What to do if the laptop turns on and. How to turn on a laptop if it does not turn on in the usual way

Let's look at the main reasons why your laptop does not turn on and what you can do now.

It should immediately be clarified that there can be a lot of reasons for a breakdown and they will be both hardware and software in nature. We will check everything in order and look for our case. If anything, contact the workshop in your city.

This article is suitable for all brands that produce laptops on Windows 10/8/7: ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, HP, Dell, MSI, Toshiba, Samsung and others. We are not responsible for your actions.

The laptop does not turn on and does not show signs of life

Often these problems are related to nutrition. The first thing to do is to connect the laptop to the power supply to check for voltage at the outlet. Adapters are equipped with a power lamp, which indicates its performance. The laptop has a light that lights up when plugged in or when the battery is charging.

Most often, the reason is in a power supply that does not work or is not functioning properly (here you need to try a similar working one), due to the presence of bad contacts in the connectors, kinked or broken wires. Therefore, we look and draw conclusions at what stage the voltage disappears.

To avoid problems with the power connector, it is recommended that you first insert the power plug into the laptop, and then only the power cord into the outlet. This will eliminate the possibility of a short-term spark when connecting the plug, which can damage the contacts.

If the laptop does not turn on, but everything is “on”, then the problem may not only be in the power supply. You should remove the battery and reconnect the device without it, then put the battery back in 10 minutes later. Also, turn off all external connected devices, you can also turn off the Wi-Fi adapter, if the design allows.

If everything worked, then return the devices one by one. This is how the cause is determined.

Faulty hard drive

If the hard drive fails, the laptop can be turned on, but it freezes before the Windows splash screen is displayed. In some cases, a message is displayed about the HDD error, for example, information that the disk is not a system disk.

In any case, the user still has the opportunity to enter the BIOS. There you can check the correctness of the settings and whether the hard drive is detected. If the hard drive is visible, then the system can be started from a bootable USB flash drive or disk to test it.

Chipset and video card failure

Various components of the laptop can fail. Causes of failure may be damage due to impact, overheating, etc.

The most common problems with turning on a laptop are:

• Video card.
• North bridge.
• South bridge.

In the event of a breakdown, the behavior of the laptop may be different. If the video card is out of order, then there is no picture, but the fan will function and Windows may even boot, making the appropriate sounds. If one of the bridges is broken, the device will stop before loading the OS or not turn on at all.

In this case, it is almost impossible to establish the cause on your own. At home, an attempt to repair can harm the device, so it is better to contact a service center.

Other reasons

In practice, a malfunction can occur in a number of cases:

• Windows error.
• Overheat.
• Broken BIOS firmware.
• Damage to memory or processor.

If the laptop beeps when turned on, then this indicates problems with the RAM or overheating. If you have a little experience, then you can independently determine the problems, why this happened.

First you need to remove the dust. If the failure persists, replace the memory modules with known good ones.

The problem with a broken BIOS firmware appears after an incorrect update. Errors often occur during BIOS configuration. Solving this problem yourself is quite simple. You should go to the SETUP menu, load the default settings, for example, select the Load Setup Defaults function.

In the work of Windows, errors may appear, leading to the fact that the operating system does not start. It is necessary to determine their cause and solve the problem. Alternatively, you can reinstall the OS or restore the installed one.

Often the laptop does not start due to power problems. After pressing the power button, the power button is on, but then nothing happens. The cause must be found and eliminated.

The laptop stops turning on due to the following typical actions:

• Update.
• Dust cleaning.

To troubleshoot, you can replace the battery:

After cleaning

After cleaning, the laptop may stop turning on. In this case, the fan is able to start or make a squeak. On some models, the indicators may flash.

The process of cleaning a laptop is associated with its disassembly. First you need to re-disassemble the device and check the connection of all components and the installation of the cooling system. It is important to pay attention to thermal paste.

If RAM modules were removed during cleaning, then you need to try to remove them again, clean the contacts and reinstall them. It is important to check if the laptop starts with the optical drive and hard drive disabled.

When re-disassembling, you need to pay attention to the cover opening sensor. If the assembly is not carried out very carefully, then it may not be in its place.

