If your PC won’t turn on, how to fix it

Few computer problems are more frustrating than a computer that won’t boot, always showing a black screen and no LEDs on. While the first thing that comes to mind is taking the computer to the technician, there is actually still hope of being able to fix it yourself, the important thing is to have patience and do the necessary checks.

The following guide will show you what we can do for fix a dead PC that won’t turn on or boot. The guide applies to any computer regardless of the system used (from Windows 7 up to Windows 11). It can also apply to laptops, although in cases where it is required to replace parts, depending on the laptop it may be more or less easy, if it is possible at all.

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1) PC no longer turns on and shows no sign of power

If the PC seems really dead and does not react in any way to pressing the power button, if no lights come on, if the fans do not move, there is almost certainly a power problem.

We assume that all plugs are correctly inserted (and if connected to a multiple socket that this is turned on) and that the main switch of the PC is turned on (on desktop PCs the switch is often located on the back.

If we are talking about a laptop computer, the solution is easy, it could simply be to replace the power cable with the transformer to solve the problem; in some cases it could instead be the fault of the battery, which depending on the model may be removable or not.

If we are talking about a Desktop PCyou definitely need to open it and check the integrity of all the cables and plugs on the motherboard, perhaps trying to detach and reattach them delicately. In addition to the cables, it would be appropriate replace the CMOS batterythe little round one that looks like a button battery that sits on top of the motherboard.

power supply

The most likely cause of this problem is a faulty power supply, which happens more often than you think, especially in summer. Those who have the means to do so could try testing the energy coming from the power supply using a tester or external energy meter. It therefore becomes necessary to change the power supply which can be done by yourself, although it requires some manual work and the purchase of a new part.

For further information we can read the guide above how to change PC power supply and connect all cables.

Motherboard

If you still can’t turn on the computer even after changing the power supply, it may be that the battery is burned out motherboarda remote possibility that necessarily requires the intervention of a technician for replacement if not the purchase of a new computer.

Other damaged hardware parts may also prevent your computer from turning on, such as the RAM, processor or hard disk, but in these cases you should at least see the light come on and the fan spin. On laptopsgenerally and depending on the model, it is possible to try a procedure reset hardware.

Then unplug all power and USB cables, hold down the power button for 15 or 20 seconds and then reconnect the plug to try to turn it on.

2) PC turned on but nothing loads on the screen

In this case the circle narrows considerably, given that the problem It could be related to the monitor or the built-in screen in laptops. As a first tip, it is worth checking the cables and trying turning it off and on again to see if the presentation screen with the screen manufacturer’s logo appears.

power supply

In the vast majority of cases it is again the power supply that is the cause of all problems with the PC. This time it is probably underpowered compared to the power of the PC, starting it up and shutting it down immediately as soon as heavier components (video card, CPU, etc.) start up.

If this problem is happening after adding or changing some other parts, then you definitely need to replace the power supply with a more powerful one, as also seen in the guide above which power supply to choose for the PC and how many Watts are required.

RAM or disk

In some cases, however, it may be the fault of RAM or disk. You can try opening the PC, disconnecting and reconnecting the disk plugs and then also disconnecting and reconnecting the banks of RAM, to see if it’s just a question of connections.

In this case, you can try to selectively remove a disk or a bank of RAM to discover the damaged one, provided there is more than one.

For further information we can read our ai articles Symptoms of faulty, damaged, or broken RAM problems come on what to do if your computer hard drive is broken or damaged.

Operating system

Sometimes there can also be an operating system problem, if the black screen appears immediately after the POST screen, i.e. the one where various writings appear as soon as you turn on the computer.

For this problem, please refer to the guide on Solutions to black screen error when starting your Windows PC.

3) PC turns on and off immediately

In this case the problem concerns the power supply (as seen in the previous chapter) or we are faced with a very serious hardware problem, which prevents the computer from starting correctly.

This is the case described in a previous guide, where we explained what to do if the PC shuts down on its own with sudden shutdown.

We also saw the causes and possible solutions to the problems of blue screen, sudden shutdown or restart of the computer.

We have also written a specific guide for fix your computer if it keeps restarting endlessly.

4) PC turns on but Windows does not load

In this case the problem is with the operating system, which may be the victim of a virus, some damaged system files, a failed update or a failed restore.

Usually the Windows recovery system should start on its own after 3 forced reboots; if this doesn’t work either you will necessarily have to force the reset via System Restore, Reset Windows settings o Recovering from system image.

On this topic it is worth reading our guides on How to turn on your PC if Windows won’t start come on How to save all data if Windows won’t start.

Conclusions

Sometimes it may be that not even a system restore can resolve boot errors: in these cases the PC is completely dead e cIt is best to take it to a computer technician to attempt file recovery personal items and documents and the replacement of damaged parts (if possible).

To learn more we can read the guides on file recovery from broken disk or dead computer come on how to recover data from a broken laptop.