Computer Not Turning On? 9 Troubleshooting Tips

Before you reach for the blowtorch

Whether you’ve had your computer for a while without any issues or you just bought a brand new one, it can be awful when the computer won’t turn on.

There are many reasons for a computer not turning on and often few clues as to the problem. Some common culprits include issues with power supply, battery, power adapter,damaged internal hardware, or even thescreen.

Fortunately, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to get your computer in working order again.

How to Fix It When Your Computer Is Not Turning On

Before you can move to more advanced troubleshooting steps, here are a few essential checks to perform when your computer doesn’t turn on at all.

You may think that your computer isn’t turning on because thescreen is black. If that’s the case, you can start byadjusting the screen brightness level.

If you have a dual monitor setup, disconnect the external monitors and check if the desktop appears on your computer’s screen. You can also plug in a different monitor to check if the issue is with your computer’s display.

If the power or keyboard keys light up, but your computer display or monitors are blank, the display adapter could be the problem. You may need a computer technician to check the adapter and replace it for you.

Note: If you’re using theMicrosoft Wireless Display adapter, make sure it’s connected to a USB charging port on your monitor and that your computer has the latest updates.

If you’re using a docking station, detach it from your computer and plug the power adapter directly into your computer. The docking station may have a faulty power supply or power port, which may end up causing issues when you try to start your computer.

If the computer starts after detaching the docking station, it means the docking station is faulty and needs to be replaced.

If you created a bootable drive using a DVD or USB stick and used it to boot your computer, remove the drive from the computer and try powering it on again. Sometimes leaving the drive in your computer could prevent it from booting properly.

While you’re at it, remove all other peripherals connected to your computer like a wired mouse, printer cable,webcam, or scanner. Then, check whether you can turn the computer back on with just the power cord, keyboard, and monitor connected to it.

If you installed any new hardware recently, try removing those and check if the computer turns on again. If it does, it means the new hardware is faulty.

Often, your computer will issue a set of beeps at startup when the motherboard components fail.

For instance, if you hear a single beep, it may indicate that all is well while a long and continuous beep may point to a critical fault with the power supply.

Listen for long or short beep codes, as these can help you identify the failed component in your computer’s motherboard. You can check your computer’s manual, device manufacturer’s website, or tech support service to find the error based on the number of beeps.

Sometimes you may be using your computer, and then it powers off without any warning or error message. There could be some sort of electric short in such cases that caused the motherboard’s safety system to shut the power off and protect the internal components from any potential damage.

Your computer has more than one battery – the main one that powers all its components and CMOS battery.

The CMOS battery is usually coin-sized and lives on your computer’s motherboard. The battery’s work is to power theBIOS, but it can also fail like other components.

Some of the symptoms of a failing CMOS battery include:

The computer struggles to boot up or doesn’t boot up at all.

When the CMOS battery fails, the computer BIOS firmware also shuts down and reverts to default settings.

To replace the CMOS battery, you’ll need a good workspace, a new CMOS battery, ESD mat, compressed air, and a screwdriver. Follow the steps below to remove and replace the CMOS battery.

Note: If you’re not able to do this on your own, find someone who can do it for you, preferably a certified computer technician. If you prefer to do it yourself, make sure you have an anti-static wrist band on or rub your hands on a metal surface to eliminate the charge.

Malware and viruses in your computercould also prevent it from turning on. However, you can boot your computer from a live CD or USB drive and scan the hard disk for any threats.

One of the popular tools for this isHiren’s Boot CD. You can download andburn the live CD to a USB flash driveon a different computer. Then, use the live CD to run a virus scan on your computer without booting into the operating system.

The program will let you know if it finds any viruses or malware and fix or remove them. Once done, you can try turning your computer on again and see if it works.

If the computer at least lets you get into the BIOS, you should try to change the boot order and run some diagnostics using a bootable CD or USB drive.

The first thing you should do is to run some hardware tests to make sure nothing has failed like memory (RAM), the hard drive, or the motherboard. Read our article on how to test for bad memory (use the Memtest 86 program by burning the ISO on another PC).

You can downloadHiren’s BootCD PE ISOalso and use its long list of tools to check all the components in your computer.

Bring Your Computer Back to Life

If your computer isn’t turning on, you don’t have to jump ship. Try any of these troubleshooting fixes for a start and see if it works again.

Should you still experience any issues with your device, and you’ve exhausted all the steps in this guide, replace the motherboard or send the computer in for repairs altogether.

If all else fails, and you have some budget for a new computer, check out our top picks for the bestbudget Chromebooks,budget gaming laptops,laptops for your kids’ school work.

Elsie is a technology writer and editor with a special focus on Windows, Android and iOS. She writes about software, electronics and other tech subjects, her ultimate goal being to help people out with useful solutions to their daily tech issues in a simple, straightforward and unbiased style. She has a BCom degree in Marketing and currently pursuing her Masters in Communications and New Media.Read Elsie’s Full Bio

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Computer Not Turning On? 9 Troubleshooting Tips#

How to Fix It When Your Computer Is Not Turning On#

Bring Your Computer Back to Life#