If the above tips did not help, then you should contact the professionals. It is possible that during disassembly, parts were damaged by static electricity or some other problem occurred.

After update

When an update is performed, problems may appear. When updates are installed incorrectly, the laptop stops turning on. At the same time, the user can install a new version of drivers, BIOS or patches for the OS.

The most difficult case is the inability to start the device after updating the BIOS. This happens when the user interferes with the process, for example, by shutting down or restarting the computer during an update, or using unofficial firmware.

It will not be superfluous to reset the settings to default. To do this, remove the battery for a few minutes or close the corresponding jumper on the system board. In practice, this is not always possible to fix the problem.

If the problem started after updating Windows or drivers, you should simply roll back to the previous restore point using safe mode. Restoring the operating system or returning to the state can also help, if the model supports such a function.

After overheating

Modern laptops generate a lot of heat during operation. If the cooling system is faulty or very dusty, overheating occurs, due to which some parts may break.

The following parts may fail due to overheating:

• South and north bridges.
• HDD.
• Video card.
• CPU.

Spontaneous shutdowns

In some situations, the laptop may turn on and function normally for a while. Then there is a spontaneous shutdown. The main reasons for the breakdown:

• Parts malfunction.
• Software errors.
• Overheat.

The most common cause of laptop shutdowns is overheating, which in the future can lead to product failure. To avoid this, you should regularly remove dust and change the heat-conducting paste.

Quite often, parts malfunction due to overheating. If you do not carry out regular cleanings, then this probability increases significantly.

Viruses can harm the correct operation of the system. As a result, the device will turn itself off. You can resolve the issue using a special utility from the Kaspersky Lab website or Doctor Web by performing a full scan and removing threats.

For software errors, you need to find the cause using the code that is displayed on the screen at the time of the failure. Then the problematic application needs to be removed or updated.

Unable to start from boot device

When loading Windows in English, various messages may be displayed, for example, "Error loading operating system". The first step is to remove the disk from the drive, all flash drives and reboot the device. If this did not solve the issue, then the reason is in the software problem of the hard drive or in the hardware.

The most accessible method of restoring performance will be reinstalling Windows. If it helped, then the reason was at the program level.

Another option is when Windows starts loading, but then the laptop itself reboots, errors are shown on a blue or black screen. Here, too, the reasons may be hardware or software failures.

The surest way to check this would be to reinstall the OS. An easy test option is to start the system from a bootable USB flash drive. If the device does not start, then it should be taken for repair.

Like any other piece of equipment, laptops tend to break down. This happens for various reasons. They fall, hot coffee or tea spills on their keyboards, they can't stand it when they sit down or press their backs. But often you have to deal with situations when the owner did not take any physical action in relation to the laptop, but it still does not turn on. A logical question arises - for what then reasons does the laptop not turn on, and what should be done to successfully restore it?

In this article, we will look at the most common causes of laptop breakdowns, as well as give practical tips for resuming their work.

Potential Causes

Even before the software is loaded to the end, showing the desktop on the screen, the laptop performs a large number of operations. Regardless of which operating system you are using, tasks such as:
physical activation (response when pressing a button on the keyboard);
initialization (all system files necessary for the basic launch are loaded);
the appearance of an image (additional hardware is connected and loaded - the video card is on, and so on);
the main loading of the operating system (additional system files are loaded, including drivers, as well as programs selected by the user to automatically start at startup).

Breakdown, as a rule, can occur at any of the considered stages. It is quite difficult to find the cause on your own. How can you notice that the laptop does not turn on? The simplest symptom is that the image does not appear and you see a black screen. That is, the traditional picture symbolizing the loading of the operating system is not visible, and nothing is on fire at all. You may also notice that the equipment does not emit standard sounds such as noise, a system boot notification. In the most serious cases, no indicator works.

There can be several reasons why the laptop does not work at once:

1. The power supply has failed. As a rule, this is one of the most popular reasons. Checking why the laptop does not turn on is quite simple - you just need to connect another power supply, the plug of which is suitable for your equipment model.

