When a computer “won’t turn on,” it’s usually because the power is on but the screen is black. There are lights on the computer case and you can probably hear fans spinning within, but nothing is displayed on the screen.
In the order we provide them, try these simple fixes:
1. Test your monitor. Check that your monitor is functioning properly before starting more involved and time-consuming troubleshootingwith the rest of your computer.
Turn the monitor on and off when it’s not connected to your computer. You can tell the display is powered and equipped to display content if it displays any type of diagnostic information.
2. Make sure your computer is starting up from a fully powered-off condition and that it has completely restarted. If you need assistance, look up how to restart your computer.
When a computer appears to “not be on,” it may simply be having trouble exiting Windows’ Standby/Sleep or Hibernate power-saving modes.
Holding down the power button for three to five seconds will shut down your computer when it is in power-saving mode. Turn on your computer and check to see if it boots normally once the power has been turned off entirely.
3. Troubleshoot the cause of the beep code if you are fortunate enough to receive one.
You can find out exactly where to seek for the reason behind your computer going off by looking at the beep code.
4. Clear the CMOS. Your motherboard’s BIOS settings can be reset to their factory default values by clearing the BIOS memory. Your computer might not fully boot up due to a BIOS setting issue.
If erasing the CMOS does resolve your issue, ensure that any BIOS modifications you make are carried out one at a time so that, in the event that the problem reappears, you will know which change was to blame.
5. Make sure the power supply voltage switch is configured properly.
Your computer may not turn on at all if this switch is malfunctioning, but it’s also possible that the power supply voltage is off, which would prevent your computer from starting up properly.
6. Reassemble as much of your computer as you can.
Resetting your computer will restore all of its connections, and it frequently works like magic to solve issues like this one.
Make sure all of the cables are properly attached. For instance, even with the computer turned on, nothing will appear on the monitor if a VGA cable is plugged into the onboard video card if it has been disabled. In this instance, you should connect the VGA wire to the appropriate video card.
Check to see if your computer displays anything on the screen after replacing the following components:
Reseat all internal data and power cables
Reseat the memory modules
Reseat any expansion cards
7. Only reinstall the CPU if you think it may have fallen loose or wasn’t put correctly.
8. Only because installing a CPU is a delicate process and there is very little possibility of a CPU coming loose do we treat this component separately.
9. Inspect your computer for any indications of electrical shorts. If you do, you must look into the reasons behind such electrical shorts.
10. Check your power source. The power supply may be operating adequately even when your computer’s fans and lights are on. More often than any other piece of hardware, the PSU is to blame for a computer’s components working only occasionally or selectively.
11. Only the most basic hardware is used to start your computer. The idea is to get rid of as much hardware as you can while still allowing your PC to turn on.
12. Disconnect peripherals, such as USB-connected storage devices, that are not required for your computer to function properly.
13. With only necessary hardware installed, if your computer boots up without issue, move on to Step 11.
14. Continue to Step 12 if your computer is still not showing anything on your monitor.
15.This phase can give you a lot of useful information and is simple enough for a beginner to accomplish without the use of any special tools. If, after following all the above instructions, your computer is still not turning on fully, do not miss this step.
16. Replace every piece of hardware you took out in Step 10 one at a time, testing after each installation.
17. Your computer must function properly because it only had the necessary hardware installed when it turned on. This indicates that your PC won’t switch on properly because you removed a piece of hardware. You’ll finally identify the problematic hardware by reinstalling each piece of equipment into your computer and testing it each time.
18. After locating the flawed hardware, replace it.
19. Use a Power On Self Test card to test the hardware of your computer. With everything but vital computer hardware installed, if your PC still isn’t showing information on your monitor, a POST card will assist you figure out which piece of extra hardware is keeping your computer from turning on fully.
20. Skip to Step 13 if you don’t have a POST card and don’t want to buy one.
21. In order to identify which piece of hardware might be at fault, replace each critical piece of hardware in your computer with an identical or comparable spare piece of hardware that you know is functioning.
22. Without a POST card or extra parts to swap in and out, you’re left unsure of which component of your crucial PC hardware is broken. In these circumstances, your only real choice is to rely on the assistance of people or businesses that do provide these resources.