So, you probably got here looking for a solution to your problem with your laptop that won’t boot up. Before bringing it to the repair center which would definitely cost you some money, why don’t you consider troubleshooting the problem first and try to see if you can fix you laptop’s problem in booting.

Here are a few things that you might want to check up to know if you really need to bring your laptop to the repair center.

Check the AC Adapter

When you plug in you laptop’s AC adapter, you should see the LED light up. It is usually yellow or red when it is charging the laptop’s battery, or green when it is fully charged or running on AC power.

If the LED is not lit up, and the laptop does not show any sign of starting to boot up when you push on the power button, you should check if your AC power adapter is functioning properly.

If you have a voltmeter, test if the AC adapter that you are using for your laptop is producing the right voltage output, or if it is even producing power at all from its output plug. You would know the correct voltage needed for your laptop to function based on your laptop’s manual. If you cannot find the manual, look for it printed in the laptop itself. It can usually be found at the bottom part where the other product specifications are located.

At this point, It may also be worth to try removing the laptop’s battery and unplugging the AC adapter and leaving the laptop powerless for 1-2 minutes. Then try booting up you laptop again.

If the AC adapter is producing power but not in the right voltage, unplug the AC adapter from the power outlet immediately and stop using it. You may damage your laptop if you continue to use that AC adapter with the wrong power output on your laptop. If you have a universal AC adapter, try to see if it can supply the correct power output to your laptop. Usually, it can. And you are in luck if you try plugging in you universal AC adapter with the correct voltage option and the laptop boots up.

Check the Monitor

Assuming that there is no problem with your power adapter, and the laptop powers up when you turn on the laptop, but just would not continue booting up, and there is no image appearing at the laptop’s monitor, you would have to start checking on other things.

If you have a desktop computer, use the desktop’s monitor in checking you laptop’s video output. Your laptop usually has its port for an external monitor located at the back. Connect your external monitor and verify if you can now see your laptop booting up on the screen of the external monitor.

If the external monitor show that your laptop is ok, then the problem is with you laptop’s computer monitor. Bring your laptop to a service center as fixing your laptop’s monitor already requires opening up the insides of your laptop which might void you warranty if you do it yourself.

Check the Memory Chips

Usually, laptops have at least two memory slots. What you should do is remove the memory chips and install it back. (Refer to your laptop’s manual to locate your laptop’s memory slots and how install the memory chips.) If you have two memory chips, try using only one and try installing it in either of the slots. See if it works. If not, try it on the other slot. If it still does not work, try the other memory chip and do the same. You would have to pinpoint the problem by process of elimination. It could be one of the two memory chips. Or it could be one of the two memory slots. Or worse, it can also be a combination of the four factors. See if trying out the different combinations would solve your laptop’s boot up problem.

If the problem is a faulty memory chip, don’t use that memory chip or buy a new one. If the problem is with one of the memory slots, do not use that memory slot or replace you laptop’s motherboard.

Check the Hard Drive

If you can power up your laptop but it just would not continue booting up, and instead, you hear a repetitive clicking sound or grinding noise coming from the inside, the problem may be traced to your laptop’s hard drive.

If you are capable of removing your laptop’s hard drive, let the laptop boot up without the hard drive. Listen if the clicking or grinding noise disappears. If it does, then our hard drive must be damaged. Replace your hard drive with a functioning one.

Or if you can run diagnostic tests on your hard drive using a hard drive test utility and see if the problem can still be solved.

If the above solutions are still not enough to pinpoint the problem of your laptop, then it might already be time to bring it to a laptop repair center.