My computer doesn't work, what do I do?

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Summary: With very few clues folks often ask what might be broken if their computer does nothing. It's a long list, and I'll look at some possibilities.

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I get variations on this question so often that I just have to address it.

In short: there's nothing close to enough information for me to even hazard a guess what might be wrong. And it's just not a simple yes or no question.

Let me run through a list of some of the things it might be.

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Is it plugged in? Seriously, the information as provided in this and similar questions often doesn't indicate that the computer does anything. As silly as it sounds, I've had some very embarrassed people get back to me when I've suggested that check the power plug.

The power supply could be broken or failing. Even if the fan comes on or some lights light up, there could still be a power supply failure. Or not.

The motherboard could have a problem. It's fairly rare, but the motherboard has many, many components on it which are often vital to the operation of your machine. Some component could fail due to static electricity, a power surge, or many other reasons.

The computer's RAM could fail. Or it could be loose in its socket. With memory a computer will typically not boot at all. But lights might come on and fans might run. Or not.

The hard disk could have failed. Typically you'll at least boot into the BIOS for this one, but there are failure modes that could result in a very dead-looking machine.

Any expansion card could fail in ways that could cause the entire computer to become inoperable.

The video interface could be dead. If your computer's doing something, but you simply can't see it, how do you know it's really there?

The video cable could be unplugged or broken. Same idea: if you can't see it, is it really there?

The monitor itself could be unplugged or broken. Still the same idea. Lights might blink, disks might whir, and your computer might be working, or not.

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I could probably go on.

Hopefully by now you get the idea. If the computer fails to boot with no clues, no lights, no nothing, or even if the fan does run and some lights blink but you still see nothing on the screen, it could be anything. There's no way to know with that little information exactly what might be broken.

My recommendation at this point is typically to take the computer to a technician who can often quickly diagnose where the problem actually lies.

Yes, there are steps that you can try yourself to further diagnose the problem depending on your level of comfort and expertise. Replacing components or removing optional components to see if it makes a difference is usually one way to start (after double checking that you're plugged in, of course ).

But it really depends on your level of expertise. Typically those who ask this question without really knowing what details are important to include are those who'd probably be better served by having someone more knowledgeable actually look at their machine.

Related:

• Ask Leo! - Why does my screen go black after the Windows screen when I boot?

• Ask Leo! - Why do I get a black screen on my computer after a while?

• Ask Leo! - My computer locks up and won't boot. What do I do?

Article C3055 - June 13, 2007