Laptop Won’t Turn On? 7 Fixes Before Calling a Technician (Hampstead Heath Guide)

FirstAidPC
Nov 14
3 min read

Laptop Won’t Turn On? 7 Fixes Before Calling a Technician (NW3 Guide)

It’s one of the worst feelings — you press the power button and nothing happens. No lights. No fan. No screen.

If your laptop won’t turn on, don’t panic. As a local repair service based in Hampstead Heath (NW3), we see this issue every day from customers in Camden, Highgate, Finchley, Kentish Town, NW11, and N6.

Before you book a repair, here are 7 quick checks you should try. These safe, simple steps can sometimes bring your laptop back to life without needing a full repair.

1. Check the Power Supply & Charger (Common in NW London Homes)

Many homes across Hampstead Heath, Finchley and Golders Green have older plugs or loose sockets.

Try this:

✔ Plug your charger into another wall socket

✔ Try a different adapter (if available)

✔ Check for frayed cables or bent connectors

✔ Make sure the light on the charger is on

If the charger light is off, it’s likely a power issue — not the laptop itself.

Need your charger tested?

We check chargers for free at FirstAidPC.

2. Remove All USB Devices

External drives, dongles and USB sticks can block startup.

Unplug everything except the charger and try again.

3. Hard Reset Your Laptop (Works for 70% of NW3 Customers)

This simple trick often works:

For Windows laptops:
1. Turn the laptop completely off
2. Disconnect charger
3. Hold Power Button for 15 seconds
4. Plug in charger only
5. Turn on
For MacBooks:

Press and hold:

Shift + Control + Option + Power

for 10 seconds.

This resets the system and can fix “no power” issues instantly.

4. Check for Overheating (Common in NW11 & N6 Houses)

If your laptop overheats, it may refuse to power on until it cools.

Try this:

✔ Leave it unplugged for 15–30 minutes

✔ Make sure vents aren’t blocked

✔ Move it to a cool, flat surface

Still not turning on?

You may need internal cleaning or thermal paste replacement — we do this same-day.

5. Look for Life Signs (Very Important)

When you press the power button, look for:
1. Fan spinning?
2. Keyboard lights?
3. Charger light?
4. Caps Lock blinking?
These tiny clues tell us exactly what’s wrong.

If no lights at all, it may be:
1. motherboard issue
2. DC charging port failure
3. dead battery
4. faulty power IC
All of these are repairable.

6. Try an External Screen (If You Hear Sounds But No Display)

If your laptop sounds alive but the screen stays black:

✔ Connect to a TV or monitor using HDMI

✔ If it works → screen issue (easy fix)

✔ If it doesn’t → deeper hardware issue

We specialise in black screen repairs in Finchley, Camden and NW London.

7. Battery Removal Restart (For Laptops with Removable Batteries)

If your laptop has a removable battery:
1. Remove battery
2. Hold power button for 10 seconds
3. Reinsert battery
4. Try powering on
This resets internal power flow.

When to Call a Technician

If you’ve tried all the above and your laptop still won’t turn on, it’s time for a professional diagnosis.

Common causes we see in NW3 & NW London:
1. Power IC failure
2. Motherboard short
3. Charging port damage
4. Liquid damage under the board
5. Failed RAM or SSD