A laptop that won’t boot up can be a super frustrating problem. Whether you can’t get your work done, can’t watch your favorite series or just want to surf online, a non-booting laptop throws a spanner in the works in many different areas. Fortunately, there are some steps to take when your laptop stops booting. In this blog, we’ll give you 3 comprehensive tips that you can apply yourself in no time!

Check the power supply

So, your laptop stops booting. It may sound like a simple fix, but a surprising number of problems with a non-starting laptop can be traced back to the power supply. Adapters, outlets and charging cables turn out to be the culprits more often than you might think. So before you start thinking your laptop is cursed, check these simple things:

Make sure the charger is plugged in correctly. Is the plug firmly in the socket? Is the adapter properly connected to your laptop? No loose connections or crooked connections? Also check that the outlet itself is working properly. Try a different device or use a different set of cables and adapters to see if the outlet is still alive. If everything works normally, you can fortunately rule that out. Now that you’ve ruled out the outlet as a suspect, it’s time to take a closer look at the adapter and cable. Look for visible damage, such as broken or messy cables. Even a small crack can cause a big problem. If necessary, replace the cable and try again. Sometimes it really is that simple, and yes, you may consider that a small victory over technology!

Check for hardware problems

Once you are sure that the power supply is fine, it is time to take a closer look at the hardware of your non-starting laptop. Sometimes it looks like your laptop won’t start up, while the screen just weighs service. Look carefully to see if you can see the backlight or plug in an external monitor to be sure. Don’t forget to check the brightness, who knows, maybe it’s accidentally set all the way to zero. Next, disconnect all external devices, such as USB sticks, hard drives and printers, which sometimes throw a spanner in the boot process. If you’ve recently added hardware, such as additional RAM or an SSD, make sure it’s installed correctly.

New hardware may need just a little more attention. Also, listen carefully to your laptop; beeps or fan noise can give crucial clues about what’s wrong. For example, a series of beeps may indicate a problem with the memory or graphics card. By calmly and systematically going through these steps, you can often find the culprit and get your unstarting laptop running again without stress!

Software Solutions

If the power and hardware seem fine, it’s high time to look at the software. Sometimes a bug in the operating system is the culprit holding up your laptop. Try using safe mode first. For Windows, hold down the F8 or Shift + F8 key repeatedly during boot. Once in safe mode, you can perform troubleshooting, such as uninstalling recently installed software that may be causing problems. If this doesn’t work, consider a system restore. Use a recovery disk or USB drive, if available, to restore your laptop to a previously working state. Using safe mode, you can also try a system restore point to get your laptop back on track. If none of this works, consider using the reinstall operating system, click the link for a step by step explanation. Vergeet daarbij niet eerst een back-up te maken van je bestanden, als dat mogelijk is. Met deze stappen kun je vaak software problemen verhelpen en je laptop weer soepel laten draaien.

When & where to seek professional help?

If you have gone through all the steps above and your laptop is still not booting, it is a good time to seek professional help. At ThePhoneLab, our specialists at your service with free advice. You can always walk into our office for a quick diagnosis or easily schedule an appointment online. Our experts will be happy to help you fix the problem so your laptop works like new again! So don’t wait and make an appointment near you.