Student-Contributed Wiki
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Despite your best efforts, the laptop will not power on.
Make sure your power cable is plugged into the wall and into your laptop. If it is, check to see if the indicator light is on. If the light is off, it is likely that your power cable is faulty and/or broken and you will need to buy a replacement.
If the power cable is properly functioning, but you can only use the laptop while it is plugged into the wall, the battery is likely faulty. You can replace it using the guide here.
Parts of your keyboard are either broken or unresponsive.
If one or more of the keys on your keyboard are stuck or will only push in a little bit, use a small flathead screwdriver to pry up the key. Some dust or crumbs likely got under it and if you clean that out, then put the key back in its spot, it should fix the problem.
If the entire keyboard isn’t responding, the guide here will demonstrate how to remove the keyboard, check the connections, and replace it if necessary.
The disc you put into your CD drive isn’t being read to the computer.
If one disc isn’t working in your computer, try to use another disc. If the other disc works, then your disc itself has a problem. Gently rub a dry cloth over the shiny side of the CD to remove anything that may be stuck to it and to smooth it out. If this doesn’t work the CD is likely irreparable.
If no discs are working on your computer, the drive itself is likely faulty. You can repair and/or replace a faulty CD drive using the guide here.
Your computer turns on but you cannot use it because the operating system won’t load.
It is possible there isn’t enough RAM in your system to handle the processes you are using or the RAM itself might be physically damaged. If so, you can replace the RAM using the guide located here.
It is also possible that the Hard Drive could either be damaged or stuck. Follow the steps here to remove, clean and replace the Hard Drive on your computer.
One other thing you can try is to reinstall your operating system. If all of the hardware is working properly then it is likely a problem with the software internally and you need to use an install disc to repair the files.
