PC Build – How to Fix a PC that won’t boot – DIY in 5 Ep 112

Here are the most common problems you might encounter when your computer will not start up and how you might be able to fix it.

Failing Self-Test
You’ve probably heard the term “POST” before in reference to PCs. It stands for “Power on Self-Test” and it refers to a series of self-diagnostic tests a PC will run upon first powering on. Both Mac and Windows computers will run these tests and if everything succeeds, your computer will boot up as normal. When building your own PC, getting your PC to post is a huge achievement because it means the build was successful. If the POST process encounters an error, it will not start, and you’ll need to figure out why. Most of the time, you will get an error code which will be a sequence of beeps. Check your motherboard manual for beep code meanings or Google the model number and beep codes or the number of beeps.

Is it Plugged In?
We hate to say it, but make sure you plugged it in. Fans should be spinning, lights should come on, etc. If none of that happens, you know you have a power-related issue. If everything seems to be working except your fans, your computer will not power up in order to protect the components from overheating thanks to multiple protection circuits on most motherboards.

Will Not Boot After Installing New Hardware
If you’ve just replaced any hardware components in your PC, remove them one by one to see if perhaps the new hardware is messing you up. If it is, that may mean that the hardware is defective or not compatible.

A Brand-New Build Will Not Power Up
If you have a brand-new build, make sure all your cable connections are in the correct spots and secured tightly. This is a common mistake among many new PC builders.

An Old PC Will Not Boot
If this is an older build and your motherboard has a BIOS chip, that can become loose over time and cause post problems. Open your case and lightly press down on the BIOS chip to make sure it’s not loose.

Memory Errors
One of the most common post problems is a memory error. This could be an issue with a bad memory module or improper installation, and you may be able to fix the issue by taking the memory out one by one and reinstalling it. If you can get it to boot with even one or more sticks, you might have some bad memory and, in that case, if it’s new, hit up that warranty! Since we’re Team Kingston, we’ll let you know that all Kingston memory comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty. If you can get the memory to work in one slot but not another, you may have a defective motherboard.

Try Safe Mode
If your computer POSTs, but won’t boot up afterward, you should try booting up your computer in safe mode by hitting the F8 key on your keyboard right as your computer starts up. This will start up your computer with the bare minimum software running and if it starts up successfully, you know there’s some software issue at play, perhaps a driver, spyware or a virus. Some antivirus programs might have their own boot disk that will let you scan and clean your PC without booting into Windows. If safe mode doesn’t work either, you can use the startup repair tools built into the Advanced Options in the Safe Mode menu. If that doesn’t work, you may need to do a full operating system reinstall.

If you’ve got a problem not solved by any of the fixes mentioned in this video, leave it in the comments and we’ll see if we can help.

[uwu_shugoki]

fans are running, leds are on, safe mode doesn’t work, no display, it’s in a coma like state, everything is on and is running but it won’t boot

[UnholyMicrowave]

That F8 comment you mentioned was the best thing ive ever heard in my life... finally got windows to open thank you, you are a gem of a human being this was my second build and the last one was over a decade ago I have a working OS now its been 9 hours of building struggles bios flashbacks missing screws and so on and this completed that. I love you and hope you have a nice day.

[akizgamr]

Hi, I just built my first pc. When I pressed the power button everything started working fine, apart from a red led on the vga status. However the monitor turned on and sent me to the menu to set up my bios. I tried to press F2 or F12 but the keyboard seemed not to work. I also tried to change the keyboard but that was not the problem. Regarding the red led I searched on YouTube some videos but none of them worked. Now I am here with my new pc and I can’t use it because I can’t set up my bios, what should I do?

[FrostTitanYT]

I LOVE THESE VIDEOS SO MUCH. Thank you for all the pc info😊

[joey_lewis]

I cleaned my PC the other day because it was dirty. When I turned it back on it wouldn’t boot windows to my SSD and I got a new NvMe chip and it worked except when I play my games they are running at half the frames they should be. And my bios says it’s operating at 126 degrees. Any tips? Thanks !

[nasirspartan]

I need help when I start my pc it lights up fans on fine and sometimes it goes threw the whole booting process fine but like 6 months ago it started just not displaying anything and I can fix it sometimes but not all the time I try to make it go on safe mode and nothing happens I’ve tried taking my ram out and putting it back in and it works but then when I opened a game it crashed and I had to restart and now I can’t play anything please help

[xanni-]

I took a look at my Lenovo thinkstations cpu and when I tried to turn my pc on after I put it back together my pc would turn on but it wont show picture and after 10 minutes it turns off. I got told to clean my ram but it didn’t work. I don’t know how to fix this please help me .

[matheoschoutteten]

My pc works (fans spin, all parts are recognized in my bios) but when i select my eufi stick as boot system and save it, my pc only shows the windows logo forever. What can i do to get into windows?

[sagarsindhwani]

What does 5 short beep with yellow power light on hp cpu means

[kumarpandule]

I have a one issue with my computer no longer boots up any os.Then i decided to reinstall os but my pc not booting any boot setup.means the pc is only showing circular progress bar.

[PEDoers]

I always look for a possible PSU short, especially if there are SATA power connectors with the lands showing, or if the unit has Molex connectors, since they stick out a little beyond the plastic connectors sometimes and can short against a random piece of case metal.

[MDMAliK]

Hi...i built My PC and it stucked on Bios Screen .its showing me very old version of BIoS.idk what to do next.not accepting Windows to ahead.Please help me.
thanks

[AngryGuppy]

what if it doesnt at all or its plugged in and it turns its self on and off i have to different comps. do that

[im_wae]

do i do a reinstallation because my pc powers on but after trying all of the repair tools it would not boot up to windows

I have a Lenovo M93P all in one desktop, every time I turn on the PC the fan spins for 2 seconds and then stop and the Lenovo logo shows up and stays there. Please help

[alf]

Please someone help. I just upgraded my cpu and gpu, I plug everything in turn the power switch on and nothing happens, no fans spin. The only thing that does happen is a small yellow light shows underneath the motherboard and on the PCI slot

[LordVicki]

Hey Trish., How often should I reapply thermal paste on the processor ? 👈⁉

[tonycloud]

my HP lap top suddenly stopped while working on a word file and thereafter would not boot, it would go up to the windows icon and again come back to the set up menu. the fans do not seem to be running and it seems to be trying to start the CD rom as the sound keeps on coming from the cdrom motor. pl advise me . thanks. Anthony

[adityachavan]

Hey plz help i just accedently unknowingly and unintentionally deleted my boot partition of my pc so now it won't boot can you help me

[skammuh]

Can anyone help me? My pc loads up and says please press “DEL” to enter UEFI Bios and when I press “DEL” it doesn’t do anything but then when I got to my pc on my motherboard has a red light where it says SATA 6GB/s