagnosed and resolved with some foundational troubleshooting steps.

Common Symptoms

Black screen during startup, with no HP logo or boot menu visible
System only begins to boot after pressing Enter
Operates normally once booted, whether on Windows or Linux (e.g., Debian)

Potential Causes

While numerous factors can contribute to this behavior, some common ones include:

Firmware or BIOS initialization quirks
Boot sequence issues or delayed hardware detection
External devices interfering during startup
Power management settings

Recommended Troubleshooting Steps

Update BIOS and Firmware

Ensure your BIOS is up to date. Manufacturers often release updates that fix boot-related bugs. Visit HP’s official support site, search for your specific model, and follow instructions to update the BIOS securely.

Check Boot Settings in BIOS

Enter the BIOS setup (typically by pressing F10 or Esc during startup) and:

Verify the boot order
Disable any ‘Fast Boot’ options to allow full hardware initialization
Enable/Disable Secure Boot to see if it affects startup behavior
Review Power and Hardware Settings

Since you’ve already:

Disabled Fast Boot
Checked the battery voltage (11.51 V), indicating a healthy battery

Consider resetting BIOS settings to default or performing a BIOS reset to clear potential misconfigurations.

Disconnect External Devices

Remove all peripherals (USB drives, external monitors, external HDDs). Sometimes, external hardware can cause delays or conflicts during the boot process.

Test with Different Operating Systems

Since you’ve tried both Windows and Debian, and the issue persists, it’s less likely to be OS-specific. However, consider booting from a live USB to determine if the problem originates from the internal hardware initialization.