Laptops are prone to dozens of issues. We rely on our laptops for personal and professional use. But when a laptop breaks down, diagnosing the problem is easier said than done. Since most of you reading this article aren’t experts, we will give you information about the most common laptop issues. Not only that, but we will follow up with how to fix each issue.
So with all that said, here are the most common laptop issues and how to fix them.
Laptop Won’t Turn On
There are dozens of reasons why your laptop isn’t turning on. Failure to turn on is a frustrating problem that, for most of you, means a trip to the repair store. But before you do that, consider the following.
How to fix this issue? Make sure that your laptop is charging. Laptops rely on a battery, and the battery might be empty. If the battery is plugged in, but the laptop isn’t charging, then that’s a whole other issue. If that’s the problem, consider this post on how to fix the plugged-in but not charging issue. Another reason why your laptop won’t turn on has to do with the motherboard. The motherboard is a very important piece of hardware. All other hardware goes onto it. The CPU sits on top of the motherboard, the RAM goes in specific slots, and each hard drive and SSD connects to it. If your laptop has a graphics card, that too goes on the motherboard.
So if the charger isn’t the issue, the motherboard could be. Sadly, there isn’t anything you can do about it. If the motherboard isn’t responding, it’s best to take it to a repair shop for further diagnostics. But what about issues that you can fix yourself? A common reason why your laptop isn’t turning on has to do with dust build-up. Laptops are quite small, and there isn’t much room in the hardware area. But unlike a desktop PC, dust build-up can cause huge issues.
So open the compartment and make sure that dust build-up isn’t the issue. If you see a lot of dust, blow it out with a compressor or a vacuum cleaner. Let the laptop sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and then try again.
Black Screen
A black screen is another common laptop issue. Unlike the previous problem, black screens could mean any number of things. It could mean there is an issue with the screen itself or the hardware. There are two ways to approach this issue. You start by determining if the laptop is running. Once you power up, do you see lights or hear sounds? If so, your laptop is running fine, but the screen is the issue.
The first thing to do in this situation is to unplug your laptop from the power source and remove the battery. We do this to give the laptop a reset. Plug it back in and press the power button. If the issue isn’t resolved, you might be facing a memory failure. A memory failure means hardware parts aren’t properly plugged in. Since every laptop needs an operating system to run, the issue could be with your hard drives. Open the laptop and make sure all drives are properly inserted. If the issue isn’t resolved, you most likely have a faulty motherboard.
Laptop Turns On And Off Repeatedly
Yet another common issue that the motherboard is most likely to blame, flickering lights or constant powering on and off is very frustrating to deal with. The thing with this issue is that we cannot be 100% sure what the cause is. So it’s best to take it directly to the repair shop as the motherboard is most likely the cause.
Laptop Makes Weird Sounds
It’s not uncommon for your laptop to make a loud sound when you turn it on. The hardware component that makes the sound is the CPU fan. However, it becomes an issue when you start hearing weird sounds while the laptop is running. Sounds like grinding or rattling are far more unsettling than a loud fan. But what these sounds have in common is that they’re coming from the CPU fan. To fix this issue, power down your laptop and open it. See if any wires are hitting the fan. If the fan isn’t the issue, your hard drives are.
Whenever a hard drive makes an unpleasant sound, it’s not a good sign. If the laptop is still operational, do a backup of the files either on the cloud or on a new drive and take the faulty drive to the repair shop. The experts at the shop will tell you if your hard drive is close to dying or if the issue is something else entirely.