If you see that the indicators on the body of the equipment light up and the download has started successfully, most likely you will need a new power supply;

2. No battery power. Please note that this breakdown cannot appear instantly, because when the battery is low, the operating system will ask you to connect to the network to recharge. Even when the battery is out of order and does not want to be charged, a battery icon with an exclamation mark will appear on the battery icon located on the right side of the taskbar (near the clock). Hovering over it, you will see that the system directly claims to connect a failed battery.

Connect your laptop to the power supply, and then press the power button on the laptop. In this case, the laptop should start up, and after the desktop appears, you will see that a portable power source is not connected to the equipment. Without turning off your laptop, try installing the battery in it (until a characteristic click appears). Wait a few seconds. The system will notify you if there are problems with the battery;

3. Motherboard burnt out. The motherboard is the main electrical circuit of the computer, which is responsible for both turning on and performing almost all operations. By default, the RAM chip, system memory, is installed here. With the help of special cables, an optical drive (CD and DVD reader), a video card, a hard drive, and many other components are connected.

Please note that you will not be able to repair the motherboard yourself. This requires special tools, as well as diagnostic equipment. The most common symptom of a breakdown is a strange squeak when you turn on the laptop, or to no avail by pressing the start button of the device. You will have to go to a service center where specialists will completely disassemble your laptop;

4. Missing initialization. Such a malfunction may appear in the following. When starting up a laptop, it boots up to a certain period of time when the hard drive light on the panel lights up. As a rule, there are several reasons for failure - server bridge failure, processor failure, missing BIOS firmware, unsuccessful update, and so on.

Features of mechanical damage

As stated earlier, if you see that when you turn on the laptop it does not respond, mechanical damage can also be a likely cause. A laptop is a technique that is not designed to withstand serious loads. The situation is especially difficult with ultra-thin laptops like the MacBook. Videos have been circulating on the Internet for a long time, in which you can see how the owners bend the case of this device with their hands, without using any additional tools.
Practice shows that when exposed to significant physical exertion, the motherboard, screen, hard drive, and other components can suffer.

Please note that if the physical part fails, you will have to pay for new components. Of course, in the case of the motherboard, you can try to restore it by diagnosing and soldering some nodes. But successful recovery in such cases is more the exception than the rule. You will be very lucky if the masters can restore the old motherboard manually, without replacing it with a new one. For a new fee, as a rule, you will have to pay an amount equal to a third, or even half, of the cost of a complete laptop (depending on the model, as well as the general characteristics of your equipment).

Display problems

The display of modern laptops is a matrix connected to the motherboard using a special cable with its own microcircuit. It works with LED or AMOLED technology. Screen problems are rare, because it is one of the most stable components in terms of durability. But it also happens that the matrix has been broken, or it gives out the so-called “broken pixels” and an error lights up.

The screen consists of a huge number of dots that form a picture, painted in a certain color. "Broken pixels" means that one or more dots are not working - they are black. It also happens that the laptop display does not turn on at all, that is, a black background continues to be displayed on the screen, and when you start your device at night, the screen does not light up at all.

So what to do if the laptop does not turn on due to the matrix? First of all, you need to make sure that the reason is really in the matrix. It is enough to turn on the equipment and observe its reaction. In this case, as a rule, cooler noise should appear. Next, the speakers will play the sound that appears when you start your laptop. All indicators, lights, keyboard (if LEDs are built into it) will work fully. This is a sure sign that the problem lies in the matrix.

If you have a black screen on your laptop, then another way to check why the laptop is not working is to connect an external monitor. This can be a projector or a TV that supports HDMI connection. If there are no other problems with your equipment, you will notice that a full image appears on the screen of the additional monitor.

You will ask a question - what to do if the laptop cannot turn on due to the matrix and nothing lights up on it. The only thing we recommend doing is taking it to a service center. You can also reinstall the matrix yourself, but you need to choose exactly the model that is designed to work with your device. It is strictly forbidden to install other matrices - this will not only lead to unstable screen operation in the future, but also can cause problems during assembly. You can check the name of the matrix installed on your gadget on the Internet.

Operating system

According to statistics, in 30% of all situations when the laptop does not start on its own, the cause is an error in the operating system. This means that one or more of its components have stopped working correctly, in which case you will not be able to run the software.

