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My Computer Wont Boot
Up...
..Is a common
complaint experienced by more than 90% of
all computer users at some point
in their lives!
Since we use computers for
a HUGE percentage of our daily tasks, entertainment,
work lives and much more, a computer that won't boot up
can put a monkey wrench in our plans! Fortunately, I
thought of several common reasons that can cause a PC
not to power on which are actually the biggest problems
that I personally encounter with my own
computers.
The
next time you are faced with a computer that
doesn't want to cooperate, try these five PROVEN
steps that I take when MY computer wont boot
up....
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1.)
Check your power cord or
adapter
When my computer
won’t boot up, the very first thing that I do to
troubleshoot it, is checking the power cord plugged into
the back of the computer (with my desktop). When my
laptop won’t start, I first check the power adapter, to
make sure that it is fully plugged in (at the wall and
at the assembly – pictured below), and the connection to
the jack is not hindered.
I know that sounds
rather obvious but you would be surprised how many
computers won’t boot due to a loose power
connection! After making sure the
computer is actually receiving power, you can move on to
the next step in determining why your computer won’t
boot.
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2.) Check your
voltage selection switch
(115V/230V)
One not so common but
possible reason for a computer not powering up, is due
to the wrong "region" selected on the power supply!
Power supplies for desktop computers (internal), and
power supplies for laptop computers (adapters) have a
switch that allows you to select the voltage that is
appropriate for the region of the worldyou
are located in. If you are located in North America, you
will need to use the 115V selection, for your power
supply.
If you live in Europe
and surrounding regions, you will need to use the 230V
selection. Here is a real life example; I was called on
by a customer to "fix" a computer that would not turn
on. After troubleshooting many possible reasons for the
problem over the phone, I decided to make a house-call,
so that I can further analyze what could be causing the
computer not to boot.
As soon as Ipulled out the desktop
computer, I noticed the voltage was incorrect. I
immediately switched it over, and the computer powered
right up - a total investment of 1 whole minute of
my time! Needless to say I learned from that mistake,
and I ALWAYS make sure the correct voltage is selected
on a PC before going further!
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3.) Look for activity on the
monitor
When you power up your
computer but it doesn’t boot, ALWAYS take a look at your
monitor (screen), to see what it displays. Does your
monitor show anything at all? Is there a "green light"
on the monitor (usually indicating it is "on"), or is
the monitor flashing an amber colored light (or
similar-indicating hibernation mode or lack of a
signal)?
Does the monitor read "no
input signal" or is it just a black screen?
Believe it or not, many people have made the mistake of
thinking their computer isn't booting, only
tolearn that the monitor was
not powered on, or plugged in correctly! Always check
the monitor as step number one, just to make sure that
monitor is functioning properly.
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4.) Check for fans spinning, activity light
etc
When you power up the
computer, can you hear or see any fans spinning?
Does the hard drive light blink, or is it lit up at all?
If no fans are spinning at all, and you don’t notice any
hard drive activity (indicated by a light on the
computer as well as a distinct sound), you either have
hardware problems or there is a problem with your power
cord/adapter, or surge protector, or wall outlet (or
mixture of these).
When a computer won’t boot
up, always check the power cords first, as more often
than not the power cord or adapters are the
culprit. A computer that has no fan activity, no
lights, no sounds and wont boot, has a hardware problem
that needs to be inspected.
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5.) Listen
for “beep
codes”
When a computer wont boot
due to a problem within the computer that the BIOS
(Basic Input Output System) can detect, you will hear a
series of “beeps” after powering on a computer, when it
is unable to boot. These beep codes can range in
duration and intervals of beeps, but they ALWAYS
indicate that there is a hardware problem that needs to
be addressed.
Common reasons for hearing
these beeps can consist of (but isn’t limited
to):
* Bad
memory (RAM),
* A
computer that’s overheating
* A
failed CPU (processor)
*
Incompatible BIOS settings (Setup Menu
settings)
*
Loose hardware add-on card (i.e. video
cards).
As a rule of thumb, always
listen for any beep codes when powering on your
computer. The good thing is, you will only hear these
when there is an actual "problem", so keep your computer
manual handy so that you can reference it in the event
you need to "decipher" your beep
codes!
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5.) Does it get to Windows or does it not
past
P.O.S.T?
When you power on the
computer, are you able to see the logo of the computer
manufacturer? When booting a PC, it performs a
POST; otherwise known as a
Power On Self Test . At this time, you can only
see text on the screen, and the logo of the PC or
motherboard manufacturer showing on the screen. If your
computer is able to get to this screen (immediately upon
turning on the PC), congratulations - your
computer has powered on successfully!
If your computer gets
"stuck" somewhere between the POST screen and seeing the
"Windows logo", your computer has booted, but hasn't
LOADED Windows. Many people think that their computer
hasn't booted since it hasn't loaded Windows, but that
is not true. If you see the Windows
logo appear, and your computer either restarts, powers
off, gets stuck on a black or gray screen, or gives a
BSOD (blue screen of death), you have a Windows related
problem.
With a Windows
related problem, hardware is usually not the
culprit, but a software issue is - which can most likely
be fixed easily! If you have Windows Vista or Windows 7,
you can use the installation disc to perform a
startup repair, if you
experience the problem mentioned above. If you have
Windows XP, you can use the repair
installation feature, to fix your computer
so that it loads Windows successfully!
Now that I gave you several
tips proven, do it yourself tips that I use when MY
computer won't boot up, you can avoid pushing the "panic
button" when your precious PC fails to respond to the
power button! If you have any questions, comments
or concerns feel free to email me or leave a comment
here.
If you liked these tips, be
sure to bookmark our regularly updated blog for more
tips, tricks and more!
Jarvis Edwards
1-866-931-5562 Ext#0
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