If your laptop does not start at all or it starts but will not boot properly, it’s possible that you can fix the laptop at home without taking it to a repair center. Here are some troubleshooting tips for you. I’m not sure if I can cover all situation at once, so I will update this post as more examples come into my mind.
Situation 1.
The laptop appears to be dead. You plug the AC adapter but the LEDs (power light, hard drive light, battery charge light, etc…) do not light up and the laptop will not react at all if you press on the power button.
First of all in this situation check the AC adapter. You can test the output voltage with a voltmeter. If you cannot do that, find a known good AC adapter and use it for testing the laptop. It is possible the laptop appears to be dead because the AC adapter is bad (and the battery is discharged). If you know that the AC adapter is working properly and it outputs correct voltage but the laptop is still dead, most likely you have a power issue on the motherboard (or power board on some laptops) and it has to be replaced.
If you have to replace the AC adapter, make sure you use a correct one. The output voltage must be exactly the same as on the original adapter. The output amperage has to be the same as on the original adapter or higher, but not lower.
Situation 2.
When you plug the AC adapter the power LED and the battery charge LED light up. When you press on the power button the laptop powers up but will not start. There is no video on LCD or external monitor.
If the power LED lights up it indicates that the laptop is getting power from the AC adapter. Most likely there is nothing wrong with the adapter but just in case test it with a voltmeter to make sure the output voltage is correct.
Also try this. Unplug the AC adapter, remove the battery and wait for 1-2 minutes. After that plug the AC adapter ans try starting the laptop again. Sometimes this trick helps.
It also could be a memory related problem. Try reseating the memory module, just remove it from the slot on the motherboard and install it back. Try installing the memory module into the other slot (if it’s available). If you have two memory modules installed, try removing them one by one and start the laptop just with one memory module installed.
If the laptop starts fine with one memory module in both slots, but will not start with the second memory module in both slots, the second memory module is faulty. Replace the module.
If the laptop starts fine with both memory modules when they are installed in the slot A, but will not start with both memory modules installed in the slot B, the slot B is faulty and you’ll have to replace the motherboard or use only one memory slot.
Situation 3.
When you press on the power button, the laptop makes a series or short and long beeps and will not start up. There is no video on the screen.
In this situation test the memory module as I described in the situation2. Try installing a known good memory module. Most likely you are getting a beep error because of a faulty memory.
Situation 4.
You start the laptop. It sounds like the laptop is booting normally (hard drive LED is flashing) but there is no video on the screen
In this situation test the laptop with an external monitor. If the external screen works fine but there is no video on the laptop LCD, most likely there is a problem inside the laptop display assembly. Go to my previous post witch covers laptop video problems in more details.
Situation 5.
You start the laptop and it starts making repetitive clicking noise or grinding noise.
Most likely you hear this noise because of a faulty hard drive. You can remove the hard drive and start the laptop without it. If the noise is gone, the hard drive is your problem. Replace it.
If the laptop makes clicking or grinding noises and you still have video on the screen, you can run a hard drive test utility. I usually use Hitachi’s drive fitness test. This test is reliable and easy to use.
Situation 6.
The laptop boots into Windows ans works for a while, but after that it shuts down by itself without any reason or warning. You restart the laptop but the same problem appears again
Most likely it’s a heat related issue. Listen for the cooling fan, make sure it works.
Also this problem might appear because of a faulty memory module, try some tips from the situation 2.
The laptop still boots ans you still can see the screen, so you can run the memory test. I usually use Memtest86+. Run the memory test and if it fails, replace the faulty module.
Situation 6
The laptop starts normally but video on the screen has lines, some strange characters or other defects
It could indicate a problem with the laptop LCD screen, video cable, graphics card or motherboard. Here’s my previous post witch covers troubleshooting bad images on the screen in more details.
Related post: How to troubleshoot dead laptops.
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June 8th, 2008 at 2:03 am
My Toshiba laptop when started shows the Toshiba startup screen…then goes to a screen saying that it couldn’t start properly and pick one of the ways to start…
i usually pick LAST GOOD CONFIGURATION, but I’ve tried them all and what happens is it goes through a list of drivers, then looks like it’s going to start but restarts itself and goes to the process all over again starting with the Toshiba Startup screen.
It isn’t out of battery and the cooling fan seems to be working.
June 8th, 2008 at 12:44 am
my laptop is compac. I connet net but can’t connet & my laptop done hang & after 1 min. screen is off. And after my laptop donot stat done. pls solve my problem.
June 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
barry vowles,
To me this sounds like a problem with the motherboard.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:34 am
hi, my daughters compac presario c300 laptop lost power ,turned back on it turns on but after a couple of seconds its off again put new battery in at first turned on put battery adaptor in switches itself off, tried again it then lost windows but will only stay on for a few seconds, will not now switch on at all with new battery fitted ,charge light flickers with new battery and only with adaptor connected, will only switch on with old battery fitted and with adaptor connected. cannot re-install windows as it switches itself off before completion, also tried a new adaptor, will not turn at all just using either battery without adaptor connected.would appreciate any suggestion what the problem may be. many thanks barry
June 1st, 2008 at 11:53 am
FATHI,
Liquid spills are very unpredictable. Apparently water went down to the motherboard.
Unplug the power adapter, remove the battery and stop using the laptop, it’s may be not too late.
It’s necessary to disassemble the laptop at take a closer look at the motherboard.
June 1st, 2008 at 8:01 am
Mine is an HP Pavilion dv6312, I spelt water over the keyboard but the Laptop was turned off then, I left it to dry up for several houres and then I tryed to operate it but it turns on for about 2 seconds and then go off.. I tryed to replace the Ram and the battery but the problem still
May 31st, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Oleh Kusyy,
Did you test the AC adapter with a voltmeter? Are you sure it’s not the AC adapter?
1. Test AC adapter again.
2. Could be bad power jack.
3. Bad motherboard.
I posted instructions for taking apart Toshiba Satellite M115 at http://www.irisvista.com
May 31st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Ash,
Test the laptop with an external monitor. If video on the external monitor goes blank too, it’s possible that you have a software related problem.
Can you boot in Safe Mode?
May 31st, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Toan Trung,
If you installed another known good compatible hard drive into the laptop but still experience the same issue, apparently there is a problem with the motherboard. I don’t know what else could cause this failure. Probably there is something wrong with the hard drive controller witch is located on the motherboard. If that’s the case, you’ll have to replace the whole motherboard.
Just in case, you can try reflashing the BIOS when the hard drive is removed. Reflash the BIOS, install the hard drive and test the laptop.
May 31st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Luke,
I would check the memory module, could be memory related problem. Try reseating it.
I don’t think this problem is related to the power jack.