The symptoms can be very different. The laptop can turn on up to a certain point, and then abruptly turn off on its own. Or it loads but then shuts down. In some cases, it will not start at all, but system sounds from the BIOS will be heard. Having no knowledge in installing new software, we recommend that you again seek help from specialists from the service center. As a rule, it takes several hours to fully reinstall Windows with further configuration. Fulfillment of the order in the service center can take you from one to three days.

A laptop is a complex piece of equipment that can break down at any time. For a successful recovery, you need to first make sure that the reason why it cannot start is correct. If the situation turned out to be relatively simple, you can try to repair it yourself. In the event of a mechanical failure, you will have to seek help from repairmen. Please note that if you independently carry out all the manipulations related to the repair, all responsibility for the possible consequences rests solely with you. It is strongly discouraged to carry out repairs while there is a valid warranty - this will lead to its complete annulment.

The laptop turned off and does not turn on, urgently run to the store for a new one? The laptop turned off and does not turn on - a typical problem that many users come to me with. First of all, it is necessary to find the true reason for such a "turn". Oddly enough, there can be many reasons for this, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the minimum “base” required to resuscitate your laptop at home.

Plug in!

The laptop turned off and does not turn on, most often due to problems with the power supply. Here you can also identify several signs and the first of them is a dead battery. Try connecting it to a charger. If this does not help, then connect to the charging directly. In the case of a broken battery, the laptop will instantly turn on.

In addition to the laptop, it should be remembered that the reason for the sudden shutdown may lie in a faulty power supply. Since the laptop turned off and does not turn on at all, the entire charge on the battery is probably used up. At the same time, the power supply (or PSU) does not pass current, therefore, the device does not receive current.

You can check the PSU with a sharp look - make sure that the charge indicator is on on the unit itself and on the laptop, if any.

It is good if you have the skills and equipment of an electrician, namely a tester. Take the last device and connect the probes to the connector on the other end of the wire. The permissible voltage is indicated on the PSU itself, and if the indicators measured by us are too untrue, then a replacement power supply will be required.

Of course, no one has canceled the good old “fool” option - pull the cable, press the charger socket harder to the laptop (maybe you need it), or just arm yourself with a “donor cable”. As a rule, this is the first thing that comes to mind to anyone, even a professional user. And of course, make sure the lights are on in your area!

High laptop temperature.

The laptop turned off and does not turn on even with a new cable? It happens and not so, do not rush to get upset! Pay attention to performance and noise levels. If both of these parameters do not suit you, then we will need a processor and a video card, and if necessary, you can finally verify the need for this action when a powerful stream of hot air appears from the area where the fan is installed. Such a stream, of course, is accompanied by a strong and unpleasant noise.

Well, since we got to the very point when the laptop turned off and does not turn on, therefore the quality of our overheating has already reached the boiling point - the motherboard instantly overheats immediately after you press the "Turn on" button. All this disgrace is due to the dust content of the radiator, fan, and the entire motherboard as a whole. It's no secret that any printed circuit board and all components placed on it can heat up. When the temperature rises, in modern PCs, the protection system is triggered, usually this is a sudden shutdown. The same principle applies to laptops.

So, we need to clean the insides of the device. Carefully open the case, separate the battery, keyboard. You can blow out the radiator with compressed air cans, which are sold at any computer store.

You can use a simple brush. Remember that we will need to clean the fan and the laptop motherboard itself. For the latter, a dry and soft piece of cloth should be used. Be careful, any scratch on the motherboard can lead to very unpleasant consequences!

Then we calmly remove the heatsinks from the processor and video card, remove the remnants of the old thermal paste and apply a new one. Thermal paste contributes to high-quality heat removal to the radiator, and from there to the outside world. Therefore, this point should not be ignored.

That's all, we collect the laptop and try to turn it on. Did not work out? Then read on!

Faulty motherboard and does not turn on the laptop.

The laptop turned off and will not turn on due to faulty hardware. It is quite possible that the motherboard has long exhausted its life resources and has become unusable. Of course, you can try to ring it with a powerful multimeter, connect it to an oscilloscope ... But this is already a real space, even for me. Either we go to repair, or we get a new laptop.

Is the display working?

