A laptop is an essential part of our daily lives. We rely on them for work, school, entertainment, and more. When your laptop doesn’t turn on, it can be an incredibly frustrating experience. That’s why this article is to help you figure out why your HP laptop won’t turn on and what you can do about it.
We’ve all been there before. You turn on your laptop, expecting to get to work or play a game, only to find that it won’t turn on. It’s a common issue, especially with older laptops. But even newer HP laptops can experience issues that prevent them from powering on.
Diagnosing the issue before attempting to fix it is important. This article contains all the potential causes of why your HP laptop won’t turn on, as well as some troubleshooting steps you can take to try and solve the problem.
Table of Contents
Why Won’t My HP Laptop Turn On?
Many consumers complain that “my HP computer won’t turn on” but are unsure of the cause. An error message may occasionally appear on the screen when a laptop won’t switch on to explain what went wrong. However, this only happens sometimes, and you can only sometimes tell why your laptop won’t turn on.
Here are some of the reasons why your HP laptop is not turning on;
Running Out of Battery
If your laptop is running out of battery, there is a high chance that your laptop will not turn on. One of the main reasons for your HP laptop not turning on is related to its battery. If the battery is somehow damaged, it will not turn on.
Faulty Operating System
There is also a chance that your operating system is faulty and not working properly. The laptop will not turn on or show negative symptoms if your hardware components malfunction.
New Hardware or Software Installed
When you install new hardware or software, your laptop might show tantrums when turned on. HP laptops usually take time to adapt to the newly installed hardware or software. During this time, you might face your laptop not turning on.
BIOS Setting Problem
If there is a problem with the BIOS setting, your laptop will not turn on, and you will see a blank screen on your laptop. BIOS problem is mainly due to some component in your software stopping responding due to heavy load or minimum RAM.
HP Laptop Screen Issues
Some screen issues might occur if your HP laptop doesn’t turn on. It would be best to check your laptop screen to solve this issue. Most screen issues occur if your laptop falls or there is a heavy load on your PC.
Virtual Attack or Malware Infection
Most of the time, your laptop is under a virtual or malware attack. There might be some attack of some virus quietly corrupting most of the files inside your HP laptop when you download a new file from the internet or open a risky website. There are chances that your laptop might get affected by lingering viruses.
Hardware and Software Conflicts
Several other hardware and software conflicts arise and cause your laptop to switch off and won’t turn on easily. You must keep checking and finding problems in your software and hardware to prevent any damage.
Fixes When A HP Laptop Won’t Turn On
Most of the time, when there is a problem with the laptop, and it is not turning on, the users focus more on fixing it than wasting time on finding the cause.
Here are the methods mostly used while troubleshooting an HP laptop when it is not turning on;
Check the Battery
The first thing you need to do is to check the battery and look for any problems. The first thing you need to do is to plug in the charger and see if your laptop is charging up.
Follow these steps to fix the battery;
- Shut down your laptop completely.
- Please remove the battery from your laptop and let it rest.
- Find an outlet and ensure that the outlet is working properly.
- Plug your laptop using a power cable and attach it to the outlet.
- Now charge your laptop as you normally do.
- When your laptop gets charged, try to turn it on. If it turns on like normal, you have a battery problem.
- Read the article for more solutions if your laptop still does not turn on.
CMOS Battery
Another CMOS battery in your HP laptop stores the BIOS setting inside the motherboard. Most of the time, your laptop is not turning on. The solution is to remove the CMOS battery with a new one. The previous one is unbootable, and you need a new battery to make your laptop work properly.
Remove External Disks and Devices
Most of the time, an extra load of disks and devices on your laptop is causing the HP laptop not to start. Here is a step-by-step method to remove these disks and devices and reboot;
Step 1:
Turn your HP laptop off.
Step 2:
Remove all the external devices from your laptop if there are any external devices, such as memory cards, external hard drivers, printers, scanners, USB flash drives, and many other devices.
Step 3:
Turn your laptop on by pressing on the power button. If your laptop turns on normally, you understand the problem was those different devices. There might be some problematic external device causing this to happen. Turn your laptop off and connect the device individually to find the problem. You know it is problematic when you plug in a device and your laptop does not turn on.
If your laptop still does not turn on, you must keep reading this article for more solutions.
Hard Reset Your HP Laptop
Follow the method to reset your HP laptop hard;
- Turn off your HP laptop.
- Remove all the external hardware and gadgets from it.
- Verify that no power charger or AC adapter is plugged in.
- Carefully remove the laptop’s battery.
- For at least 15 seconds, press and hold the power button to discharge any remaining electrical charge.
- Reconnect the power charger/AC adapter and replace the battery. (Avoid connecting any other external devices to the laptop until it has started.)
- Press the Power button to turn on your HP laptop.
- If the Options window appears, click Continue.
- Find and choose the Start Windows Normally option.
- The press will show your laptop’s successful start.
If your laptop has a sealed or non-removable battery, follow these steps to reset hard;
- Completely turn off the HP laptop.
