Diagnosing and troubleshooting your Dell laptop is a sort of herculean task because of its make and the nature of problems that it faces due to numerous reasons. You may or may not find success in fixing your Dell laptop problems unless you understand them and narrow down your troubleshooting accordingly. Considering this, we have designed a basic, yet comprehensive Dell laptop support guide for you. It will help you look into your Dell laptop problems and easily fix them.
Instructions:
power off your Dell laptop, wait for 20-30 seconds and then power it on. Wait for it to load up fully. When done, check if it starts working or not. Check whether it can connect to the internet and/or wireless or properly open up any program.
If your laptop fails to turn on after hitting the Power button, check that its battery is charged or not. If not, plug your DC power adapter in the power jack and into the power outlet. If the laptop refuses to turn on despite being charged, check the power button. Press it for the 3-4 seconds or as mentioned in your Dell computer setup support manual. If the power light is still not on and the laptop does not turn on, unplug the power cord (if it is already attached).
Grab a screwdriver and the Dell user manual. Turn the laptop upside down and open the battery panel as mentioned in the manual. Carefully take out the battery and put it aside. Do not expose it to the sunlight or artificial light, keep it in the dark. Now press and hold the Power button for 30-40 seconds and then release.
If the Dell laptop refuses to accept charging, check that the DC power adapter has the green light on. If the light is off, check that it is firmly plugged in the power outlet or not. If it’s not, plug it tightly into the power outlet and in the power jack of the laptop. Try another power outlet also in case the adapter still does not start charging the laptop. If there is no problem with the power outlet and the DC power adapter, try the same above mentioned method of removing the battery and holding the power button for 30 seconds. Put the battery back in, plug the power adapter back in, and attempt charging. The laptop should start charging now.
If the laptop turns on, the cooling fan runs, the LED lights turn on, but the screen is totally blank, try this method. Overturn your laptop, open the case and remove the RAM module. Refer to you Dell user manual in case you need help locating and removing the RAM module. Take a soft cloth and rub it against the module to clean it up. When done, place the module firmly and carefully back in the RAM slot. Repeat this procedure for each RAM module installed in your Dell laptop. If the RAM stick turns out bad, replace it.
If the RAM stick is fine, try to connect an external monitor (display) to your Dell laptop. Look for the VGA Connector (a monitor symbol) in the laptop, plug the external monitor display using the VGA cable in both laptop and the monitor, and then turn on your laptop. If the monitor turns on fine, there is a problem with your laptop’s display. Contact Dell product support to replace the faulty monitor display of your laptop.
If your laptop works fine except a particular program, then uninstall it. Before you reinstall the program, make sure that your Dell laptop fulfils the requirements for it to run properly. Failure to which will create compatibility issues. Follow the instructions properly while upgrading your exiting operating system to a new one. Besides, always update your operating system with the latest updates, patches, and tweaks for optimal performance, speed, and functionality. Also, run a full virus scan at least every 15 days or so to keep your Dell laptop clean of viruses, malware etc.
Additional Tips:
Replace a damaged battery or any faulty hardware to get Dell laptop back to working. Remember, laptop keys are irreparable. In case some keys are not working, the entire keyboard will be replaced.
How to Fix your Dell Laptop