Computer Will Not Turn ON

Over the years as a mobile PC technician I have received so many calls from customers telling me that their PC or notebook will simply not turn on. In many of these cases the problem was quickly resolved over the phone or a quick on-site visit if the customer was not comfortable to try a few suggestions.

The issues can obviously either be categorized as hardware or software related.

Here are a few steps you can follow that don't require a technician service which in many cases will resolve your problem.

Software:

- If you received a windows file or boot sector error, or windows hangs or does not completely boot here is what you can try:

In XP and Vista simply start taping the f8 key when you hit the power button. You should then come to a list of options to choose from. The option you then need to select is this one: Start windows with Last known good configuration.

- If this does not work the next thing you can try is the windows fix boot utility.

To run this you will need a XP or Vista operating CD/DVD. Boot from the cd as if you were going to reinstall windows. After a few minutes of loading various files you will have the option to either reinstall windows or run the repair utility. Obviously here you want to select repair as you don't want to format the hard drive and reinstall windows just yet.

At the command prompt simply type in help which will give you a list of commands you can run. The command you would want to run here is the fix boot command. This will reinstall the boot files which are required to start windows.

Hardware:

- Before you try anything remove the power from the unit hold down the power button for about 10 seconds and try booting the PC again after connecting the power again.

This works very well on notebooks as long as you remove the battery first.

- You would be amazed at how many times I have been able to get the pc working again simply be resetting the ram.

To do this you need to remove the power from the back of the pc and open up the case.

Before you touch any component inside the unit make certain that you have earthed yourself as static electricity can damage the memory or the main board itself.

Once you have identified the memory stick or sticks simple lever them out of the bay and put them back in the way they were. (You have reseated the RAM)

You can also do this for data cables connecting the hard drive, CD-ROM and any other peripherals you may have connected.

- On the main board you may have noticed a small battery. This holds the programming settings so that the hardware can communicate with windows.

Sometimes this can hang causing the pc not to boot. Remove the battery and hold the power button for about 10 seconds and reinstall the battery as it was.

I have created this site to help make troubleshooting as easy as possible without having to ring up a technician for issues that can be easily resolved by the user.