Laptops, as their name indicates, are mobile computing solutions, suitable to be moved from one place to another and function in environments without electricity supply for the hours that their autonomy allows. It makes sense to think that at some point it will not be possible to turn it on without first connecting it to the power, but there are times when, despite being plugged in and with the battery fully charged, it stops responding to ignition commands.
The reasons for an ignition problem can be diverse. In addition to battery drain, it may have suffered some impact that destabilizes the system drive, especially if it’s a traditional hard drive with moving parts. It may also have gotten wet, affecting its internal circuitry; or the screen has been damaged by a blow, giving the appearance of being off. It could even be a battery power adapter failure.
There may be other causes that require further analysis, but before you call technical support to receive an inappropriate response or stop by a computer shop near you, we recommend checking your laptop for signs that could lead to quick fault identification. Follow these steps.
How to fix a laptop that won’t turn on?
Rule out that it is a screen problem
Plug your laptop into a power outlet, let its battery charge for a while, and turn it on. If the screen stays black, but the system power LED is working or you hear fan noises running, then this is a sign of a likely display failure or extremely low brightness. Check this assumption by connecting the laptop to an external monitor.
If there is a video signal, then it is the screen that is malfunctioning and changing or adjusting the brightness will fix the problem.
Remove the battery and try to turn it on
A faulty or misplaced battery due to a bump can be the cause of your laptop’s starting difficulties. If it is a removable type, remove this component and try to boot your laptop with the power adapter. In the case of an integrated battery, consult the equipment manual to find out how to remove the battery. If you don’t get good results, go to the next step.
Check the status of the power adapter
The AC adapter cable can break, be damaged by excessive heat, or have a faulty connector that plugs into the notebook, preventing the delivery of current and recharging the battery once depleted. Check this component or replace it with another, then restart the computer. If the problem persists, go to the next step.
Hold down the power button for a few minutes
This allows residual power to be released from hardware components and internal connections. For this step to be effective, disconnect all external accessories from your laptop, remove the battery, and remove the cable that connects it to the AC adapter. Three or four minutes will suffice. Then plug everything back in and turn on the computer. If none of the above works, go to the last step.
Contact the authorized technical service
If the possibilities you have tried do not work, it is probably a more serious problem that must be solved by qualified personnel. For example, problems with the motherboard, the integrated graphics card or the system disk.
To help determine the problem, provide details about any previous events such as installation of rogue programs, Windows Updates, or recent device driver updates. Also, do not forget to mention the occurrence of strange noises, beeps, blue screens or error messages, among other strange things.