Laptop won't boot?

Practical steps to troubleshoot and fix a laptop that won’t boot, whether you’re using a PC or Mac.

Laptop won't boot

Michael Jones, our Chief Technician says:

"Few things are more frustrating than pressing your laptop’s power button and seeing nothing happen. Our technicians see well over 100 laptops each month this simply won't boot. Often it's not a data recovery issue, so its worth following the steps below."

Here’s How to Get It Running Again (PC & Mac)

Whether you’re using a Windows PC or a MacBook, there are several steps you can take to diagnose and hopefully fix a laptop that won’t boot.

1. Check Power and Connections

Start with the basics. Make sure your laptop is plugged in and that the power adapter light is on. If the charger has a removable cable, disconnect and reconnect it at both ends. Try a different outlet or, if possible, another compatible charger. For laptops with removable batteries, remove the battery, hold the power button for 10 seconds to discharge residual power, then reconnect and try again.

2. Listen and Look for Signs of Life

When you press the power button, listen for fan noise or look for indicator lights. A faint sound or flicker means the system is receiving power. If lights appear but there’s no display, connect an external monitor — the screen could be the issue rather than the laptop itself.

3. Troubleshooting on a Windows PC

If your PC powers on but won’t load Windows, try using Startup Repair. Hold the power button to turn it off, then turn it on and immediately press F8 or Shift + F8 (on older systems) to access the Advanced Boot Options. From there, choose Repair your computer.

If that doesn’t work, boot from a Windows recovery drive or installation USB. Insert the USB, power on, and press F12 or Esc to open the boot menu. Select the USB drive and run Startup Repair or System Restore to revert to a working state.

4. Troubleshooting on a Mac

For a MacBook, start with a force restart by holding the power button for 10 seconds, then pressing it again. If there’s still no response, reset the System Management Controller (SMC):

Apple Silicon Macs: Shut down and restart normally.

Intel Macs: Press Shift + Control + Option + Power for 10 seconds, then release and turn on the Mac.

If your Mac powers on but won’t boot into macOS, try starting in Safe Mode (hold Shift during startup) or Recovery Mode (hold Command + R).

5. When All Else Fails

If none of these steps resolve the problem, the issue may be hardware-related — such as a failed hard drive or motherboard. In that case, give us a call or contact the manufacturer’s support team.

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Michael Jones Data Recovery Specialists
Author:
Michael Jones, Chief Technician

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"Our free hard drive data recovery evaluation service will tell you whether your data can be recovered, exactly how much it will cost and how long the data recovery will take. Simply phone or email us for a job number and send your data recovery to us. Your hard drive or media will be photographed, catalogued and bar-coded and the data recovery evaluation will start within an hour of receipt."

Listing Of Recoverable Files

"Once in the laboratory, your media will undergo a comprehensive data recovery evaluation to determine the extent of the data loss. We aim to complete this process within 24 hours depending on the complexity of work involved. The engineers will provide a no obligation recovery prognosis, with a guaranteed list of recoverable files and an estimated timescale. You can then decide whether to proceed with the recovery. Should you choose not to proceed, we will return your media by secure data courier."

Completing the Process

"Should you choose to proceed, the data recovery process will be completed and the data will be safely stored on our servers. We will then copy out the data to your preferred choice of output media - either 64Gb memory stick or HDD (for purchase or loan). Your data will be dispatched on our secure, next day courier service. Once you have received your data any copies of your data will be permanently and securely erased from our servers after 7 days."

Established and Trusted

"40 years experience in the data recovery industry chairing ISO and BSI standards, we have developed a reputation for excellence at a price that is affordable. With extensive data recovery research and development capabilities, our success rates are second to none - without compromising on our prices! This is why over 36,000 companies and individuals come to us every year."

Safeguarding Your Data

"Your data is important to us, which is why all our data recovery procedures comply with the Association of Chief Police Officers Guidelines and Civil Procedure Rules for handling electronic evidence. Great care is taken when recovering and handling your data to ensure that its integrity is maintained and that there is a clear audit trail through the entire data recovery process."

Industry Leading Diagnostics

"Our data recovery laboratory completes over 120 successful recoveries every day from clients including the British Petroleum, NHS and EDF Energy. With ISO 27000 (Information Security) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management) accreditation - we are a data recovery company you can rely upon! Class 100 clean rooms, specialised platter removal jigs and software applications allow us to provide the most comprehensive service in the industry."

"Kept me informed at all times"

"They never promised anything and keep me informed at all times. When I got the call to say that they could recover 20 years' of family photos from a failed harddrive, I cried. I cried again when the files were delivered to me. The cost was insignificant next to the priceless value of the photos recovered."
Geoff Elliott
Five Star Review

"Excellent service"

"Excellent service, called back same day and arranged collection of my hard drive within a couple of days. Kept me informed all the time of what was happening. "
Susan Hall
Five Star Review

"Amazing service"

"Amazing Service, Very Professional. From start to finish this service was very professional, keeping me informed on progress and explaining each step. Totally trustworthy, and totally recommend."
Michael Downing
Four Star Review

"Thoroughly professional"

"Excellent service from a thoroughly professional company. Polite and attentive staff, prompt response, informed of progress, simple procedure to have your data recovered. Recommend to all."
Jon McKinnon
Five Star Review

"Attentive and communicative"

"DRS were very attentive and communicative. I received everything I needed from my old hard drive. It’s costly but a very particular and effective service!"
Video Blue
Four Star Review

"Highly recommend"

"I've used Data Recovery Specialists a couple of times now and each time their communication and response times have been excellent. Their team have achieved >95% data recovery for me. I would highly recommend them and will use them again should the need arise."
Ian Baker
Five Star Review

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