It's funny, but sometimes the computer works, makes noise, gives elementary signs of life, but the display does not display anything and even blinks when turned on. Obviously, you had a power failure, a video card burned out, or a matrix flew. These options are very difficult to decide on your own, although you can try connecting a second monitor via VGA or HDMI connectors in order to get the final picture of the world.
If a picture appears after connecting, you need it, but if not, then most likely And it’s even better to buy a new laptop, since the cost of replacing a video card will cost a little less than a new laptop.

Conclusion.

Well that's all. We got acquainted with all domestic problems, due to which a laptop can turn off and not turn on until it is provided with the necessary assistance. Successful work!

Good day!

Laptop failure, most often, occurs suddenly, when we do not expect it. It seems that only yesterday everything was in order with him, he worked, but in the morning he didn’t turn on for no reason ...

There are a lot of questions in this category (especially now that laptops have become more popular than regular desktop PCs). In general, since many users usually do not describe the problem very specifically, I immediately want to say that the laptop may "not turn on" in different ways:

• may not react at all to any pressing, not "blink" LEDs, etc .;
• or it can react to the power button, reach the OS boot and show some kind of error.

Actually, based on this, I will build an article. I will consider below the various options, and what can be done in each to restore work. The article, if it doesn’t repair your equipment, will help you figure out the problem and save a certain amount of money ...

Important note

For starters don't panic! Much more damage can be done by hasty action. In some cases, you can solve the problem yourself. Try to remember after what it happened, what happened the day before, whether there were errors, installed some software, etc. Sometimes it helps a lot!

By the way, I’ll add right away that if your laptop is under warranty, I don’t recommend opening it, removing the hard drive, and generally carrying out any manipulations. All this can lead to a refusal of warranty service!

Important note!

Very often, the laptop does not turn on due to a dead battery.

Moreover, I note that even if you just charged it a couple of hours ago, this is not a guarantee that it could not sit down (for example, a laptop could wake up on its own, start a system update, and drain the battery during operation. Unfortunately , this is not uncommon).

I'm not talking about not providing the necessary currents for the full operation of the device.

If the laptop does not respond to any pressing at all, none of the LEDs are lit...

This problem often occurs due to a lack of power. I'll go through the steps to check and do:

In principle, if all of the above did not help, then it is difficult to advise something else in this case. I recommend taking the laptop to the service for diagnostics. The cause of the breakdown can be, like complete nonsense (a power wire that has gone away - a cheap repair), or a rather serious reason, for example, a burned-out microcircuit on the mat. board...

If the LEDs light up, the laptop is noisy, but there is no image on the screen

1. first of all I recommend connecting an external screen to the laptop and see if there is an image on it. If so, the problem is probably related to the laptop monitor, if not, then most likely there are problems with the video card or the mat. device board.
2. then note: the screen is always black, or when turned on, it still blinks (for a second or two), and then the image disappears. If at first the image is visible, and as soon as Windows starts loading, it disappears, most likely, the problem lies in the "broken" system (see the next subsection of this article);
3. look carefully further on the screen surface: The backlight often burns out, causing nothing to be seen on the screen. Try to shine a flashlight or table lamp on the screen - perhaps you will see a picture (an example is presented below). On average, backlight repairs are not that expensive (besides, it is not uncommon when the reason for this lies in the wear of the cable, the cost of which is a penny ...).

   

4. on some laptops there are special function keys to turn off the screen (moreover, there are laptops that remember this enabled setting even after rebooting the device!). For example, on ASUS laptops, this is a combination of buttons Fn+F7.

   

5. if for a laptop recently connected an external monitor- then the signal transmission mode "Only to an external monitor" is activated. Try using spec. keys (the screenshot above shows a photo of an ASUS laptop keyboard - a combination of Fn + F8 buttons) .
6. often the problem lies in broken discrete graphics card(e.g. due to overheating). Overheating often occurs in hot summer weather, when the laptop is heavily loaded (for example, various games), and often the laptop has not been cleaned of dust for a long time. Often, in this case, the laptop turns off right during the game (or reboots, but there is no picture on the screen anymore). In this case, a problem with the video card is most likely;
7. if you have two video cards(discrete + integrated) - then you can try to disable one of them in the BIOS (unless, of course, at the stage of turning on the laptop, you have an image on the screen). You can find out how to configure the BIOS and disable a discrete graphics card here: Pay attention to the parameter Graphic Device Settings (allows you to turn off the discrete card and work only on the built-in one);
8. also not uncommon when on the screen instead of an image, various artifacts : ripples, stripes, etc. In some cases, you can restore it yourself, in others - no. More on this here:

