Micro-Star International (MSI), is a well respected pre-built computer manufacturer that sells individual computer components. They make both gaming and work/school/university laptops. If your MSI laptop won’t turn on below are the steps to fix it.
Start by unplugging the power cable from the wall and your MSI laptop. Then, plug it back in, and press the power button. If it’s still not working, unplug it, and take the battery out, and try turning it on with just the power cable. Then try reset the Embedded Controller (EC), explained below.
Resetting the EC will not delete anything from your MSI laptop. But, not all MSI laptops have a reset button for the EC. If yours does there will be a small pinhole on the underside of your laptop.
Refer to this article on the official MSI website to see where the EC reset button is located and how to use it. After doing these steps, if it still won’t turn on, scroll to the top of this article where there is a list of steps. Do each step one by one, and if it still won’t work the last step is to contact your laptop manufacturer, to have it repaired or replaced.
Top Reasons Why MSI Laptop Won’t Turn On
There are only so many things that can cause a laptop to not turn on. Therefore, it’s a matter of identifying why it’s happening by trying a few different things. Some of these are more likely to be the issue than others, below are the top 7 reasons why a laptop won’t turn on.
The power cable is not plugged in properly, the battery is faulty or loose, the charger is faulty, the screen has failed and won’t display anything, the operating system has a glitch, the peripherals such as a USB flash drive have a glitch, or one of the hardware components has failed.
One of the most common issues is an issue either with the battery or the power cable. Below, is a table which summarizes the different power issues, and what the cause is. After that I will explain these issues in more detail, as well as, the remaining top reasons why your laptop won’t turn on.
|
Configuration of battery and charger |
Reasons |
|
Battery unplugged, power cable plugged in |
Power cable is faulty, wall outlet is not supplying power, power cable is not plugged in properly |
|
Battery plugged, power cable not plugged in |
Battery is not charged, battery is faulty, battery is not plugged in properly, or issue with battery connectors |
|
Battery plugged in, power cable plugged in |
All of the above |
1. Power cable is not plugged in all the way
Laptops can work without the battery plugged in, and draw all of their power off the power cable. If the power cable is not plugged into your laptop all the way, it won’t charge the battery. And your computer won’t turn on when the battery is disconnected.
It’s a fairly easy mistake to not plug the charger in all the way. Unplug the charger from your laptop, and from the wall outlet, and then plug both back in.
Ensuring that both ends are plugged in all the way. Most laptops have a small light next to where the power cable plugs in to indicate that it’s receiving power.
Your laptop needs a battery drain discharge
Virtually all laptop manufacturers state that static electricity build up can occur on laptops. It is known as ‘flea power’. When this occurs it drains power from the internal components, and needs to be discharged using the simple steps below.
- Unplug your laptop
- Unplug the battery to your laptop (if possible)
- Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds
After that put the battery back in, plug it back in. And then try to turn your laptop on again.
2. Battery is loose or faulty or the battery terminals need to be cleaned
Batteries tend to have the shortest life out of all the components on a laptop. To test if the battery is the issue, take the battery out. On some laptops this is not possible because the battery is on the inside of the laptop.
But, many have clips where you can disconnect it, without opening up your laptop. After that plug your charger in, and see if your laptop starts. If it does it means the battery is faulty.
But, it’s possible the battery terminals have dust or are slightly corroded. Inspect the metallic terminals. These can be safely cleaned with any type of vinegar, or rubbing alcohol.
And you can brush off any dust using an old toothbrush. Just brush very lightly so that you don’t damage them.
When you put the battery back in ensure it’s clicked into place properly. It’s common you need to gently press on it to engage the clips, and if this isn’t done the battery won’t be completely connected but can stay in place. If your laptop was dropped it may have broken the plastic clips that hold the battery in place.
When this has happened the battery won’t keep a solid connection, and you won’t be able to power on your laptop using the battery by itself. In which case, your laptop case, or the battery will need to be replaced.
