General Boot Issue - Any Brand

For a computer that freezes upon startup

  1. Shut it down. If the power to the unit is active, let’s fully power it down. If the power does not shut off by simply pushing the power button, hold the power button for approximately 10 seconds to force a shut down.

  2. Remove any external USB devices. USB storage devices can sometimes cause booting issues.

  3. Choose booting options. In case the screen displays the “Windows” logo and asks you to choose an option for booting, read the directions carefully and make your choice.

  4. Restart your system in Safe Mode. Press F8 as your device reboots. This will take you to Safe Mode.

  5. Uninstall new software. Uninstall any new software or drivers that you installed or updated recently. This may automatically resolve the issue.

  6. If my computer isn't starting up, how am I supposed to check all these settings?
    • If the computer isn't booting to a state where you can access all of the settings (not booting to POST, operating system not working) there's probably something wrong with the hardware. 
    • If it's giving a video signal but not showing the usual splash screen, it's probably not passing POST and the memory may need to be reseated or failed and needs to be replaced. 
    • If it doesn't send a signal at all and beeps in an order (2 long beeps, 1 short, ECT) there's something wrong with something plugged into the computer. Reseat the ram by preceding to the next steps.

  7. If still having issues, shut down and unplug the computer. Open up the computer. Touch the metal part of the case, before you delve into your computer. This helps prevent electrostatic shock, which could potentially harm your system.

  8. Remove and reinstall components
    • Take out the memory module(s), graphics card and any additional PCI cards.
    • Remove the battery. This is located near the bottom of the motherboard.
    • Wait a couple of minutes, then reconnect each component, starting with a single stick of memory for each CPU bank.
    • If the unit boots properly, add another single memory DIMM per CPU bank and try booting again. Continue adding DIMMs one at a time to verify all memory sticks are working properly.
    • If you find any faulty sticks of RAM, those module(s) will need to be replaced.

     If you are still having boot issues, proceed to the Brand section to further troubleshoot the issue.