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Laptop screen turns blue and is unresponsive.

The blue screen is most likely caused by faulty connections between the motherboard and hard drive or by a hard drive that is no longer operational. To solve this problem, the hard drive may need to be reconnected or replaced.

Laptop does not respond when the power button is pressed.

There is no charge left in the battery, so connect the power adapter to the laptop in order to recharge the battery. After 10 minutes, attempt to turn on the computer while leaving the power adapter plugged in. Sometimes the battery will no longer hold charge regardless of how long it is charged. This occurs when laptop batteries have been used for several years. If your battery will no longer hold charge, the only remedy is to purchase a new battery. Most replacement laptop batteries can be bought online or at technology stores. To change the battery, see the Battery Replacement Guide.

The connection between the laptop and the power adapter is broken, therefore the laptop cannot be charged. To fix this problem, you need a new power adapter which can be found online or at most technology stores.

Laptop regularly becomes too hot to use comfortably or the computer states that it is too hot for operation.

The laptop is overheated and the fan is not running (no airflow from vent on left hand side), this may indicate that the fan is broken. Fan performance can be diminished by dust buildup as well.

The battery becomes very hot during operation even with a working fan and a dust-free system. This indicates that the battery may need to be replaced. For further information, see the Battery Replacement Guide.

Screen shows limited to no signs of activity while the laptop is powered.

If there are missing blocks or chunks in the image on screen, then the screen may need to be replaced.

If your screen refuses to activate once the power is turned on, check if the screen is correctly connected to the rest of the system. This can be done using this screen replacement guide and checking the video cable. After you have ensured that the cable is connected, try to power on the device. If this does not fix the issue, you may need a replacement screen.

The keys on your keyboard do not respond or are missing/broken.

Excessive dirt or residue on you keyboard may affect how the keys respond when pressed. Liquid can seep into the keys of your keyboard. When it dries, it may leave a sticky residue which can cause keys to become stuck in place. Remove the key cap, clean any dust or residue and snap the key back onto the keyboard.

If the physical keys are missing from your keyboard, the computer may not respond when the key is pressed. Replacement key caps can be bought from technology stores or online. Refer to the repair guide on removing and replacing keys for more help.

The connections between the keyboard hardware and the computer may be disconnected or broken. To fix this, the entire keyboard needs to be replaced.

CD Drive does not read CD or does not read CD properly.

If the CD drive does not read disks as expected, first try to read a different disk. If the second disk reads properly, this may indicate that the first disk is damaged.

If the second disk also does not work, this may indicate that the CD drive needs to be replaced. For more information on CD drive replacement, see the CD Drive Repair Guide.