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Back to Top Video (YouTube): How to Fix a Computer that Will not Boot Up (Official Dell Tech Support) 1. Verify the Computer Finishes Initial Power-Up (POST)Often a computer will not attempt to hand off control to the operating system. If you power the computer on and see a Dell logo screen with a bar at the bottom, and that bar fills up completely and disappears, your computer has successfully completed POST. Click here if your computer does not complete POST. Click here if your hard drive is not recognized. Back to Top 2. Unplug All External DevicesA piece of hardware may be interfering with the normal boot process of Windows. Try unplugging all devices from your computer, including:
The only devices that you should leave attached to your computer are your monitor, mouse, and keyboard, if the computer is a desktop. Once this is completed, unplug the computer from the wall, remove the laptop battery (if applicable) and hold the power button down for approximately 15 seconds. Then plug wall power back into the computer and attempt to restart. Back to Top 3. Check for Specific Error MessagesDell has information about some specific error messages at startup. Refer to the following links for more information:
If the error message is not listed above, try searching for additional solutions on the Web. Search Dell Search Microsoft Search Google Search Bing Back to Top 4. Reset the BIOS to Default ValuesIf your computer is set to first attempt to boot to another device, this may cause issues with successfully booting to Windows. To reset your computer's BIOS to factory defaults, perform the following steps:
A corrupt BIOS is one of the possible causes of your PC unable to complete POST or some times even boot into the operating system. If your Dell PC or tablet supports BIOS recovery, you can recover the corrupt BIOS by using the BIOS recovery method applicable for your Dell PC or tablet. Refer to the Dell knowledge-base article BIOS Recovery options on a Dell PC or Tablet for more information. Back to Top 5. Boot to the Hard Drive Using the One-Time Boot MenuRestart the computer, and at the Dell logo screen tap the <F12> key multiple times to invoke the One-Time Boot Menu. Select the Boot from Hard Drive option and press Enter. 6. Run a Computer DiagnosticTo run PSA Diagnostics, turn on the computer and tap the F12 key several times at the Dell logo screen. This starts the One-Time Boot Menu. Select Diagnostics to start the diagnostic assessment of the computer hardware. This test takes approximately 5 minutes. If you receive an error from the PSA diagnostics, refer to the Dell Hardware Diagnostics page for further assistance: Note: For Dell Latitude laptop PCs, you may try to recover the PC using the forced ePSA method. For more information, refer to the Dell knowledge-base article How to Use Forced ePSA to Recover from POST or Boot Failure.Back to Top 7. Boot the Computer into Safe Mode
Back to Top 8. Attempt to Boot to the Last Known-Good ConfigurationThe Last Known-Good Configuration can help you reestablish the settings that your computer used the last time that you successfully booted to Windows. To invoke the Last Known-Good Configuration, perform the following steps.
9. Check for Recent ChangesIf you can successfully boot to Safe Mode, check your computer to see if any new software or hardware was recently installed. If so, try uninstalling those programs or hardware from your computer. Back to Top 10. Use Startup Repair to Restore Critical Windows FilesStartup Repair is a Windows 7 recovery tool that can fix certain problems, such as missing or damaged system files, that might prevent Windows from starting correctly. When you run Startup Repair, it scans your computer for the problem and then tries to fix it so your computer can start correctly. To learn more about using Startup Repair to restore critical Windows files, refer to Dell Knowledge Base article, "Run Startup Repair on a Dell PC with a Windows Operating System" Back to Top 11. Use System Restore to Revert to a Previous StateClick here to watch a video on how to use System Restore in the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). (Note: English Only) Note: If the Windows Advanced Options menu does not appear, restart the computer and try again. Note: Attempt to restore from the most recent restore point. If this fails to correct the problem, try the next most recent restore point until you find a restore point that resolves the issue. You must reinstall any software that is installed after the selected restore point.
Back to Top 12. Use Clean-Boot Troubleshooting to Isolate the Software IssueVideo (English Only): Perform a Clean Boot to detect Software Problems A program or application may be interfering with the normal boot process of Windows. Microsoft has created a detailed process for isolating a startup program that is causing Windows to not boot correctly. Click the link below to being the troubleshooting process: How to Troubleshoot a Problem by Performing a Clean Boot in Windows Vista or in Windows 7 Back to Top 13. Virus and Malware TroubleshootingYour computer may be affected by a virus or other malicious software. Dell recommends strengthening your PC against malicious attacks by keeping your anti-virus software up to date. View our Virus and Spyware Removal Guide Back to Top 14. Restore the Operating System to Factory SettingsIf clean boot troubleshooting cannot identify the issue, it may be necessary to restore your computer to factory settings. To restore your computer's operating system and software to the original factory settings, launch the link below: Restore, Factory Reset or Reinstall Windows 7 on your Dell Computer Back to Top |