[TouchPad Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ManImCool:
Hey helpful XDA'rs,

After somehow avoiding to have a tablet for this many years, I decided to get a 2ndhand Touchpad after seeing all the reviews, ROM support, price to relative specs, etc... so I bought a second hand 32GB tablet off of ebay. In fact, this one right here... http://www.ebay.com/itm/271192613408?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Anyways, I got it earlier today, and plugged it into the wall charger it came with (the circular OEM HP one, with the long cable with a silver circle on each end). When I plugged it in, the little white alternating light under the home button switched on, so I figured it was working. Had it plugged in for about a half hour before I decided I couldn't contain my excitement and wanted to power it up. Of course nothing happened. Just a black screen and that little white alternating light mocking me.

I immediately hit up the google machine and XDA and realized that the screen was supposed to be on with an actual charging icon/animation or something like that. Up to this point, I still have not seen any sort of anything appear on screen. Just that little white light. Now yes, I've read through the posts.

First I checked to see if the HP charger/cable would charge my GS2. It did, and quickly (not some sissy trickle charge) and the circular HP thing felt warm to the touch. I also unscrewed the cylinder HP charger and blew in there with my breath pretty hard to clear out any possible dust, then screwed it back on tightly. I have used different cables with the HP charger, and used the HP cable with my GS2 charger. Same results, just that mocking little light, and the HP cylinder did not feel warm to the touch.

I have done pretty much all the button combinations I could find for at least a minute, with no results. Power + home, power + rapid firing the home button, power + volume up + home, power + both volume + home, etc. This is with the charger plugged into the wall.

I did notice two changes though.

#1 When I hold power + home, after maybe 12 seconds, the light stops alternating and is off - for about 2 seconds. Then the alternating starts back up. When the alternating light stops when I do this, it is always for the same amount of time, about 2 seconds, then it starts up again, regardless of if I continue holding the power + home, or if I immediately let go of the buttons, or immediately let go and then try pushing other buttons; it is always the same, the flashing stops after about 12 seconds, pauses with no lights at all for about 2 seconds, and then starts back up again.

#2 When I hold power + home + volume up, after about 12 seconds, the white alternating stops completely and never comes back if I don't do anything else. There are only 3 ways that I have found so far that will get the alternating white light back. First, just simply unplug and replug in, the light immediately comes back. 2nd and 3rd ways are to do the previous two button combos again, (power/home or power/volup/home for about 12 seconds).

MOVING FORWARD, here's where some interesting things happened, which hopefully is enough to have someone knowledgeable know what might be going on.

I decided to try #1 and #2 again, but this time, instead of the wall charger, I plugged the USB cable into one of my computer USB ports. My computer didn't make a device connect sound, nor show any kind of drive being connected in my computer. Just the same alternating white light.

Trying method #1 above, did the same thing. Power/home, alternating light would turn off for 2 seconds then start back up. Still no sounds from computer.

Trying method #2, finally something! When I held power/home/volup, after about 12 seconds the alternating light would turn off for good as expected, but then my computer made a noise! Not the device connected sound (low note to high note sound), not even the device disconnected sound (high note to low note), but that 3rd "device failed to connect" sound, the (three low tone sound). If you go to your windows sounds you'll know which sound I'm talking about. Anyways, I was glad to hear that the computer realized something was there. Although it was just a sound. Nothing in my computer, but for a second I did see a pop-up bubble in my lower right hand notifications say "device did not install correctly" or something like that. Now, with the touchpad still plugged into USB, and the alternating light off, if I either remove the cable (or hold power/home or power/home/volup for 12 seconds so the alternating light goes back on) then my computer makes that "device disconnected" sound. The hell is going on? I can duplicate those two sounds (the device failed to connect sound, and the device disconnected sound) over and over by holding power/home/volup for 12 seconds, and then unplugging and replugging the USB.

Having said all this, anyone have any ideas? Again, up until this point, I have yet to see anything appear on screen. Just that damn white alternating light.

I also know that this might also be a case of the really dead battery. It may just need to charge for like 48 hours via HP wall charger, or it may need to trickle charge for like 48 hours via USB to computer. If that's what it takes, but jesus I'm impatient and don't want to wait a week or longer, especially if I have a small window of opportunity to return this via ebay. So for tonight, I'm going to trickle charge via USB, but with the alternating light OFF via method #2, because at least with #2 and the light off, my computer makes a sound confirming something is plugged in. My rationale is that if it thinks something is plugged in, it will charge it.

Thoughts guys? A million thanks to anyone who actually read this entire essay and is still willing to help out!

Edit: the USB trickle charge I am attempting overnight tonight is via my GS2 cable, NOT the HP cable, since I've read all over the place that the HP cable is of poor quality.