How to Fix It When a Lenovo Laptop Isn't Working

If a restart doesn't work, try unplugging peripheral devices and restarting

By
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Molly McLaughlin
Senior Editor & Content Strategist
    Molly K. McLaughlin has been a technology editor and writer for over a dozen years. She runs product reviews for Lifewire, overseeing the process from hands-on testing to publishing.
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    Updated on November 20, 2023
    Reviewed by
    Michael Barton Heine Jr
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    Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
      Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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      Microsoft

      This article outlines the most common issues that can happen to your Lenovo laptop and how to troubleshoot and fix them. Before you proceed, restart your computer, if you can, and see if that resolves the issue. Otherwise, try the tips below.

      Common Lenovo Laptop Issues

      When your Lenovo laptop is not working, it can be due to problems with the operating system, software, or hardware. 

      Here are the most common issues you might come across:

      • Audio and visual: Your microphone and speakers can stop working because you muted them or because of problems with the drivers or software. The built-in webcam can also malfunction.
      • Keyboard and touchpad: The keyboard or touchpad can stop responding, or keys can break.
      • Performance: Sometimes, the laptop might overheat or slow down to a crawl. 
      • Display: You see nothing on the screen, a black screen, flickering, or something else.
      • Power/battery: The laptop might not charge or turn on, or the battery might not hold a charge very long.

      How to Fix a Broken Lenovo Laptop

      You can fix a lot of problems without expertise or consulting tech support. To try fixing your laptop at home, follow these steps in order. But first, restart the computer if you can.

      1. Troubleshoot the microphone. Whether the mic is not working at all, or if there are audio issues, you can likely fix it.

      2. Test the laptop's speakers. Most issues with speakers, beyond severe damage, are fixable.

      3. Test the built-in camera. Try these troubleshooting steps to figure out why your camera won't work. It could be that the wrong camera is selected in your app.

      4. Fix keyboard issues. If your keyboard stops responding or some keys aren't working, there could be an easy fix unless there's hardware damage.

      5. Unplug external devices. If your laptop won't boot into Windows, it could be because it's trying to start from a different device. If unplugging these items fixes the problem, adjust the BIOS boot order.

      6. If the computer is sluggish, figure out why it's slow. Solutions include checking for malware and editing startup items.

      7. Repair the touchpad. If it's not responding or acting erratically, there are a few causes and solutions.

      8. Safely cool off a laptop that is overheating. Sometimes it's a matter of dust removal or relocating the computer.

      9. Figure out power and battery problems. These issues include when your laptop doesn't turn on, the battery isn't detected, or the battery doesn't charge.

      10. Diagnose your display. You might see nothing on the screen, a black screen, flickering, and more. These issues are often fixable either by you or an expert. Start by troubleshooting a black screen or investigating screen flickering.

      11. If you have multiple issues or just one that you can't fix, consider factory resetting your Lenovo laptop. Use this as a last resort—it's extreme and irreversible. However, it can often resolve an array of stubborn issues.

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