If your laptop won't turn on, first check the charger and socket, look for a charging light, unplug all accessories, and do a hard reset by holding the power button for 15 to 30 seconds. If you hear the fan or see lights but the screen stays black, try an external monitor. If nothing works, it's likely a power, battery or motherboard fault that needs a diagnosis.
First: no power at all, or power but no picture?
It helps to work out which of these you're dealing with:
- Completely dead: no lights, no fan, no sound. This usually points to the charger, battery, charging port or power circuitry.
- Power but a black screen: lights come on or the fan spins, but nothing appears. This usually points to the screen, graphics or a start-up problem.
8 checks to try
- Check the charger and socket. Try a different wall socket, check the charger for a light, and inspect the cable for damage. A faulty charger is one of the most common causes.
- Leave it charging for 30 minutes. A completely flat battery sometimes needs time before the laptop will respond.
- Unplug everything. Remove USB drives, SD cards, docks and external drives, which can stop a laptop starting.
- Do a hard reset. Unplug the charger, then hold the power button for 15 to 30 seconds to drain leftover power. If the battery is removable, take it out first. Reconnect the charger and try again.
- Check whether the screen is just dark. Press the brightness-up keys and listen for the fan. Try pressing Caps Lock: if the light toggles, the laptop is running.
- Try an external monitor. Connect a TV or monitor, then press Windows + P to switch the display. If a picture appears, the laptop's own screen or its cable is likely at fault.
- Reset the graphics driver. If Windows seems to be running, press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. The screen should flicker and wake up if the graphics driver has frozen.
- Watch for blinking lights or beeps. Many laptops flash lights or beep in a pattern to signal a specific hardware fault. Note the pattern and look it up for your model.
Signs you need a technician
- A burning smell, or the laptop gets hot without turning on.
- Liquid has been spilled on it. Switch it off, unplug it, don't try to charge it, and get it looked at quickly.
- The battery looks swollen: the case bulges or the trackpad is lifting. Stop using it straight away, as swollen batteries can be a fire risk.
- The charger works on another laptop, but yours shows no signs of life.
- It keeps restarting or gets stuck on the logo.
Worried about your files?
A laptop that won't turn on doesn't usually mean your files are gone. They're normally still safe on the internal drive, and can be copied off even if the laptop itself can't be repaired. Please don't attempt to open the laptop or the drive yourself, as that can make things worse.
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