Troubleshoot PC Won't Boot Issue [Solved]

Many people have encountered such a situation when they try to turn on their computer or laptop, only to find out the PC won't boot. The most common case is that the computer does power on. However, nothing is displayed on the screen. You might be able to see lights on your PC or hear fans running inside, but nothing shows up on your monitor.

To solve this kind of problem, internal issues like viruses or the BCD file being missing and external issues like a damaged monitor or hard drive failure should all be considered.

Below is one of the commonly discussed topics from Microsoft. Relax if you are having the same issue. Read on and learn how to troubleshoot.

"Please help me. When I press the power button, my PC won't boot. My monitor is black and does not start or restart, just a black screen."

This post from EaseUS will provide you with comprehensive information to help you with the issue.

Why Your PC Won't Boot

Before you try any solution, you need to know the reasons why your PC doesn't turn on when you push the start button. There are many reasons that would lead to a PC unable to boot. Here are a few most common causes.

Power supply failure - It might be your computer's internal power supply is defective or no power is being supplied to the PC. You may find that the PC won't turn on but motherboard light is on when there is a problem with the power supply.

Hardware issues - There may be loose components, or you may have connected a malfunctioning piece of hardware that fails upon startup, causing the PC to shut down prematurely. If the BIOS cannot detect the drive, the drive might be corrupted.

BCD issues - BCD is the file for storing Windows boot options. The loss of it can lead to serious consequences. When the BCD is missing or corrupted, your Windows computer will be unbootable, and the BCD errors will show up.

Ransomware or a virus - A buggy malware could be the element preventing your PC from booting. Malware like a virus or ransomware can infect your computer. They may have the ability to cause the computer to boot improperly.

Beep codes - If your PC is having trouble turning on, it may make long, continuous beeps, which sound like Morse code, that tell you what's wrong with your machine.

BIOS misconfiguration - If your computer powers on and displays the POST screen but does not boot into Windows, it could be due to a compatibility issue or a setting error in your system's BIOS.

How to Troubleshoot Windows PC Won't Boot

Now that you have learned the common causes of this problem, you can read the following guide to fix it and see if your PC is back to healthy.

  1. Change power source or cable

If you can't turn on your computer, consider that it could be caused by a power supply failure. Your power strip or battery backup may be failing. Try to unplug your computer and then plug it into a wall outlet directly. Remember to flip on the power switch on the back of your power supply. If the outlet is connected to a light switch, you should also turn on the switch.

If there's nothing wrong with the power source, then you should check the power cables. Make sure all the cables are correctly connected. If the original cable has failed, you should replace it with a new one and restart your PC.

  1. Check hardware connection

If the issue is caused by loose hardware, you can try to remove the side panel and check that the components are correctly installed in their respective sockets if you're able to do so. You should also try to remove and then plug back components like the graphics card, RAM, heatsink, and motherboard cables.

If you can hear the computer running but see nothing on the monitor, it’s likely a display issue. Check if your monitor is damaged, if it's firmly attached to the computer, and if it is plugged into the correct input. If the monitor doesn't work right, it is broken. Replace it.

Besides, computers could also be interfered with by other devices. Unplug devices like webcams, external hard drives, and printers from your computer, then restart it with only the basic devices connected.

  1. Boot Repair

You can use professional software like EaseUS Partition Master to easily and fast troubleshoot "PC won't boot" caused by a corrupted or missing Boot Configuration Data file. It is a powerful tool that can fix boot problems with just one click. The Boot Repair is designed with the ability to rebuild the BCD. Below are the detailed steps.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master after connecting the external drive/USB to the PC, select "Bootable Media," and click "Create bootable media."

Step 2. Choose an available USB Drive or CD/DVD and click "Create." You can burn the Windows ISO file to the storage media as well.

Step 3. Connect the created bootable drive to the new computer and reboot the computer by pressing and holding F2/Del to enter the BIOS. Then, set the WinPE bootable drive as the boot disk and press F10 to exit.

Step 4. Boot the computer again and enter the WinPE interface. Then, open EaseUS Partition Master and click "Boot Repair" under the "Toolkit" option.

Step 5. Select the system you want to repair and click "Repair."

Step 6. Wait a moment, and you will receive an alert that the system has been successfully repaired. Click "OK" to complete the boot repair process.

  1. Scan for ransomware or viruses

If you can't get into Windows from the internal hard drive, try to boot from a USB drive. Once you get in successfully, you can use anti-malware software like Avast Antivirus and Malwarebytes to scan your computer for malicious programs and eliminate the malware. After the process, you should be able to boot your PC from the internal hard drive as usual.

  1. Analyze beep codes

As mentioned above, your computer may make a set of beeps at startup. Usually, a single beep means your PC is fine. If the computer cannot boot, it may make a series of beeps. You can check the computer's user guide or manufacturer's website to find out what the beeps mean. However, some motherboards don't use beep codes, so it's not suitable for every user.

  1. Check the BIOS

If you see an error that tells you the computer can't find a bootable OS, it may mean the BIOS is incorrectly set to boot from the wrong drive. Or, your overclock settings are leading the computer to a blue screen immediately. Check your computer's user manual to find out the specific key to enter the BIOS when the POST screen appears.

After getting in the BIOS, set the computer to boot from your primary hard drive and disable the Fast Boot feature. You can also check if there are any other unusual settings that might lead to boot issues.

If you're still having difficulties accessing your operating system after checking and addressing the error messages, resetting BIOS to the default settings may be your best choice.

Conclusion

 Finding out the computer has trouble starting up is a common situation for Windows users. Although there are many different causes that lead to the problem, for example, you may encounter the beep sounds at startup or BCD errors, etc, this informative article offers you different methods for you to troubleshoot "PC won't boot". Hope it solves your problem.

FAQs on PC Won't Boot

1. What is the cause of boot failure?

This problem could be caused by invalid BIOS boot settings, corrupt system files, a corrupt boot loader, or an improperly working hard disk. During starting, the computer displays an error message such as "no bootable device found", "operating system not found", or other issues.

2. Why is my computer not turning on but has power?

One possibility is that the power cable is not properly inserted into the computer or the outlet. Another possible reason is that the power supply of the PC has failed. Because of a virus or malware infestation, the PC may not power on even though it is plugged in.

3. Why does my PC turn on but no display or keyboard?

Loose connections between the display, keyboard, and computer could lead to this problem. It could also be caused by faulty hardware components such as the graphics card or RAM. Invalid BIOS settings, power supply problems, or a faulty motherboard may also contribute to this issue.