What to do when your laptop is not starting

There are lots of reasons why a laptop won’t turn on. Hardware or software errors can prevent a device from working smoothly. In this article, we’ll show you the most common problems.

How to boot your laptop

Sometimes it’s just a case of a loose cable, but oftentimes it’s more complicated than that. It usually takes time to find the cause of the issue and more time on top of that to find a solution. There are two kinds of problems that can cause issues with your laptop. These are hardware and software problems.

It isn’t always clear at first glance whether start-up problems are due to faulty software or faulty parts. Signs of hardware problems could be, for example, strange noises. A clacking noise is usually associated with a defective fan and a clicking noise with a broken hard drive. And you can assume there’s a problem with the hardware if there’s a smell of burning coming from the laptop case.

On the other hand, software defects can often occur after updates or new programs have been installed. In this case, it helps to track what has been changed in the configuration since the PC or laptop last worked.

Be careful with hardware problems

Anything installed on and around a laptop wears out over time. As a result, components become more susceptible to malfunctions. These parts may need to be individually repaired or completely replaced. For hardware issues, if in doubt, bring your device to a specialist repair shop. If you try to open the laptop case to check or remove parts and you don’t know what you’re doing, you can easily make things worse.

Check power connection

Your laptop won’t turn on at all? Then the first thing to do is to check the power cable and power supply. Are the cables firmly plugged into your laptop? Is the plug plugged into the socket? Is the extension lead switched on? It’s easy for connections to come loose during cleaning or vacuuming. Sometimes it also helps to disconnect the laptop completely from the power supply for a moment or two and then reconnect it after a few minutes.

It’s common for the issue to be the power supply unit. In many cases, the power supplies can show signs of wear and tear due to overheating. This can occur, for example, if the ventilation becomes blocked or clogged. To check whether the power supply is the issue you can simply switch your laptop to battery mode. Otherwise troubleshooting will probably lead to replacing your power supply unit.

Flickering stripes on the screen are a sign of graphic card problems

In systems that have a dedicated and integrated graphics card installed, the graphics card integrated in the processor can be used to test whether the system is running smoothly. If this is the case, then the additional card which has been installed is causing the problem and stopping the laptop from turning on. If the device has several slots, the graphics card can also be tested in another slot. Or you could use a different card model.

RAM is one of the most common causes of start-up problems

Broken RAM blocks are often the source of errors as these components are quite susceptible to wear and tear. In addition to defective RAM modules, it also happens time and again that the slots no longer function properly.

The first step to determine the error is to test the free RAM slots. If the RAM block works in another slot then the cause is a defective slot. However, if nothing has been changed in the RAM settings in the BIOS or UEFI and the slots work properly there is no way around new RAM modules.

Software updates and new programs can cripple the system

It sounds mundane but it so often happens that a restart – turning your device off and trying to start it up a second time – can suddenly solve the problem of your laptop not starting.

But often the problem has been caused by a virus – the best anti-virus programs offer excellent protection against viruses. The common providers also offer emergency backups which can restore the system and its data too. If you can’t get rid of the virus, the best thing to do is to reinstall the operating system.

Windows offers several repair options for when the operating system won’t start

In many cases, the operating system’s automatic repair function can help. Windows 10 and Windows 11 automatically initiates a repair after two or three failed start-up attempts.

Windows users can use another handy trick in the form of the key combination STRG+F8. This will take you straight to safe mode after the start-up. Here are some practical functions that you can use to initiate a recovery.

• Startup help: This initiates automatic startup repairs to fix Windows problems.
• Startup settings: This makes it possible for Windows to start in safe mode. From here it is possible to remove new, faulty drivers and programs. It is also possible to create a backup of data when in safe mode.
• Command prompt: This menu item is for users who are already familiar with the available Windows input commands. This function makes it possible to analyze and correct potential errors in greater detail.
• Uninstall updates: This can be used to remove damaged Windows updates, should they be responsible for the faulty reboot.
• System restore: This lets you restore the system to a date in the past, the “restore point,” when the system was still working.

If none of the functions listed above rectify the situation, there is one last step. With Advanced Options > Troubleshooting > Reset this PC, the existing Windows installation can be completely reset.

Before resetting your Windows computer, we recommend a precise root cause analysis. See our article “Windows won’t start”. Resetting the laptop will fix most of the errors. Personal data won’t be lost. You will, however, lose all additionally installed programs. These will have to be reinstalled afterwards. With this in mind, you should only use this option if all other attempts have been unsuccessful.

Driver updates and new programs

Even though updates usually fix the familiar bugs and improve performance, sometimes changes to the system like this can also be the cause of startup problems. Often graphics card drivers or new programs can trigger a chain of events within the internal workings of a laptop which, until this point, had functioned as normal. The result being, instead of working like integrated clockwork, the process jams and the laptop refuses to work.

Again, it helps to boot the operating system in a safe mode which will prevent new drivers or updates being installed. Often the previous version of the driver or an uninstallation can be the solution if a newly installed driver or program has caused the laptop to stop working.

BIOS/UEFI changes can cause problems

Noticeable software problems include noises when starting the laptop. The sound of beeping during the boot process (depending on the circumstances this can also be indicated via an LED as a visual signal) could indicate a software problem.

If you do notice noises like this directly after startup, the cause is usually in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or, in newer models, the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, or UEFI for short. By starting the BIOS or UEFI, the operating software and the start of other components are initiated. The problem is in the details. Your laptop won’t start anymore if unnecessary or careless changes have been made to it. Start-up routines, for example, are all defined differently. The various BIOS beep codes can help with trouble-shooting.

If errors have crept into the BIOS due to a manual configuration, for example, it helps to carry out a BIOS reset. This requires the CMOS to be deleted. To do this, briefly remove the necessary battery, inserted only for this purpose. The BIOS can then restore the default settings.