Front components
Component Description
(1) Power light On: The computer is on.
Blinking: The computer is in Standby.
Off: The computer is off or in Hibernation.
(2) Power switch When the computer is off, slide the switch to
turn on the computer.
When the computer is on, briefly slide the
switch to initiate Hibernation.
When the computer is in Standby, briefly slide
the switch to exit Standby.
When the computer is in Hibernation, briefly
slide the switch to exit Hibernation.
If the computer has stopped responding and
Windows shutdown procedures are ineffective, slide
and hold the power switch for at least 5 seconds to
turn off the computer.
To learn more about your power settings, select
Start > Control Panel > Performance and
Maintenance > Power Options.
(3) Drive light Blinking: The hard drive or flash drive is being
accessed.
(4) Battery light On: A battery is charging.
Blinking: A battery that is the only available
power source has reached a low battery level.
When the battery reaches a critical battery
level, the battery light begins blinking rapidly.
Off: If the computer is plugged into an external
power source, the light turns off when all
batteries in the computer are fully charged. If
the computer is not plugged into an external
power source, the light stays off until the battery
reaches a low battery level.

8 Chapter 2 External component identification