How to disable the HP logo backlight on your current generation Elitebook

Hi everyone.

Like many of you, I was annoyed by the backlight behind the HP logo on my notebook which stays on even when the lid is closed. It is, of course, useless and consumes battery unnecessarily. Using the service manual for the notebook here, I was able to open the display bezel and disconnect the power to this light. You can do the same!

Here is what I did:

Power down your notebook and remove the battery.

Open the screen so that it is parallel with the keyboard deck. Remove the two rubber screw covers on the screen bezel, near each screen hinge. These are adhesive-backed, not plugs, so take care to maintain the adhesize. I used a spudger aka black stick.

Remove the two screws.

To remove the bezel, I placed an optical cloth on the screen near the top, and flexed the top part of the bezel out until the clips released. Work the clips out left and right towards the latches. Do the same on the left and right part of the bezel, flexing it up and away from the screen slightly til you free the tabs. Do the bottom last. You may now remove the bezel.

To the left of the right-hand hinge is a white connector. This provides power to the HP logo light. It is identifiable by the fact that it is only two wires. Simply disonnect this connector and place the two ends in the space behind the bezel. You now no longer have power to that idiotic light.

Reverse the instructions for re-assembly!​

This should definitely work for 8460w and 8460p, and should be approximately the same for the larger and smaller Elitebooks and Elitebook workstation notebooks.

Thanks for the great forum!

 

Apparently this only applies to the Elitebook Workstation models. I guess the regular Elitebooks don't have backlit logos?