   

If instead of loading Windows, a black screen is shown with some inscriptions (errors)

If after turning on, the laptop immediately turns off or restarts

1. unplug everything you can from your laptop: mouse, external drive, headphones, etc.;
2. pay attention to the battery: if the battery is pretty worn out, then its power may not be enough for the full operation of the laptop. Try connecting the power adapter (it will also not be superfluous to check the operation of the laptop without a battery);
3. These symptoms are also characteristic of device overheating: if something is wrong with the cooling system (with the CPU or video card) - then when Windows boots, the temperature may rise sharply and the laptop turns off in order to protect itself (in this case, the cooler inside the device should work noisily). The topic of overheating is quite extensive, I recommend that you read the material in this article: ;
4. By the way, rebooting the device can also be related to damage to Windows OS, virus infection, etc. For testing, I recommend trying - if the download goes through normally and everything works, then most likely the problem is related to the currently installed Windows OS;
5. maybe the problem is related with contact closure on mat. device board (for example, when burning USB ports, HDMI. Also, the contacts are often closed with some kind of liquid). Remember, the day before, did you connect any devices: were there any errors, or a small spark?

Of course, I have not considered much, but on such a streamlined issue, it is probably quite difficult to do this. Having run through the options presented above, you can cut off and eliminate some of the reasons due to which the laptop could not turn on ...

All the best!

Notebook manufacturers take into account the fact that the devices they supply are high-tech and the likelihood of failures in their work is quite high. That is why almost all laptops are equipped with simple diagnostic tools for quick troubleshooting and troubleshooting. Moreover, in most cases, the user can restore the device to work independently. The most difficult thing is to establish the initial cause of the failure. How to determine why the laptop does not turn on and what can be done in this situation?

The laptop does not turn on - we find out the reasons

Many modern laptops are equipped with a basic I / O system (except perhaps Chromebooks - they use a less functional "bootloader"). This is the so-called BIOS, some models use an add-on over it - UEFI (essentially the same BIOS, but with a more convenient and colorful menu). What it is? This is a small firmware that is "sewn" into the motherboard. Its main purpose is to scan all devices connected to the board and diagnose them.

What happens when the user presses the power key? A start signal is given to the BIOS. That, in turn, scans all connected equipment (determines the brand and type of processor, the amount of installed RAM, the model of the video adapter, the model of the north and south bridges, tests the display, the presence of a network interface, keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc.) . If the BIOS does not find any errors, it searches for the bootloader on the hard disk and, if it is found, transfers control of the device to it. Next, Windows starts (or another installed OS - Linux, MacOS, Android, BSD, etc.).

From the above, we can conclude:

• if at startup the user sees the manufacturer's logo, and then the OS starts loading, then the BIOS has run diagnostics and found no malfunctions with the installed equipment;
• if the OS does not start loading, but a service message is displayed on the display, this indicates either the absence or damage of the hard disk, or that the diagnostics have not been completed - one of the components is not working properly;
• if there is no reaction to pressing the power button, the BIOS does not receive a start signal, which indicates a malfunction with the power system.

All this allows you to determine the type of problem due to which the laptop does not start. They are conditionally divided into:

1. Software (system). When an error is caused by a software failure, and the hardware is working properly.
2. Hardware. When the error is caused by a malfunction of any equipment connected to the motherboard.

It is from determining the type of error that one should begin diagnosing a breakdown in order to understand why the laptop does not turn on. The simplest rule:

• if there is a reaction to pressing the power button and fan noise is heard, this is more likely a software failure;
• if there is no reaction at all to pressing the button (including the glow of LED indicators), this is most likely a hardware error.

The user can deal with almost all software errors on their own without contacting a service center. With hardware, things are somewhat more complicated, and it is far from always possible to do without the help of a qualified specialist.