- From your laptop, remove any port replicators or docking stations.
- Disconnect the laptop from any external peripheral devices as well.
- Make sure the power charger or AC adapter is unplugged.
- Press and hold the Power button for 8 to 10 seconds.
- Reconnect the HP laptop’s AC adapter after some time has passed. Do not attach any docking stations, port replicators, or peripheral devices.
- To start the laptop, press the Power button as you would normally.
- If a startup menu appears on the screen, find and choose Start Windows typically.
- Then, click Enter, and your notebook should launch.
Try Component Tests
There might be some problems with several components of your laptop. You can test these components by following these steps;
- Press the power button
- Now keep pressing the Esc button on your keyboard and wait until the menu appears.
- Now press the F2 key and select Component Tests.
- You must select the components you want to test, including the processor, hard drive, keyboard, memory network, etc.
- You need to follow the instructions to fix if you find any bugs in any of these components.
- You can turn on your laptop to see if it works.
- If your laptop still does not turn on, keep on reading.
Refresh or Reset HP Laptop
It is very important to refresh or reset your HP laptop. To do this, you will have to follow these steps;
- Troubleshoot is the option you should choose.
- Then select Refresh your PC.
- Select Next, then wait.
- Your work is complete if the laptop turns on successfully.
- If this was unsuccessful and you have to the Choose an option window, choose Troubleshoot -> Reset your PC -> Next -> Remove Your Files -> and then adhere to the onscreen instructions.
If the Choose an option window isn’t visible, test these approaches to the boot choices.
- Tapping a specific key can force Windows to start in advanced boot options.
- Use the recovery drive for Windows 10.
- Use a disc or installation disc for Windows 10.
Boot In Safe Mode
You can boot in the safe mode to check for the faults and start your HP laptop. To do this, follow these steps;
- Remove all external devices and peripherals.
- Press the power button and turn on your laptop.
- Soon press the F8 key and keep pressing until you see the Windows logo appear on your screen.
- Select the safe mode with networking using the arrow keys from the visible options.
- Now follow the onscreen settings and instructions to make it work.
Restore the BIOS Setting to Default
Follow the given instructions to restore the BIOS settings to default;
- Press and hold the power button for almost 15 seconds.
- Now press Esc or F10 to go into the BIOS setting menu.
- Here select the restore to default option and press enter.
- Exit the BIOS setting and restart your laptop.
Update BIOS on HP Laptop
To update BIOS on HP laptop;
- Connect your HP laptop to a working power source by using an adapter.
- Hold down the Windows and B keys at the same time.
- Please press and hold the Power button for 1 second while carrying out step 2.
- The power light should turn back on after you release all the keys.
- For around 40 seconds, the laptop screen will not display anything.
- The buzzer noises may be audible as well.
- The updating procedure will start as soon as the HP BIOS Update screen appears.
Troubleshoot HP Laptop Black Screen
The screen may be the issue if your laptop won’t power on even when plugged in. Use the following methods to diagnose the screen problems:
Adjust the Brightness: To ensure your laptop screen is not on the lowest brightness, you should increase the brightness.
Disable Hibernation: If the hibernation files suddenly become corrupt, your screen can stay black. After turning off this feature, restart your laptop.
Connect To an External Monitor: To test the LCD and LCD cable, you can use a VGA cable to connect your HP laptop to an external display. Additionally, you might try utilizing an HDMI cable to link the laptop to a TV. Try restarting the laptop after that.
Final Verdict: Why My HP Laptop Won’t Turn On
When an HP laptop doesn’t turn on, it can be a frustrating experience. Several causes could be behind this issue, such as a faulty power cord, a dead battery, or a laptop hardware or software problem. It is important to consider all possible causes and determine which is most likely responsible for the problem.
Once the problem’s cause is determined, the appropriate steps will get the laptop up and running again. With the right guidance, an HP laptop that won’t turn on can be fixed and returned to working order.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Force My HP Laptop to Turn On?
First, check the power cord and ensure it’s plugged into the laptop and the wall outlet. If it is, try unplugging it, waiting a few seconds, and then plugging it back in. If that doesn’t work, try removing and replacing the battery. You can also try pressing and holding the power button for at least 10 seconds.
How Do I Wake Up My HP Laptop?
If you want to wake up your HP laptop, you can use any of the following methods. First, hold the power button for a few seconds to start the laptop. Second, open the lid of the laptop to wake it up. Third, press any key on the keyboard to activate the laptop. Finally, move your mouse or touchpad to activate the laptop. All these methods will wake your HP laptop so you can return to work.
How Do I Manually Start My HP Laptop?
To manually start an HP laptop, begin by connecting the laptop to a power source and pressing the power button. It will start the boot-up process, bringing up the HP logo on the screen. From there, you will go to the login screen, where you can enter your password. Once logged in, you will go to the desktop to use your laptop. If you need to access the laptop’s BIOS settings, press the F2 key while the HP logo is on the screen.