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My laptop won’t start. I turn it on and it starts to start up and you can hear the fan and then it goes down and the power lights flashes off and on and the fan goes out. Can you help? I tried loading the recover disk and it acts like it is going to start running than just stops. Nothing comes up on screen.

Common Laptop Startup Issues

Unfortunately, a number of issues could be preventing your laptop from starting up ranging from power supply problems, bad connections, or failed hardware such as the motherboard, video card, or hard drive. The trick is to figure out what is causing the problem and then addressing that issue.

Power / Battery Problems

Let’s take a look at the power supply itself. Are all of the cords secure? Does the power light on the “brick” turn on? Have you tried using a different electrical outlet? You can also try powering on the computer with the battery fully removed. If the laptop powers on with the battery removed, then the battery may be bad or interfering with startup somehow.

You may want to do a “laptop reset” at this point as well. With the laptop off, its battery removed, and the power cord plugged in, press and hold the power button for a full 60 seconds. This “resets” the laptop by clearing any retained power within the computer that could be interfering with startup.

Bad Connections

Bad connections can also cause startup failures. For example, if the internal power connector is loose, then the laptop will have power problems. It could be a faulty switch or a connector that needs to be soldered to the motherboard. Similarly, connections to video cards or even the hard drive could be to blame. Inspecting the internal components of a laptop is trickier than opening up a desktop’s computer case. Inspection ports are usually located on the bottom of a laptop though these do little to address components hidden under the keyboard. This is best left to an experienced computer technician.

Failed Hardware

Another common cause of laptop startup errors is failed hardware including the motherboard, hard drive, or video card.

In short, if resetting the laptop doesn’t revive it, a trip to the computer repair shop is your best bet. Technicians can try a different AC adapter, check for loose connections, and test your hardware.

My laptop (HP Invent) just repeats the beginning and never actually gets to the log in point. I have done loads on it and have Internet. It was a secondhand gift so maybe that has something to do with it. How do you fix it?

Take a glance through the suggestions here and start with the first one and continue until you get the problem resolved. If you are still in touch with the gift giver, ask if they have the manual or installation CD for the laptop. You might be able to use these now or if you run into some other type of problem in the future.

Try Booting Up in “Safe Mode”

Booting up in “Safe Mode” will use the smallest number of drivers and applications; so it is the best technique for troubleshooting a problematic computer. Start by turning the power on and pressing the “F12″ key as soon as you can. If that doesn’t work, start over and try the “F2″ or “F8″ keys. Which key you need to press varies and without the documentation, the best you can do is trial and error to find the right one.

Depending on which operating system is on your computer, you can select either “Safe Mode” or “Last known good configuration.” If this strategy doesn’t work the first time that you try it, repeat the steps again but wait longer before pressing the “F12″ key on the keyboard. You should try to press the key as soon as you hear activity. This should be before the system actually begins to load the operating system up.

Run the “chkdsk” Utility

Once you get the computer on in “Safe Mode,” you will need to run the “chkdsk” utility to repair any missing files and/or to correct any hard drive errors. Complete the following steps:

1)      Click on the “Start” tab.

2)      Click on “Run.”

3)      Type “cmd” into the open box that appears.

4)      Type in the letters “chkdsk / f.”

5)      Press the “enter” tab.

Cleaning the Laptop’s Registry

You should clean the laptop’s registry to prevent more problems with it. If you want a reliable application that will clean the registry for you without any fuss, I can recommend RegCure. If you want to do it yourself, you need to follow these directions:

1)      Click on the “Start” tab.

2)      Click on “Programs.”

3)      Click on “Accessories.”

4)      Click “System Tools.”

5)      Click the “Disk Defragmenter.”

Using Windows Auto Reboot

The Windows Operating System features an “Auto Reboot” function that will restart a computer whenever a problem occurs and prevents it from starting up. Sometimes it is desirable to turn this utility off when the computer is experiencing this constantly. To do so, you can follow these steps:

1)      Navigate to “Start.”

2)      Select the “Control Panel.”

3)      Select “System.”

4)      Select the “Advanced” tab that is shown.

5)      Click open the “Startup and Recovery Settings.”

6)      Remove the check or mark that is present in front of the “Auto Reboot or Restart.”

Scanning for Spyware and Viruses

Once you get the laptop up and running again, it is a good idea to scan your laptopwith a reliable anti-virus/anti-spyware application. Spyware and viruses have been known to cause these start up errors. I can recommend that you use Anti-Virus PLUS. It will remove spyware and viruses from your laptop.