In this instructional video, learn how to troubleshoot power issues with your computer. Whether it's an unresponsive desktop or a laptop with a defective battery, AC adapter, or outlet problems, the step-by-step guide covers various scenarios. From checking power cables and outlets to performing a power drain on laptops and resetting the Real Time Clock on desktops, follow the instructions to diagnose and resolve power-related issues. The video concludes with guidance on entering BIOS and configuring essential settings for a successful system reboot.
Is your computer not responding when you press the Power button? Maybe you can’t see any images or lights or hear any beeps or fans running. Common causes for desktops are a disconnected power cable and for laptops, a defective battery, AC adapter, or outlet.
In this video, we will guide you through the steps to fixing these power issues. First, shut down your computer. Disconnect any external peripherals.
Turn on the computer and check to see if it powers on. Was the system able to power on? If not, let’s try the next step. Locate the power outlet and disconnect the power cord.
Change the power outlet to a known good one. Reconnect the power cord and try to turn on the system. Did the computer power on? If not, let’s continue to the next step.
Inspect the AC adapter for damage. If there is damage, check whether a known good power cable is available to swap with the damaged one. Reconnect and try to turn on the system. If this step didn’t solve the power issue, you will need to perform a power drain.
If you have a laptop, keep watching. If you have a desktop, skip to the next section in the video. To fully drain power on your laptop, disconnect the AC adapter from the computer. On the bottom panel, locate and remove each screw.
Be careful with washers that may prevent screws from being completely removed. Next, locate the battery and carefully disconnect the cable by pulling the plastic piece. Make sure to consult your laptop's user manual to learn how to properly remove the battery.
Flip the computer to its upright position. Press and hold the Power button for 15 seconds. Keep in mind the laptop is not supposed to power on during this step.
To reconnect the battery, plug the battery cable back into the motherboard. Make sure the plastic piece is properly connected. Secure the bottom panel with the screws.
Reconnect the charger and power on the computer. Was the laptop able to power on? If not, skip to the next section. To drain the power on your desktop, remove all external peripherals such as the keyboard and mouse. Disconnect the power cord from the wall outlet.
Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds. Reconnect the power cord to the wall outlet and power on the system. If this did not work, proceed to the next step.
You will need to reset the Real Time Clock. Note that some models might not have this option available. Power off the computer and connect the system to a power outlet. Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds. After this, the system will restart several times.
Once the reset is complete, the system will reboot. The Dell splash screen will alert the reset was a success. Repeatedly tap "F2" at startup to enter BIOS.
Once in BIOS, configure the "Date", "Time", "Boot list", and "SATA" operation according to system specification. Please contact our Tech Support if you need assistance with your system’s configuration.
Thanks for watching.