Template:Laptop POST Troubleshooting
☐ Try powering the system on: if the optical drive spins up, and you see the manufacturer's splash screen load, you're likely good to go. However, in many cases, some troubleshooting is needed to figure out why a system isn't powering on.
- Identify the cause
Work through these questions step-by-step, using the guides below.
- Is the system getting enough power?
- Is the system failing power-on self-test (POST)?
- Is the LCD panel dead?
- Is the graphics card or motherboard failing?
- 1. Is the system getting enough power?
- Power-related symptoms
- The screen remains dark.
- None of the indicator lights turn on (no 'signs of life').
- Troubleshooting steps
☐ Remove the battery.
☐ Troubleshoot your AC adapter.
- Try using a different AC adapter with the same power rating.
- If possible, try using an AC adapter that has a higher amperage (A) than required.
- If you're not sure if an AC adapter is functioning, use a multimeter to test. Full instructions are in the appendix article on AC adapters.
☐ If you still aren't seeing any indicator lights after this step, then this system is dead. Consult your instructor to see if it should be recycled, or saved for parts.
☐ If the indicator lights come on, but it's still not showing anything on the screen, proceed to the next section.
- 2. Is the system failing POST?
POST is run automatically before the process of loading the operating system is begun. POST is intended to prevent software errors caused by malfunctioning hardware.
- Troubleshooting
- Turn the system on, and put your hand over the optical drive. If it spins up, the system is completing POST. This means you have a video problem to troubleshoot.
- Look for a very faint outline of text or images on the screen. This is caused by a dead LCD backlight. Proceed to video output troubleshooting.
- If the drives are not spinning up, or if you notice the CapsLk, NmLk, or ScrLk indicator lights blinking intermittenly, then the system is failing to POST.
- Video troubleshooting
- POST failure troubleshooting
- RAM
- Remove all RAM from the system.
- Note the si
We are trying to figure out which statement is true:
- The system is completing POST, but there is a problem with the screen or video output.
- The system has a bad motherboard component, and is failing POST.
- Screen Failure Symptoms
- The fans spin up, the optical drive spins up, the chassis lights come on, but the screen remains dark.
- Troubleshooting Steps
- Try connecting the laptop to an external monitor. There is usually a key combination (Example: Fn+F7) to switch to external video output. You may have to try rebooting and using the key combination several times. If this works, the laptop may be a good candidate for a screen swap.
- Not all laptops can output video externally during POST.
- Video Output Failure Symptoms
- If connecting the system to an external monitor fails, the system lights come on, and the fans spin up, and the optical drive spins up, but no video outputs to the screen or an external monitor, check with your instructor. It will either become a parts machine or a possible candidate for a screen swap.
- Troubleshooting steps