And in the most unexpected moment, just when we need the computer more to finish a job or to print a document, Windows refuses to load or, worse still, the PC does not turn on while standing still with a black screen or in a continuous loading that it does not lead to anything. This is the typical situation that makes any person anxious and frustrated, a bit the same feeling as when the machine is no longer turned on.
Luckily, if there is often very little to do with the machine except call the mechanic, with the computer there are still many hopes and turning on a PC that seems broken can be simpler than you think.
Certainly the causes of a computer that does not turn on can vary widely, but in the vast majority of cases, the error that leads the PC not to start is on the software side, that is, not dependent on the breaking of an internal piece.
If even some hardware is broken, you can always understand what it is so that you can eventually bring it to service without being part of the unwary (and without risking paying more than you should).
1) Preliminary checks
First of all, we verify that the problem is not a triviality such as the unattached plug or an initial configuration error.
If trying to press the power button the PC does not react at all, or the plug is disconnected, or the battery is exhausted or the power supply has broken .
In the case of a laptop, try to disconnect the battery and see if it turns on by connecting it only to the power outlet; if it does, then the battery is broken or the energy connectors between battery and PC have been damaged.
Each computer, when it is turned on, performs a hardware test called POST (Power On Self Test) which is recognizable by a screen full of writings that disappears after a second.
In these writings the cause of the boot error could be found, because one of the hardware tests has failed.
Unfortunately, on new computers this screen is hidden by the manufacturer's logo and cannot be seen.
To be sure, however, there is no problem with an external device, disconnect everything from the computer and try to turn it on again.
I refer to another article to understand what happens when you turn on the computer and why it can fail .
2) BIOS
If the computer turns on and shows at least the initial screen with the manufacturer's logo or with some written on a black screen, it means that the BIOS is loaded.
The BIOS is the motherboard firmware, the first thing that is loaded from a computer when it is turned on, which contains the system boot instructions.
To access the BIOS you have to press a key (usually it is the Del key) repeatedly after turning on the computer.
In the BIOS, which in modern computers is called UEFI, there is a setting to check, that of the boot order that must have the main disk of the computer in first place.
I refer to the guide on how to change the boot order to have a clearer procedure.
Trivially, if there is a problem in the boot order, simply unplug each external drive or USB stick and remove the DVD from the player.
3) If an error message appears.
The appearance of a message or error code with black screen or blue screen is, after all, a fortune, because at least it gives us some indication of what to look for.
Then write down the code and, from another PC, look for a recognized cause and solution.
Boot failure can occur for three reasons: damaged RAM, damaged disk, compromised MBR .
In any case, to verify or correct these types of errors you must have a Windows installation disk (7, 8, or 10) at hand or create a recovery disk from another computer that contains all the troubleshooting tools and diagnostics.
Refer to another guide to create recovery USB disk or pen in Windows 10, 8 and 7 .
Then restart your computer and start it from the CD or USB stick you just created (to do so, immediately press the button for the boot menu or change the order from the BIOS as seen above).
The set of options proposed by the recovery disc contains the tools to repair the computer.
In Windows 8 and Windows 10 these tools are very effective and there is also an option for automatic recovery that corrects any problem with the MBR (the first sector that contains the boot data).
In the advanced tools there is also the tool to check if the RAM is good or damaged.
For a guide and an overview of all the tools in the Windows recovery menu, refer to the Microsoft site (even if it refers to Windows 7).
In another article, written at the time when the last version of Windows was 7, I had also indicated a radical solution that can still be followed today if you do not know exactly where to intervene.
Basically, when Windows doesn't start, you can save everything and reinstall from scratch .
In Windows 8 and Windows 10 you can still use the option to reset the system, to reinstall everything even without losing your personal files (even if you lose the installed programs).
For more information consult the guides for:
- Repair Windows 8 if it doesn't start
- Repair Windows 10 and recovery disk
Another guide then explains how to check if the disk is damaged or broken and what to do .
4) If Windows restarts by itself without completing the loading
In this case Windows 8 and Windows 10 automatically show a troubleshooting menu similar to that of the recovery disc.
From this menu you can intervene with automatic tools that restore the correct versions of the system files if some of them are damaged.
In the same menu there are also options for restoring the operating system which is then a reinstallation.
In Windows 7 this menu does not appear automatically and you have to manually press the F8 key during startup to enter the advanced boot menu.
READ ALSO: Stop the Windows 10 automatic recovery loop
5) If the black screen remains
The so-called " Black Screen of Death " is a type of error difficult to solve because it does not give any information on what happened.
There are two types of black screens: the one with a flashing dash and the black screen with the mouse cursor only.
The problem may trivially depend on the graphics card drivers that Windows loads by default after installation.
It may also be that the hard disk is not detected correctly and then you can try to resolve from the BIOS, by changing the boot order (as seen in point 2) or by changing the disk mode from IDE to AHCI or vice versa.
However, I had dedicated two specific articles to the topic:
- Solutions for black screen error with cursor on PC startup
- Correct the black screen problem in Windows 10
6) Endless update screens
A frequent startup problem is that related to an update that does not install and that turns the computer on and off continuously in trying.
In this case, it is better to do a system restore using the recovery disk tools (point 3) or the advanced boot menu (point 4)
READ ALSO: Guide to repair your computer without going to the technician
