How to Power Cycle Your Laptop
Complexity: Intermediate | Time: 10 min
A power cycle completely discharges any remaining electrical power stored within your laptop's motherboard. This can help resolve issues caused by residual electrical charge, such as startup problems, display issues, or hardware not responding correctly.
This guide will walk you through performing a power cycle on your laptop. The process is similar for most modern laptops with an internal battery.
Why Should I Perform a Power Cycle?
You may need to power cycle your laptop if you experience:
• Laptop not powering on correctly
• Black screen when turning the laptop on
• Keyboard or touchpad not responding
• USB devices not being detected
• Random hardware or startup issues after a shutdown or update
A power cycle clears any remaining electrical charge and allows the hardware to initialise correctly the next time the laptop starts.
Important Notes
• Always disconnect the charger before disconnecting the battery
• Handle internal components carefully and avoid touching exposed circuitry
• Do not use metal tools to disconnect the battery connector
• If your laptop still does not power on after completing a power cycle, further troubleshooting may be required
Steps to Power Cycle Your Laptop
Shut Down the Laptop
• Turn off your laptop completely
• Unplug the AC adaptor and any connected peripherals, such as USB devices, monitors, or external drives
Remove Bottom Cover
• Turn the laptop over
• Using a suitable Phillips head screwdriver, remove the screws securing the bottom cover
• Carefully lift the cover using a plastic pry tool or an old plastic card if necessary
Disconnect the Battery
• Find the battery cable connecting the battery to the motherboard
• Gently disconnect the battery cable by holding the connector and moving it slightly from side to side while pulling it away from the motherboard. Do not pull on the wires
Discharge any Remaining Power
• With the battery still disconnected, press and hold the power button for 15 seconds
• Reinsert the battery connector firmly into the motherboard
Reinstall the Bottom Cover
• Once complete, place the cover back on from the RGB strip to the IO ports (the video/HDMI or USB ports near the screen), and press down evenly around the chassis to lock it into place
• Reinstall the screws and reconnect the power adaptor
• Power on your laptop and see if the issue is resolved
What's Next?
After power cycling your laptop, check if the issues persist. If problems continue, consider further troubleshooting with the following guides:
• Minimal Peripheral Setup Guide (Easy)
If you need further assistance or have any questions, feel free to reach out for additional support - we're always happy to help!
