My computer/monitor won’t turn on at all – what do I check first?
Don’t panic, we can figure this out. First, make sure the monitor actually has power and is turned on, then double-check that the cable between the monitor and computer is snug.
Quick things to check first
- Look for a little light on the front or bottom edge of the monitor. If there’s no light, press the power button, flip the switch on the back if it has one, and make sure it’s plugged into a working wall outlet.
- Follow the power cable from the monitor to the wall and the video cable from the monitor to the PC. Unplug both, blow any dust out, and plug them back in tight. If the power cord pulls out of the back of the monitor, swap it with your PC’s power cable to see if that fixes it.
- Hold your PC’s power button down for ten seconds to force it off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. Sometimes a power blip—like a sudden outage when you’re gaming—puts the computer to sleep and it just needs a hard reboot.
- If you have a spare monitor or a TV with the right port, plug your PC into it. If the spare screen works, your old monitor got fried by the power surge.
If that didn’t fix it
- Turn on the PC and listen closely. Do you hear the fans spinning up and see the lights on the case? If it’s totally dead, try plugging the PC directly into the wall instead of a power strip.
- While the PC is running, check your keyboard. Press the Caps Lock key and see if the light on the key turns on and off. If it does, your computer is actually alive and thinking, but the graphics card or monitor is the issue.
- Open the side panel of the PC and make sure the graphics card is pushed down securely and its power cables are connected. WARNING: Unplug the PC from the wall before touching anything inside to avoid a nasty shock, and ground yourself by touching the bare metal case so static doesn’t fry your parts.
When to call a pro
If you smell burning plastic or see scorch marks coming from the PC or monitor, unplug them immediately and call a pro. If your computer won’t turn on at all even after swapping wall outlets and power cables, or if it turns on but repeatedly beeps in a pattern, you likely have a dead power supply or motherboard and should bring it in.
Pro tip
Next time, plug your PC and monitor into a good surge protector or a UPS battery backup. That way, when the power drops out while you’re playing Elden Ring, your rig stays safe and you don’t lose your progress or your hardware.