mstone,
Welcome to the HP Forum.
First, check the basics:
HP Notebook PCs - ComputerDoesnot Start (Windows 8)
Calls
Computer Starts but Screen Remains Blank (Windows 8)
The issue may be related to something in your Startup files. Everytime the computer boots a number of programs start up and run to complete the boot process. Some programs are happy starting in this way; other programs are better off NOT being started right at boot. If you have a program that is failing to start up properly, it may effectively hang or interfere with the overall boot process -- that is, the computer is "almost" booted, but something (a program) is stuck in an awkward state and is causing other programs to have problems continuing.
Preventing Software Programs from Opening When Windows Starts (Windows 8)
Startup Options - Enable or Disable in Windows 8
The issue may be related to system operations:
Computer Locks Up or Freezes in Windows 8
I hope this information helps you track down and correct the issue.
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