Laptop Won’t Turn On: Where to Start
A laptop that won’t power on can mean anything from a flat battery to a failed motherboard. Before assuming the worst, it helps to work through the most common causes in order — starting with the ones that are easy to rule out.
1. Check the power supply first
This sounds obvious, but a significant number of “dead laptop” callouts turn out to be a failed charger or a loose DC jack. Plug in the charger and check whether any power indicator light comes on. If the light stays off regardless of which socket you use, the charger itself may have failed. Try a different charger of the correct wattage if you can borrow one.
If the light comes on but the laptop still won’t start, the issue is likely inside the machine rather than the charger.
2. Battery vs charging circuit
On laptops where the battery is removable, try removing it entirely and running on mains power only. If the laptop starts, the battery has failed. On modern laptops with non-removable batteries, a completely depleted battery sometimes needs 15–30 minutes on charge before it will accept enough current to boot.
If the laptop shows a charging indicator but the battery percentage never increases, a faulty charging circuit or DC jack is the likely cause — this requires a hardware repair.
3. No display but the laptop is on
Some laptops appear completely dead but are actually running — the screen just isn’t showing anything. If you can hear the fan spinning or feel warmth from the vents, connect an external monitor via HDMI. If an image appears on the external screen, the fault is with the laptop’s display, backlight, or display cable rather than the main board.
4. Single beep or LED pattern on start
Many laptops produce a POST error code when hardware fails — a sequence of beeps or flashing LEDs. These codes vary by manufacturer but typically indicate RAM failure, GPU fault, or a storage device not being detected. If you hear a pattern rather than silence, search for the specific code along with your laptop brand.
5. Windows won’t boot (but the laptop does turn on)
If you see a manufacturer logo and then the machine stalls, crashes, or loops, this is a software problem rather than a hardware failure. Common causes include a failed Windows update, a corrupted boot record, or a failing hard drive that can no longer read the operating system files reliably.
A failing drive will often produce clicking or grinding sounds. If you hear anything unusual, shut the laptop down immediately — continued operation risks data loss.
6. Liquid damage
If the laptop stopped working after a spill, even a small amount of liquid can cause short circuits on the motherboard. Do not attempt to turn it on. Remove the charger, power off if possible, and let it dry for at least 24 hours before doing anything further — but ideally bring it in for cleaning before it corrodes.
When to bring it in
If none of the obvious checks above identify the cause, the fault is most likely hardware. Component-level diagnosis — checking power rails, RAM, storage, and the motherboard — requires the right equipment and experience.
We offer laptop repair across South West London, including laptop repair in Chiswick and surrounding areas. Free diagnosis is included with every workshop repair.
Call 020 7610 0500 or contact us to book your laptop in.