Optimus laptop lights

[smarky67]

This is hopefully a very simple and probably quite strange sounding question. I have an Optimus 17.3 inch laptop and I've recently noticed it has 3 green lights on at the front, whereas I always thought it was just 2 before. Can anybody please en'light'en me as to what these lights are for please and is it likely that 2 has become 3? Because of my physical disability I can't actually lift the laptop up to check for myself. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!

 

[ubuysa]

Im not at all sure but that may be a disk access light?

That comes on whenever an access is made to HDD or SSD. If you're only just noticing it you may also have noticed the system slowing down? It might be time for an HDD cleanup and defrag?

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[smarky67]

Hi, the 3 lights are on constantly though.

 

[ubuysa]

Hi, the 3 lights are on constantly though.

If it never goes off when the laptop is idle it's probably not disk access then. It could be WiFi on. If you are able top turn WiFi on and off on that laptop the light could indicate that.

Which model of Optimus is it? (VIII, IX or X for example)?

I appreciate that you can't check for yourself but could you photograph that part of the laptop? Could you ask someone else to do that? These lights usually have an icon above them to tell you what they're for. If there was a manual with the laptop it will tell you in there. If you can get someone to read the Clevo model number off the bottom a web search on that will provide a manual.

 

[smarky67]

Hi, sorry for the delay… This is the clearest shot I could get… Sorry.

 

[ubuysa]

There are four lights there, the right hand one isn't lit (at the moment). The left-most one is power, it lights when there power is on. The one next to that is the charging light, it's probably orange when charging and green when fully charged. The third (the one you're asking about) is not clear - which isn't a help of course! - it may indicate that WiFi is on. The one on the right (which is not lit) is the hard drive access light, that will flash as the drive is accessed.

That third one could also indicate that Bluetooth is on, or possibly CapsLock (or NumLock) is on. Try playing with CapsLock and NumLock to check, also see whether a Fn key has an antenna symbol on it and try pressing that to see whether the light is associated with the WiFi. You might find a Bluetooth Fn key too, experiment with that.

Whatever that light is it's not indicating a problem - because it's green. It would be orange or even red if it was something to be concerned about.

 

[Oussebon]

And what is the model of the chassis? It is a Clevo chassis and there will be a model number underneath it with letters and numbers. Like W150ERM - but not exactly, obviously

 

[kelstu]

That looks like a wifi logo for the third green light.

 

[smarky67]

Okay, so got a much clearer photo of it now, and it's an aeroplane symbol, but the laptop definitely isn't on flight mode… Any explanations please? Thanks in advance…

 

[kelstu]

how long has the light been on for and how old is the laptop?

 

[smarky67]

Well I think only the past week or two, and it's 2.5 years old.

 

[ubuysa]

I would think that's airplane mode, which means both WiFi and Bluetooth are off when it's lit. You must have either an Fn key or a physical switch that tuns airplane mode on and off....

The other lights are as I described earlier.

 

[smarky67]

Okay, so the problem seems to have been solved (i.e. the light has now gone off) just by opening the laptop… I should explain that I normally use a Syslink connection to two external monitors so hardly ever get the laptop opened. Weird… But thanks for all your help.