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The computer won’t show any sign of powering up.
Make sure the proper power adapter is being used with your device. If the glowing LED indicator light is not on after you plug in the power adapter, double check your laptop plugs and AC outlet to see if the plugs are pushed in all the way. Try plugging the power cord into different outlets. Quickest solution is to buy a replacement power adapter or calling the manufacture.
If the power adapter is functional, but the laptop does not keep a charge, remove the battery, check metal connectors for corrosion, and reinstall the battery (a complete guide can be found here). If the issues persist, consider purchasing a new battery.
The device powers up, but won’t boot to the desktop.
If your computer suddenly crashes during normal operation, and displays a blue error screen (or what is commonly referred to as a, blue screen of death) a system file may be damaged. Another possibility could be the amount of RAM is inadequate to support a device’s operation. RAM can loosen its connection to the motherboard overtime, or even experience electrical short-circuiting. It might be a good choice to inspect, remove, and test existing RAM, or even install new sticks, by following this guide.
If the computer can start, but an error message occurs before it fully boots to the desktop, there may be a corrupt system file on your hard drive. One possible fix to this problem, is to reinstall the operating system from a USB or DVD. If the system still won’t boot, there may be a hard drive failure. To replace a hard drive, follow this tutorial.
Sound won’t play from headphones, or external speakers.
If sound is heard coming out from the external speakers, but not through properly connected headphones, there could be an issue of with the audio port. To check headphones, plug into other audio devices. If there still no sound this could be an issue with the headphones. If there is playback, the issue is with the computer.
Open up Device Manager, click Audio inputs and outputs, right click on Speakers (High Definition Audio Device), and click uninstall. Once you uninstalled the audio device, restart your laptop and it will automatically reinstall the audio.
During normal use: the device shuts off without warning, has sluggish performance, or constantly runs the cooling fan at high speed.
Over time a computer will build up dust in its cooling vents and fans. Air cooled systems require fresh air to be passed over heat sinks to cool device components. If debris in the cooling system is allowed to build up, the computer will operate slowly, or even suddenly shut off to prevent heat damage from occurring. During heavy use, a device’s cooling fan may run at a high speed; although, if the cooling system is clogged, the fan will keep a high rpm for long periods of time even during normal use, causing accelerated wear, and possible failure. For a quick fix, blow compressed air through these vents. If issues persist, or the fan stops working, follow this guide, for instructions on accessing and replacing components.
Thermal compound is needed to exchange heat generated by the processor (CPU), to heat sinks that work with the cooling system. With age and exposure to intense heat, thermal compound will become brittle, eventually losing its ability to conduct heat away from the CPU. If a device is experiencing overheating issues, with a clean and otherwise functioning cooling system, this may be the culprit. However, all other remedies should be pursued prior to the consideration of replacing thermal compound, as it is an intensive repair requiring the removal of the CPU for cleaning. This guide outlines the procedures for reapplying thermal compound.
When pressing keys on the keyboard, there is no response on-screen.
If there is light debris between the keys preventing any keyboard recognition, a spray from canned air should loosen it up. If there is excessive debris between the keys or a spillage has occurred, service may be needed. For a full keyboard replacement, see this guide.
If the problem wasn’t solved through the methods mentioned above, it is probably an internal issue. Unplug all devices, and disconnect from docking station, then restart the computer. If the problem persists, you may need to remove and reinstall your keyboard from Device Manager. The process to locate this is different for every Windows OS, visit this link to find the version right for you.
