How to Fix a Computer That Won’t Boot: Troubleshooting Tips for Windows

If your computer won’t boot up, it can be a frustrating experience. However, before you panic or start shopping for a new machine, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to try and resolve the issue. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the most effective methods to fix a computer that won’t boot correctly.

Give ‘er More Power

If your computer isn’t turning on at all—no fans running, no lights blinking, and nothing appearing on the screen—you likely have a power issue. Start by ensuring your computer is plugged directly into a working wall outlet, rather than a power strip or battery backup that may be failing. Make sure the power switch on the back of your power supply is flipped on, and if the outlet is connected to a light switch, ensure that switch is turned on as well.

If you’re using a laptop, verify that your charger is plugged in properly and to the correct port. If your laptop charges via USB-C, only some of the USB ports may provide power. A failing power supply can often cause boot problems, even if the fans and lights do turn on. So if the troubleshooting steps in this guide fail, it might be time to replace your power supply.

Check Your Monitor

If you hear your computer starting but don’t see anything on your monitor, it could be an issue with your display. Make sure your monitor is plugged in, receiving power, and turned on. Then check that the cord connecting your PC and monitor is firmly attached, not damaged, and plugged into the correct input. If that doesn’t work, try connecting your computer to another display, like a different monitor or a TV—your original monitor may be broken.

Listen for the Message at the Beep

When your computer boots, it may make a beeping sound—usually a single beep means everything is working as it should. But if the computer is having trouble starting up, it may make a series of beeps (kind of like Morse code) that tell you what’s wrong. Check the manual for your computer (or the PC’s motherboard, if you built it yourself) and figure out what the beeps mean. If you don’t have your manual, you can probably find it on the manufacturer’s website.

If your computer doesn’t beep at all, you might be out of luck, though some desktop PCs may have a header on the motherboard where you can install a cheap speaker, or even a digital display with a numerical code that corresponds to an error message.

Unplug Unnecessary USB Devices

Before continuing, unplug anything superfluous from your computer—webcams, USB headsets, external hard drives, etc. Try booting with just a keyboard and mouse (or even without them, if in dire straits) to see if one of your USB devices is causing a conflict.

In some circumstances, it may not even be the device itself, but the port on your computer. I’ve owned a PC that couldn’t get into Windows if something was plugged into the front USB port—once booted, the ports would work fine, but it needed to be empty during the boot process. The more variables you can eliminate, the better.

Reseat the Hardware Inside

There’s a chance a component of your computer has come loose inside the case, especially if it was recently transported somewhere or if you were working inside of it. If you’re comfortable opening your computer up, remove the side panel and make sure the components are properly seated in their respective sockets.

Pay special attention to components like your RAM, graphics card, motherboard cables, and heatsink. Remove these items completely, then plug them back in, ensuring they click in all the way. You might also try booting without certain hardware, like the graphics card or one of the RAM sticks, in case they’re faulty. (And if it doesn’t work with one RAM stick, try the other.)

Explore the BIOS

Incorrect boot settings in the BIOS or UEFI of the computer can cause boot-related issues. Resetting the BIOS or UEFI settings to factory defaults can help resolve many boot-related problems.

To access the BIOS, restart your computer and press the appropriate key (usually F2, F12, Delete, or Esc) when the manufacturer’s logo appears. Once in the BIOS, look for an option to load default settings or reset to factory defaults. This will reset all BIOS settings to their original state, which may fix any incorrect settings that were preventing your computer from booting correctly.

Scan for Viruses Using a Live CD

If you suspect a virus or malware is causing your boot issues, you can scan your computer using a live CD or USB drive. A live CD is a bootable operating system, like Linux, that runs directly from the disc without needing to boot from your hard drive.

Boot from the live CD and use the included antivirus software to scan your hard drive for any malicious files or infections. If any are found, remove them and try booting your computer again. This can help eliminate any viruses or malware that may be interfering with the boot process.

Boot Into Safe Mode

If you’re getting the Blue Screen of Death at startup, it could be a bad application, driver issue, or hardware quirk causing the problem. To troubleshoot further, boot your computer into Safe Mode.

To do this, restart your computer and press the F8 key repeatedly before the Windows logo appears. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu. Select “Safe Mode” and press Enter. If your computer boots successfully in Safe Mode, you can try uninstalling recently installed programs or drivers, updating your drivers, or running a system restore to resolve the issue.

If none of these troubleshooting steps work, it may be time to seek professional help or consider replacing your computer’s hardware if it’s old or faulty. But hopefully, one of these methods will get your computer back up and running without too much trouble.