Diagnosis and elimination of software errors

The first step is to clarify that the BIOS is also a kind of operating system, although its functionality is rather small. And failures in the operation of this OS also often occur, therefore, its operation should be diagnosed. Other common programming errors include:

• damage to the OS bootloader;
• damage to system files or the OS kernel;
• failure of software hardware drivers (most often graphics adapter drivers “fail”).

BIOS issues

As a rule, in such cases, the laptop starts up and issues a service error message. In some cases, the image does not appear at all. The easiest way to rule out BIOS problems is to reset it to factory settings. To do this, you need to find a CR2032 battery on the motherboard and remove it for a few seconds (then be sure to put it back). This turns off the power to the volatile CMOS memory, where they are stored outside the BIOS settings. In most laptop models, this battery is located immediately under the bottom cover or under the keyboard - information should be clarified in the service documentation (or just watch a video on disassembling a certain laptop model). If resetting the BIOS settings did not fix the startup problem, then you should check the operation of the hard drive and OS.

Problems with the graphics accelerator driver

The video adapter driver is responsible for its proper operation in the environment of the installed operating system (Windows, Linux, MacOS, and so on). In case of malfunctions in its operation, the image may simply not be displayed on the display (or it will disappear at the OS boot stage). How to check if the driver is working? There are two options:

• connect an external monitor;
• start the OS in "Safe Mode".

An external monitor must be connected via the VGA, HDMI or DVI output, depending on the specification of the laptop. The connection must be made with the monitor and laptop turned off, otherwise both the display and the graphics adapter may be damaged.

If connecting an external monitor did not bring any result (that is, the image did not appear on it), then you should try starting the OS in "Safe Mode". For this:

• when you turn on the laptop, press the F8 key;
• after the list of boot options appears, select "Safe Mode".

If we are talking about a laptop with Linux installed, then it must be launched with the “nomodeset” parameter (enter this line in the GRUB parameters by pressing the “E” key).

As a rule, when booting in "Safe Mode", the driver built into the OS is used, so the resolution of the monitor, as well as its color palette, will be "by default".

If the OS was successfully loaded in Safe Mode, you will need to manually remove the installed video adapter driver and install a compatible one (by downloading from the manufacturer's website or taking it from the disk that came with the laptop).

If an error about the absence of a bootloader is displayed when trying to start, this indicates a corrupt entry in the MBR or GPT directory of the hard disk, where information about the installed OS and a brief algorithm for launching system files are stored. Most often this happens due to the banal wear of the hard drive or damage to system files when the laptop is turned off incorrectly (when the battery was removed during operation or the power adapter was disconnected).

How to fix the problem? The first step is to try to restore the bootloader with the built-in OS tools. But this will require a Windows installation disc or flash drive. So, to restore the bootloader you will need:

• at the stage of starting the laptop, press the F11 key (in some models - F12, F2, Tab);
• from the list of devices that appears, select the disk or flash drive with the Windows installer;
• wait for the installation menu to appear and select "System Restore".

After that, the installer will try to independently detect a malfunction with the OS installed on the hard drive and fix it. With banal damage to the MBR or GPT, this helps. If, after automatic diagnostics, a notification appears that the program was unable to restore Windows boot, then this indicates damage not only to the bootloader, but also to system files, the kernel and the Windows partition. In such cases, only reinstalling the operating system will help.

It is also worth paying attention, the error about the absence of an OS (Operation System not found) may indicate that not a hard disk is selected as the main boot device, but, for example, a floppy drive or a USB flash drive inserted into the USB port. To fix this error you will need:

• at the stage of starting the laptop, press the F11 key (to access the boot menu);
• select a hard disk as a boot device (as a rule, this line should contain the designation HDD, SATA or ST).

If the laptop has 2 hard drives installed (many "gaming" laptops have both an SSD drive and a traditional HDD installed at the same time), then you should boot from each of them one by one.

Reinstalling the system

This is the most cardinal, but at the same time the most reliable option for eliminating software errors in the operating system. It should be used if the bootloader cannot be restored. You will need either an installation disc or a Windows flash drive for this. You can download a trial version of Windows (with a trial period of 30 days) on the official Microsoft website https://support.microsoft.com/windows. There will be offered ISO-images of installation disks. You should download the appropriate one, and then:

• or burn the image to DVD. Any program for burning discs such as Ashampoo Burning Studio, Nero, Ultra ISO and the like is suitable;
• or write the image to a flash drive. You will need a flash drive with a size of 8 gigabytes or more. The easiest way is to use the Rufus utility. Although it is not recommended by Microsoft, it itself can determine the type of OS being written, and it also allows you to select the type of disk layout - MBR or GPT. You can download it on the official website https://rufus.akeo.ie. The Russian version of the utility is also available.

