How to Fix a Dell Laptop that Won’t Come On

Need help fixing a Dell Laptop that won’t turn on? Let’s help you DIY. Booting malfunctions are common to Dell PCs, especially the Dell Inspiron.

Let’s share Kumar’s experience, “this issue has happened with me twice using Dell Inspiron. First with my Inspiron 1520, then my Inspiron 7000 series. Out of nowhere, my laptop refused to turn on. No errors, nothing. And no matter what I do with the power button nothing happens. I kept moving from one mechanic to another, and all they did was speculate. Some said the charging circuitry was gone, others said the motherboard was dead. I lost hope.”

Don’t be like Kumar. Save yourself time, money, and the headache. You don’t need an expert to fix your Dell PC. It doesn’t matter if you’re inexperienced or tech-savvy; we’ve used straightforward troubleshooting steps in this article to help you boot your laptop.

Causes of a Dell Laptop Not Turning On

Before we start fixing, the first troubleshooting step is to identify the possible reasons why your Dell PC has failed to boot.

The possible reasons why your Dell laptop won’t turn on or boot into Windows include:

Battery issues or Insufficient Power SupplyYour Dell laptop may not come on if the battery is flat or there’s an insufficient power supply to the device.

Here’s how to identify the problem:

When you press the power button, all the LEDs are off, the Dell laptop doesn’t show any signs of power, and the laptop screen is blank or black.
The LED light that indicates charging turns off right after connecting the charger.
You don’t hear the fan noise.

Damaged Internal Hardware

This can be a faulty power supply unit, worn or loose internal wires, damaged processor, or graphic card.

Motherboard Problem

The most common problem with motherboards is a faulty MOSFET (Metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor) on the board.

Overheating

Your laptop may pack up if you use the device for a long time in stuffy conditions. Open all windows, check your environment for blocked vents and improve your ventilation system.

A Virus or Other Malware

You could get a virus or malware from torrent sites, visit an infected site, download free games, music, toolbars, and other system utilities. We advise you to use a VPN or legal torrenting sites.

Corrupted System BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or Windows Files

Ways to Fix a Dell Laptop That Won’t Come On

After chatting with Dell support (you can, too), checking discussion forums, spending time doing research, and trying out various fixes, we’ve arranged tested troubleshooting fixes from simple to complex. All you have to do is follow the fixes in the correct order.

FIX 1: Power Cycle your Dell Laptop

Power cycle your laptop in six steps:

Unplug the AC adapter from the laptop and the power socket.
Disconnect all cables from external devices attached to your laptop.
Remove the laptop battery.
Press and hold the power button for about 30 seconds to drain residual power.
Connect the AC adapter and re-insert the battery.
Press the power button.

See Dell’s User Guide for step-by-step instructions to remove the battery safely.

NOTE: If your Dell laptop has a non-removable battery, this Dell article should help.

If the above steps don’t help, try these quick fixes:

FIX 1: Repeat steps 1-6 above with a newer compatible battery.

FIX 2: Check the power supply unit with a multimeter to confirm if it’s supplying power.

FIX 3: Plug your device into another power source.

FIX 4: Connect the AC adapter to the laptop and turn on the laptop without the battery.

FIX 5: Use an HP charger with a compatible pin to your laptop and turn on the device.

FIX 6: As a last resort, open the casing of your laptop that covers the keyboard. You’ll see a connection from the power button to the motherboard, remove the connection, and clean the connector. Reconnect it, but make sure you handle it with care, so you don’t damage anything else.

FIX 2: Change the Boot Order

Disconnect any USB storage devices attached to your laptop. If the wrong USB storage device is connected to your laptop, it might be trying to boot from the wrong drive. If this fix worked, change the boot order when your device comes on and put your hard drive at the top of the list.

FIX 3: Run a Hardware Diagnostic Test

A hardware diagnostic test is a built-in tool in Dell PCs, otherwise known as a Support Assist Pre-Boot System Assessment or Enhanced Pre-Boot System Assessment (ePSA).

Running a hardware diagnostic test helps to identify potential hardware failures. You can use this method if your device does not bootstrap into Windows.

If the test doesn’t fix the issue, you may get an on-screen error message when booting into the operating system, for example:

No Boot Device.
No Bootable Device.
Boot Device Not Found.
No bootable devices were found.

If you see an error message, you will have an insight into what the problem is to help you fix your laptop. You’ll need a list of standard computer error codes to find a solution.

FIX 4: Booting into Safe Mode

Another proven method to employ if your Dell laptop doesn’t boot into Windows is booting into Safe Mode. Starting in Safe Mode allows you to scan for malware, delete any programs that can cause startup issues, and freeze your PC. You can also run antivirus software to detect and eliminate security threats.

FIX 5: Reset the System BIOS

Clear the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) to reset your motherboard’s BIOS settings. The system BIOS is the first piece of software your computer must run when it turns on, so restoring it to the default settings could resolve booting issues.

FIX 6: Factory Reset your Laptop

A factory reset fixes various problems and drains any residual power that may be causing the problem. But this fix comes last because it resets your laptop and installs a new version of Windows.

Use data recovery software to back up and retrieve important data. Use the nuclear option to factory reset your Dell laptop.

Warning⚠️: Performing a factory reset will erase all your data, including customized settings, saved accounts, and downloaded apps. You’ll lose your files and software, so make sure you’ve backed up important info. It should be your last resort.

If none of the fixes and reboot methods above worked, you might have to take your laptop to a well-known repair center or contact Dell support. We recommend you visit Dell’s support page; they’ve got the best hands. Search for your laptop model to get personalized help.

You may be in luck if your laptop is still under warranty; you may get a repair or a replacement for free. But it doesn’t matter if you’re out of warranty, visit Dell.com/support and enter your Dell Service Tag to view their offers.

NOTE: Offers are only available for customers in the US, Canada, China, France, Germany, UK, and Japan PC users. Not applicable to Server and Storage.

Conclusion

We hope this article was helpful. You can share your experience(s) in the comments section below; we want to know what worked and what didn’t. If you’re unsure of any steps, we’ll entertain and engage your questions.

We appreciate your feedback!😀