In this blog, we will explain to you how to troubleshoot a dead laptop by resolving the problem. The troubleshooting tips mentioned in this blog are not model or brand-specific.
Let’s have a look at the different failure scenarios and how to troubleshoot them.
Your laptop is absolutely dead.
When you press the power button by plugging it into the AC adapter then there are no signs of life at all since it appears to be dead.
In this case what you can do?
1. Make sure your wall outlet is working and the outlet is getting power from the AC adapter. Otherwise, try for another wall outlet.
2. Then test the AC adapter and make sure the voltage output is correct. Then test the adapter with a voltmeter.
3. If your adapter is good then try reconnecting the battery. Otherwise, remove the battery and wait for 1-2 minutes by plugging in the adapter. Then try turning it on again.
If your adapter is unable to pass the test with a voltmeter then replace it with a new one by retesting your laptop. We always recommend that you buy an original replacement adapter from the manufacturer and not a generic one because there could be more than one adapter available for your model.
The new adapter’s voltage output must be exactly the same as on the old one. However, amperage, on the other hand, can be the same or higher.
If your previous troubleshooting steps didn’t help you then it’s possible that your computer has a problem with the DC jack or motherboard. In this case, it’s very necessary for you to disassemble the laptop and test the DC jack.
Read Also: Tips to Take Care of Your Laptop During Summer
There are normal start-up noises when the computer turns on and the LED lights turn on but nothing appears on the screen.
Firstly take a closer look at the screen which is under bright light. There may be a possibility that your screen may show an image that is very faint. We recommend that in this case, you need to troubleshoot the backlight failure.
If on the other hand, your screen shows no image at all then test the laptop with an external monitor or TV that is connected to the VGA port or DVI port, or HDMI port.
Toggle your video output between external and internal by using the Fn keys:
–For HP laptops use Fn and F4 keys simultaneously.
–For Toshiba laptops use Fn and F5 keys.
–For IBM laptops use Fn and F7 keys.
For other laptops, different key combinations are used.
The problem can also be related to the external monitor which works fine but the internal screen has no image at all:
– There can be a poor connection between the video cable and motherboard or screen. Then try reconnecting your video cable on both ends and check out if this helps.
– If the screen shows failed then replace it with a new one.
– If your video cable is failed then replace it with a new one.
– If the motherboard is failed.
Read Also: How to Recover, Repair and Restore Windows 10
If both your internal and external monitors are showing no image then the problem can be related to your failed memory (RAM) and failed motherboard.
Then try reconnecting the memory module which may not make a good connection with the slot.
– Then try cleaning the contacts on the memory module.
–Also try moving the memory module into another slot.
– Then try replacing the memory module with another one.
If two modules are installed then you can try removing them one by one, and if one of the modules failed then try moving modules from one slot to another.
If reseating or changing memory doesn’t help then you can try this:
Remove the easily accessing components such as your battery, hard drive, DVD drive, and other components. Then try turning on your laptop without these components installed.
It may be possible that one of the components is failed and is preventing the entire computer from starting up properly.
Try turning on your laptop with an external monitor while the video cable is unplugged from the motherboard.
If an external image appears after you disconnect the video cable then apparently there is something wrong with the cable and you need to replace it with a new one.
Read Also: Why a Laptop Starts Up & Then Shuts Down
If your laptop is still dead then try removing other internal components such as your wireless card, modem, keyboard, etc., and test it with an external monitor after removing each part.
The last step for testing your laptop system is to remove the motherboard from the base and assemble a basic barebone system which includes:
1. A motherboard that in most cases has an onboard graphics chip.
2. A CPU with a cooling module.
3. A known good memory module.
4. Power button board.
5. A known good AC adapter.
If your laptop is still dead and doesn’t turn on then it can be either a bad motherboard or a failed CPU.
Conclusion
We hope this blog will be useful for our laptop users who face the problem of the laptop being dead or doesn’t turn on and then how to troubleshoot the dead laptop in order to resolve the issue.
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