“Won’t turn on” can mean four different things: the laptop doesn’t respond at all; something spins and lights up but the screen stays black; the logo appears and then nothing happens; or Windows says it couldn’t start. Each has different causes. Follow the steps that match exactly what you see – you can handle most of the first steps at home in a few minutes.
1. The laptop doesn’t respond at all
When you press the button, nothing lights up and nothing spins.
- Check the adapter. Is the light on the adapter or next to the laptop’s connector on? Try a different socket. The cable often breaks near the connector – try moving it gently.
- Leave the laptop charging for 30 minutes. A completely flat battery sometimes takes a while to wake up after you plug in the adapter.
- Do a hard reset. Unplug the adapter, hold the power button for 30–60 seconds, plug the adapter back in and switch on. Some laptops (for example many Lenovo and Acer models) also have a small battery reset hole on the underside – press into it with a paper clip.
- Disconnect everything else – USB drives, dock, mouse, second monitor.
If none of this helps, the culprit is usually a faulty adapter, power connector or motherboard (a short circuit after a spill, a faulty power circuit). That’s a job for a repair service.
2. It lights up and spins, but the screen is black
- Connect an external monitor or TV. If a picture appears there, the problem is the display, its cable or the backlight – not the whole laptop.
- Shine a torch on the display. If you can see a faint image in dim light, only the backlight has failed.
- Try the keyboard shortcut Win + Ctrl + Shift + B (restarts the graphics driver in Windows).
- If the lights flash in a regular pattern or the laptop beeps on startup, it’s an error code (often memory or the motherboard). Write down the number of flashes – it will help with diagnostics.
3. The logo appears and then nothing
The laptop shows the manufacturer’s logo and gets stuck on it, keeps restarting or says it can’t find a drive (for example “No bootable device”).
- Most often this means a faulty drive or a corrupted system. If there’s important data on the drive, don’t keep trying to restart – especially if the drive is clicking or the laptop is much slower than before.
- Remove any USB flash drives and take out the SD card – the laptop may have been trying to boot from them.
4. Windows shows “Preparing Automatic Repair”
A blue screen shows Preparing Automatic Repair, then Diagnosing your PC and finally a message that Startup Repair couldn’t repair your PC.
- Disconnect all external devices and restart.
- Choose Advanced options → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair.
- If you have a restore point, try System Restore to a point before the problems started.
- Only use Reset this PC (reinstallation) once your data is backed up – the “Remove everything” option will delete it.
If the repair keeps looping, a faulty drive is usually to blame. At that point it’s safer to switch the laptop off and recover your data first rather than attempt further reinstalls.
When to go straight to a repair service
- Liquid has been spilt on the laptop – don’t switch it on or charge it, as switching on makes a short circuit worse.
- The laptop gives off a burning smell, or the battery is swollen or pushing up the touchpad.
- The drive is clicking and holds data you haven’t backed up.
- None of the steps above helped.
We’ll inspect your laptop and find out whether the adapter, connector, display, drive or motherboard is faulty. We’ll tell you the repair price in advance, and diagnostics are free if we carry out the repair. You can bring your laptop to our shop in Hradec Králové, or a courier will pick it up for free anywhere in the Czech Republic.
Find out more on Laptop won’t turn on – motherboard repair, Laptop power connector repair and in our article Plugged in but the laptop isn’t charging.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my data during the repair?
When we repair the adapter, connector, screen or motherboard, we don't touch the drive. Data is only lost if the operating system is reinstalled, and we only do that with your consent. If the drive itself is faulty, we'll offer data recovery first.
Is a motherboard repair worth it?
It depends on how old the laptop is and what it cost. After diagnostics, we'll tell you the price and give you an honest view on whether the repair is worth it, or whether a new laptop with data transfer makes more sense.
My laptop only turns on when it's plugged in. What does that mean?
The battery has most likely reached the end of its life, or the laptop can't charge it. A battery replacement will help, or a repair of the charging circuit.
How long do diagnostics take?
Usually 1–2 working days from when we receive your laptop. We'll send you the repair price for approval and won't repair anything without your consent.