3. Power cable is faulty
Power cables can completely die, and no longer work. Laptop power cables almost always have a square rectangular box in the middle which is a power converter, and surge protector. Some of these allow you to pull the cable apart so that the entire power cable is in two parts.
With regular use, this connector can work itself loose, and only be partially connected. So, if your laptop cable can be pulled apart at the adapter, pull it apart, and plug it back in again firmly. Laptop power cables tend to be very unique, so chances are you won’t have a spare power cable for your laptop lying around.
But, if you do, try using a different power cable. Otherwise, try the steps below before, buying a whole new power cable. When you do buy a power cable, it’s a good idea to take your laptop to the store where you’re buying it to test if a different power cable works.
Another common issue is the wall outlet has triggered the fuse at your switchboard. And the wall outlet is not supplying power at all. So, test if the wall outlet is supplying power by plugging something else into it, or plugging your laptop into a different wall outlet that you know is working.
4. The screen is not working because it has failed
This is only an issue if you see the lights come on on your laptop but nothing shows on the screen. It’s a clear indication that the wiring for the monitor on your laptop has failed. Or, the display component has failed.
When this happens it’s possible to identify what the issue is more precisely by plugging in an external monitor. But, typically, you need to change the settings in Windows, or the operating system you are using to get the external monitor to be the primary screen. So, it is not a full proof method.
With this issue, the only solution is to have it repaired or replaced. But, try the steps below first because it’s possible the screen is only blank because Windows or the operating system you’re using won’t boot up.
5. The operating system has a glitch
The operating system – such as the most popular – Windows, can have a glitch. These can occur directly after a software update. But, also at random times. In some cases it’s related to the hardware such as the hard drive.
However, in other cases the software can have a bug because your laptop was turned off in the middle of a Windows update, or your computer crashed randomly which corrupted some of the files in Windows or with a particular program. It’s easy to identify if this is the issue because the lights on your laptop will be on but the screen will be blank. In some cases, your computer will show the brand logo of your laptop such as Lenovo, or Dell, and then go blank.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on March 24, 2023.
To fix this go into system recovery mode to do that:
- Restart your computer, and after about 5 seconds hold down the power button to turn it off again.
- Repeat this 3 times, and then wait, it will enter System Recovery Mode.
There are a few options such as doing a startup repair, a system restore from a system restore point, or restoring Windows from an external backup if you have created one. Refer to this page from Microsoft where they cover the different ways to recover your computer when you have a blank screen. It’s best to try one or two of these such as restoring from a system restore point, and if none of these work you will need to do a fresh install of Windows.
6. Peripherals have a glitch – unplug all
There are what are called computer peripherals, these are things like a USB mouse, USB flash drive, or a smartphone. When these are plugged in, they can cause Windows to get stuck with a blank screen.
Other things that can cause it are SD cards that are inserted into your PC, or DVDs or CDs in the disk drive. Unplug anything except for the power cable from your laptop, and then restart it. If it boots up then plug in the peripherals back in.
7. Hardware component has failed or faulty wiring
If you’ve tried all of the steps above then, it’s a hardware issue. One of the internal components on your laptop has failed. Such as, the motherboard, or the hard drive.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on March 24, 2023.
To fix it you will need to take it to a repair technician. But, it’s worth contacting your laptop manufacturer as the repair may be covered under warranty.
General Fix For MSI Laptop That Won’t Turn On
Laptops tend to run for many years before a hardware component fails, and it needs to be repaired or replaced. But, there are also software issues which can stop a laptop from working or turning on. This article has covered the reasons why a laptop won’t turn on and how to fix it.
In general, ensure it has enough charge by plugging it into a working power outlet for 15 minutes then try turning it on. If this isn’t the issue, take the battery out (if possible on your laptop model), and try turning it on with just the power cable. If it’s still not working do the steps below.
In some cases it can be a software issue, whereas, in others it is a hardware issue. Review all the points I have covered in the previous article section before you can be sure it’s a hardware issue, which you’ll need to have repaired by a computer repair person. Let’s dive in!
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on March 24, 2023.