notacomputergeek

I hear these statements often, “My computer won’t boot up.” or “My computer has a black screen.” or “My computer won’t turn off.” It seems to happen more with laptops than desktops.

In most cases and for whatever reason, the computer is locked up with a black screen and no cursor. The solution – press and hold the power button for at least 12 seconds to force the computer to turn off. Some brands take 15 or more seconds. The key is to hold the button until it completely turns off. When I tell people this, they don’t wait long enough and all they’ve done is put it in hibernate mode. Keep holding it. Once the computer is completely off, press the power button to turn it back on. This works most of the time with most major brands. If the computer does not come back on, then it’s not locked up and needs further diagnosing.

Desktops can also be forced to shut down by pulling the power plug, but a laptop will need its internal battery removed. If the laptop battery no longer holds a charge, then pull the power plug.