• after pressing the power button, press the F11 key;
• select the required drive from the list that appears;
• following the instructions of the installer - install the operating system (select "Install", not "Update").

If the user has a license code for the edition of Windows being installed, it can be entered at the installation stage.

Laptop hardware failure

With hardware failures, everything is somewhat more complicated. Most of them cannot be eliminated at home, and one cannot do without the advice of a qualified specialist. Therefore, it is worth considering only the most banal breakdowns, due to which the laptop may not start, and at the same time, the user can fix them on their own.

No power

In this case, when you press the power button, there will be no reaction at all from the device. The indicators will not light up and the fans will not start either. There are several reasons for this:

• not installed, missing or damaged battery;
• not connected, the power supply is faulty;
• the contacts of the start button are physically damaged.

To fix these problems, you should:

1. Check if the battery is securely inserted (it should be trite to turn it off, wipe the contacts with alcohol, install it back after drying). If possible, check the voltage at the battery terminals. Otherwise, you need to replace it, for this you should contact the official service center.
2. Check power supply. Most of them have an LED indicator of operation. You should check whether the plug is inserted into the socket, the connector into the power supply itself, the connector into the laptop's power connector. If there is a suspicion of a malfunction of the unit (it does not heat up, it has a burnt smell), then it should be replaced.

To check the contacts of the physical button, you will need to disassemble the case and “ring” it with a multimeter for breaks.

Video card failure

A fairly common problem on those laptops that are actively used for games. The main symptom is the absence of an image on the display, the appearance of graphic artifacts, the video card gives an error in the device manager (usually error code 43). Troubleshooting is possible by the following methods:

• replacement of the graphics adapter (if it is connected via the MXM port on the motherboard);
• resoldering a working GPU chip.

In any case, you will have to contact the service center. Unfortunately, the cost of such a repair is about 50 - 75% of the cost of a new laptop, so in most cases it is not practical. Another thing is when it comes to a device under warranty.

Hard disk failure

In this case, the hard disk is either not displayed in boot devices, or an error is generated on it when trying to install the OS (due to the presence of bad sectors). The first step is to pull out the hard drive and wipe its contacts with alcohol - quite often the device is not recognized precisely because of the presence of oxides on them. If no reaction follows this, then you should replace the hard drive with a compatible one (in most cases, this is a 2.5-inch SATA).

Why does my laptop keep shutting down and restarting?

The most common reasons for this:

• RAM malfunction;
• overheating of the motherboard (processor, graphics accelerator, north and / or south bridges, multicontroller);
• malfunction of the power supply or battery (the current it produces sags in voltage or its current strength is insufficient for normal operation of the laptop).

RAM diagnostics is carried out using the Memtest program. If no errors are found, and a battery or power supply failure is ruled out, then the cause is most likely overheating. To eliminate it, you need:

• clean the cooling system from dust;
• replace the thermal paste on the processor, graphics chip, north and south bridges, multicontroller (depending on the laptop configuration);
• replace all thermal pads installed in the laptop (they are usually installed on memory chips integrated into the motherboard or graphics adapter);
• lubricate the cooler with silicone oil.

And to check the current temperature conditions of the laptop components, you can use the AIDA64 program (https://www.aida64.com/downloads - here is a demo version limited in time). As a rule, the normal operating temperature for all laptops under load is in the range of 45 - 80 degrees. If it is higher, then to protect against failure, the device simply shuts down in emergency mode. That is why the laptop either turns off or restarts.

Video: how to identify problems if the laptop does not turn on

In total, there are many reasons why a laptop may not start. The most common are discussed above. If it was not possible to fix the problem on your own or the user simply does not want to do this, you should contact the official service centers. You can get acquainted with their list either in the warranty card for the laptop, or on the manufacturer's website.