9 Ways to Fix a Dell Laptop That Won't Turn On

Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.

When your Dell laptop won't turn on or fails to boot up, it could be a hardware problem or a software issue. Whichever you're experiencing, here's how to get your Dell PC in working order again.

Causes of a Dell Laptop Not Turning On

Possible reasons why your Dell laptop won't turn on include:

• Battery or other power issues
• Damaged hardware
• A virus or other malware
• Corrupted system BIOS
• Corrupted Windows files

If your laptop won't turn on when it's plugged in, then the problem lies with your battery or some other internal hardware. If your PC stalls during startup, you likely have a software issue.

How to Fix a Dell Laptop That's Not Working

Here are some steps for troubleshooting a Dell that won't turn on, from the most straightforward and apparent to the more advanced fixes:

1. Check the AC adapter. There has to be a power source of some kind before you're able to turn on your Dell laptop. Ensure that the power cable is properly attached to the laptop and the power source (probably the wall). Feel free to unplug both ends and reattach them to be sure, this time choosing a different outlet than before to make sure that isn't the problem.

It could be an issue with the power brick or the battery. Try a different power brick if possible, and try replacing the battery if that doesn't work. Most newer laptops won't let you remove the battery, though, so your best bet might be contacting your laptop manufacturer's customer support.

If your computer still works but can't boot into Windows, try using a USB drive to start it up and gain access to your hard drive. You can then transfer the files. You can also try physically removing the hard drive from the laptop and connecting it to another PC.

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