Lenovo ThinkPad laptop lights: what each colour and blink means

ThinkPads made in 2024 or later report a start-up error they cannot show on the screen by blinking the charge indicator light orange a number of times, then white a number of times, until the laptop shuts down. Lenovo calls it LED Diag. Orange 3 then white 1 is error 0286h, integrated graphics. For colour-blind readers Lenovo made the blinks different lengths: each orange blink is on and off for 400 ms, each white one for 800 ms, and a 1,200 ms dark gap separates one pattern from the next.

The code shows on the charge (battery) indicator. Lenovo says LED Diag was implemented beginning with ThinkPads manufactured in 2024 and points to the Hardware Maintenance Manual, chapter 4, for your model. IdeaPad, Yoga and Legion laptops are not in this table. Lenovo says LED Diag was implemented beginning with ThinkPads manufactured in 2024, so an older ThinkPad or another Lenovo line may blink for other reasons; check your model.

1. Charge light blinks 1 orange, 2 white (0001h)

   Error 0001h: reset error (the platform reset was not released).

   3 steps from Lenovo on its page. If that does not work, Lenovo says to contact Lenovo Support for a system board replacement.

2. Charge light blinks 1 orange, 3 white (0002h)

   Error 0002h: internal bus error.

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

3. Charge light blinks 1 orange, 4 white (0003h)

   Error 0003h: non-volatile memory programming error in the system power circuit.

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

4. Charge light blinks 2 orange, 1 white (0282h)

   Error 0282h: memory module error.

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

5. Charge light blinks 2 orange, 2 white (0283h)

   Error 0283h: PCI resource error.

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

6. Charge light blinks 2 orange, 3 white (0284h)

   Error 0284h: a problem with the TCG-compliant security functions, which Lenovo says might be a BIOS code validation failure.

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

7. Charge light blinks 2 orange, 4 white (0285h)

   Error 0285h: a problem with the TCG-compliant security functions, which Lenovo says might be a TPM (security chip) initialization failure. Unlike the other codes, Lenovo says you can continue starting the computer.

   1 step from Lenovo on its page. Lenovo says to call the Lenovo service.

8. Charge light blinks 3 orange, 1 white (0286h)

   Error 0286h: integrated graphics error (integrated graphics not initialized).

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

9. Charge light blinks 3 orange, 2 white (0287h)

   Error 0287h: discrete graphics error.

   No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

10. Charge light blinks 3 orange, 3 white (0288h)

    Error 0288h: computer display error.

    1 step from Lenovo on its page. Lenovo says that if the external display works, contact Lenovo Support for an LCD panel replacement, and if it does not, contact Lenovo Support for a system board replacement.

11. Charge light blinks 4 orange, 1 white (0281h)

    Error 0281h: general embedded controller error.

    No step from Lenovo you can do from outside the laptop. Lenovo says to shut down the computer and contact Lenovo Support.

semiatic gives no repair instructions of its own; each state page repeats only Lenovo’s steps.

Find a laptop light by brand, which light and how it blinks →