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Windows 10 Quick Tips – Computer Won’t Start

Windows 10 Complexity

windows-10-lines-of-code
Source ~ Information Is Beautiful

Considering Windows 7 and XP are made up of an estimated 40 million lines of code, and Vista having 50 million, it isn’t a huge leap to expect that Windows 10 approaches maybe 60 million? To put this in perspective, the amazing United States Space Shuttle carried cargo and people running on roughly 400 thousand lines of code. One million lines of code is approximately 18,000 pages of printed text.

It boggles the mind to comprehend how Microsoft is able to manage this incredibly complex system. More so, it is a wonder to me that it works at all!

Given these tidbits of information, it should come as no surprise that Windows 10 has its occasional problems.

Troubleshooting

This is Quick Tips, after all, so we’ll only be touching upon a couple of simple fixes for a couple of simple, easy-to-troubleshoot problems.

Computer Won’t Start

If you turn on your system and nothing happens, then check the following:

  • Is it plugged in? Check all the power connections
  • Check the Power Supply switch on the back of the computer. Make sure it is flipped to the “1” position
  • Remove any discs from the CD/DVD drive
  • On a laptop, make sure the battery is plugged in correctly and the AC power supply is connected securely
  • Make sure your monitor(s) are turned on and connected properly and cables are firmly seated– power cables, too

The above check list may seem painfully obvious but, from personal experience, I can tell you these types of things happen. I once got a call from a frantic customer. After traveling 20 miles to her office, I plugged in her office computer. Job finished. And, yes, she did get billed at the going rate.

Keyboard And/Or Mouse Don’t Work

If your Keyboard and/or your Mouse use USB connections, then try unplugging, then re-plugging them. Make sure the plugs are seated firmly. Windows will typically make a sound when it detects a USB device being connected/disconnected.

If that doesn’t work, try a different port or an altogether different USB cable. It is unusual, but USB ports can break (both electronically and physically). So, too, can the cables go bad.

Note: USB ports are considered to be so-called ‘Hot-plugs’. This means you can safely plug/unplug them while the power is on.

ps2-connection-portsWarning: If you are using devices that connect via the round PS/2 ports, it is vital that you do not connect/disconnect them while the power is on. You risk ‘frying’ motherboard components by doing so.

Green is usually for the Mouse while Purple is for the Keyboard. The cables ends are typically color-coded in a like manner although I have seen the odd exception.

Deeper Troubles

If you are experiencing more complex problems, such as Disk Error Messages or Blue Screens of Death, those subjects will have to be deferred to more in-depth articles.

Do you have any Quick Tips for Windows 10 users? Are there any Quick Tips articles you would like to see covered here? Let us know,

Richard

 

10 thoughts on “Windows 10 Quick Tips – Computer Won’t Start”

  1. Pulling the battery out of a laptop for a few seconds often resolves some start up issues,
    A boot disc also is a great trouble shooting resource because it can indicate other possible causes..eg hard drive failure
    I have removed RAM and cleaned terminals with electronic spay on cleaner which has often resulted in a no go computer springing basack to life.
    I have heaps of other tricks ..but this will do as examples.

  2. Roger Esquivel

    do you guys know anything about this…got this new computer with windows 10…it was fine until yesterday when windows did some new updates…after that my computer is been rally slow…and sounds like is running programs but I don’t know…you guys have any idea/?? is probably just me

    1. Richard Pedersen

      Hi Roger,

      Without knowing anything abut your system, it’s darn difficult to guess what the problem may be.

      Hit the “WinKey + I” to bring up the Task Manager. Dig around in there and try to find something that’s using a lot of CPU cycles.

      Sorry, but that’s the best I can do with limited information,
      Richard

  3. Speaking of mice, I recently replaced my (USB) mouse (it wouldn’t react smoothly when I did a ‘copy hilight’) with a new one which actually solved my problem. However, it introduced a new one: it endlessly searched for a new mouse driver (even though the old driver that was installed seemed to work just fine). Any idea how I can tell my OS (Vista) to stop searching for a different driver since I don’t need one!?!

    Thanks in advance to all who reply.
    Dan

    1. Richard Pedersen

      Hi Dan,

      What makes you think you don’t need a new driver? You installed a new mouse, did you not? New hardware generally means new drivers.

      Where Mice are concerned, Microsoft installs a generic driver but, the manufacturer’s driver will give you many more options and perquisites. Did you get a driver disc with that mouse? If so, use it.

      Go into Device Manager, uninstall the current mouse drivers, and let Windows find the right ones for you. Or go to the mouse manufacturer’s web site and download the drivers yourself. The better choice,really.

      Speaking of out-dated drivers, how about that out-dated Operating System– Vista? Really?

      Happy surfing,
      Richard

      1. What can I do – M$ didn’t allow me to run with the pack and get the free upgrade to Win 10, so I’m stuck with Vista.
        BTW, that mouse driver problem which I described is no longer an issue.

        Danny

        1. Richard Pedersen

          Hi Dan,

          Vista did not qualify to get the free Windows 10 upgrade.

          Sorry, but you’ll have to dig into your wallet a bit,
          Richard

  4. Windows Key + I does not bring up “Task Manager” – it brings up Windows 10 Settings.

    CTRL+SHIFT+ESC brings up Task Manager. CTRL+ALT+DELETE brings up a menu from which you can choose Task Manager. Windows Key + X brings up a menu from which you can choose Task Manager. And, of course, you can right-click an empty area of the taskbar and choose Task Manager. Or you could open a Run command (Windows Key +R) and type taskmgr and press Enter. But Windows Key I will not open Task Manager.

    1. Richard Pedersen

      Hi Alvid,

      You are right, of course, but where in this article are those Hotkeys mentioned? Did you read the article? Even a little bit?

      You find ’em and I’ll fix ’em,
      Richard

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