Computer won't turn on? Not sure what to do next? Check out this helpful guide to learn possible reasons why you're having trouble and what to do about it!
Knowing how to fix a malfunctioning computer is an essential skill in today’s digital environment.
Whether we like or not, it is a fact that computers break down all the time. There are many problems you can encounter as a PC user. And one of the most common ones is when your computer won’t turn on.
Fortunately, the problem is not impossible to solve. A computer that temporarily won’t start is not necessarily broken. The solution can be something as easy as flicking a single switch.
The best way to fix a computer that won’t start is to take the step-by-step approach. This means you should try out solutions in an orderly way until one works. And if that doesn’t solve your problem, you will still learn more about it to get your computer working again.
Here are the steps you should take to return your computer to a working condition.
Reasons Why Your Computer Won’t Turn On
There are many reasons why your computer won’t turn on.
It could be an issue with one of its internal hardware components. It could be a problem with the electrical installations in your home. It could also be a software issue.
There is also the question of timing.
Did your PC suddenly stop working one morning? Or was there some event that preceded it? Does it work only half the time?
Answering these questions will help you narrow down your problem, which will make it easier to find a solution. Let’s now go over the steps to bring your PC back to life.
1. Check Your Electrical Network
Sometimes a computer will stop working due to problems with your home electrical grid.
First, check the electrical cable that is supplying power to your PC. Is it damaged anywhere? Is it plugged in properly into an electrical socket?
If you’re using an extension cable, check it out as well. Try plugging in another device, such as a phone charger, into each socket to see if they’re working. If you’re using an external battery to power your PC, you should try turning it off and connect your computer directly to the grid.
Finally, you should check if a circuit breaker went off somewhere in your home. This is a sign that something had overloaded your home electrical grid and zapped your PC in the process.
2. Examine Your PC
If everything is fine with your electrical grid, but your computer still won’t turn on, it’s time to take a closer look at your PC.
Your PC gets its power from a power supply unit embedded in its case. There is a switch on the outside of the power supply, and you should check if it is turned on.
If you don’t mind voiding your warranty (or if one is no longer applicable), you can open your PC case to look for hardware issues. However, we recommend you only do this if you know what you’re doing.
If you assembled your PC yourself, you might have forgotten to connect your motherboard to the power supply. Check your assembly manual, and see if you missed anything.
3. Take A Closer Look At Your Screen
Maybe your PC is turning on just fine, but your monitor is not displaying anything.
This can sometimes happen if you have an exceptionally silent PC. When you press the power button, listen for beeps and other hardware sounds. If you hear anything, and there is nothing displayed on the screen, it’s likely a monitor issue.
Next, check if your monitor has been plugged in properly. Don’t forget to turn on the power.
In rare cases, your monitor brightness might have been set to a very low number, so in effect all you’re seeing is black. Check the buttons on your monitor and see if you can access these settings, and try to set the brightness to a readable level.
4. Reinstall Your OS
If your PC turns on, but you get stuck while your OS is booting, you might have a broken OS on your hands.
Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux, there is a possibility that some of its software components stopped working. This can happen for several reasons.
If you recently did an OS update, there might have been an issue with it, leading to a broken system component. This often happens with older versions of the software.
The same thing could happen upon installing a new piece of hardware. Maybe you tried plugging it in the wrong slot, so your OS is having difficulties detecting it.
The solution for all of these problems is to reinstall your OS. Insert your OS installation CD into your PC, and following the install instructions.
You can also try out booting your PC with a live Linux installation from a flash drive.
5. Fix Issues With Drivers And Software
If your hardware and OS are working properly, but you’re still experiencing issues, your PC software might be at fault.
Certain applications can modify system resources in ways that prevent it from functioning normally. This can be due to bugs in the software itself, improperly configured permissions, or issues with drivers.
What you ought to do is uninstalled any recent piece of software, and see if that helps. Maybe one of your applications installed a faulty software component in the background, and that’s what causing the issue.
Next, check your hardware settings for problems with drivers. If you added a new piece of hardware to your PC recently, conflicts with drivers can stop your computer from working normally.
If all else fails, try restoring a backup of your system that you know works.
6. Removing Malware From Your PC
If your PC is behaving erratically to the point where you can’t get anything done, there might be some malicious code involved.
Viruses, malware, Trojans, and other kinds of harmful software can disable basic computer functionality, and cause other kinds of damage. Hackers can even lock you out of your PC until you pay them a ransom by using so-called ransomware.
If you still have some degree of control over your computer, immediately run your antivirus application. This will take care of common types of malicious code.
If the issue persists, you might need to reinstall your OS or take it to one of the many computer repair places in your area.
Bringing Your PC Back To Life
It is easy to start panicking once you realize your computer won’t turn on.
You won’t be able to do any work, you will lose access to your data, and your ability to communicate will be hampered without your laptop.
Fortunately, computers don’t just stop working all of a sudden. There is always some factor at play, and if you can discover it, you will be able to fix your computer in no time.
If you’re interested in reading more articles on topics such as tech and electronics, you can also check out our website blog. We publish a wide variety of helpful articles on computers, laptops, tablets, and other devices.