Solved: PC Won’t Turn on But Power Light Is On

If you find your PC won’t turn on but power light is on or motherboard light is on, don’t be panic. It could be for several reasons. What you can do is to follow this tutorial to resolve the “power supply light on, computer won't start” issue.

Posted by @Hedy July 24, 2024 Updated By @Hedy May 12, 2023

Why my PC won't turn on but power light is on?

It's a frustrating thing if you find your PC won't turn on but power light is on. There are a number of possible reasons behind this problem. One common possibility is that there is something wrong with the power supply including the internal power supply being faulty and not providing enough power to the PC.

Another possibility is the problem of motherboard itself. One of the components is too loose or faulty, leading to your PC failing to turn on with the light on. Also, a virus or malware infection and even a faulty fuse can also result in this issue.

In the following content, we’ll offer some methods to help you resolve the problem and turn on your computer successfully.

How to fix PC won’t turn on but power light is on?

Below are the six most common solutions for you to wake up your computer. Feel free to start with the one that seems the most appropriate to you.

▶ Fix 1. Check the power button

If your PC won't turn on but motherboard light is on, this is probably because you have trouble with your power button. Since not all motherboards have an onboard power button, you can ask the motherboard manual for help to locate the power button first.

Then, check if there is a faulty connection or any problems about the case. If necessary, you can replace the power button to fix the problem.

▶ Fix 2. Try a different cable

Remember to have a look at your power cable. If it is too loose or disconnected, it's likely to meet the "power supply light on computer won't start" problem. First, make sure the cord is firmly connected to the PC and the outlet. Second, try unplugging and re-plugging the cord.

If this action is not helpful, the cord itself may be the problem. Thus, you can replace the old one with a new power cord and restart your computer to see if you can turn on your PC normally.

▶ Fix 3. Try a different power source

If your computer is still failing to start up after checking the power button and changing a different cable, it possibly has a power issue. Then, you can try another power source.

All you need to do is to unplug the cord from the current power source and plug it into a working wall outlet. If it's your laptop not turning on but power light is on, ensure you plug the charger in and then begin to try a different power source.

▶ Fix 4. Check the Beeps

Usually, when you turn on your PC, you will hear a single beep coming from the motherboard, which indicates that everything goes well on the computer. However, if the beep is long and continuous, similar to Morse code, it probably means that the power supply is experiencing something wrong.

To troubleshoot it, you can check the computer's user manual or go to the manufacturer's website to figure out what the sounds of beep mean.

▶ Fix 5. Remove all peripheral devices

When you’re trying to fix the PC won't turn on but power light is on issue, you should eliminate all peripheral devices that may lead to the malfunction. If you keep finding your computer fails to start, disconnect everything and reboot the PC with just the keyboard and mouse.

If necessary, you can even remove the keyboard and mouse to erase the possibility that peripheral devices are the culprit. Switching on your PC with all empty ports is always helpful.

▶ Fix 6. Check the CMOS Battery

A faulty CMOS battery is a rarely noticed factor causing power supply light on, computer won't start. If the CMOS battery is old or broken, it may fail to offer enough power to the BIOS chip, which is responsible for the PC booting.

Therefore, try removing and reseating the battery to see if it can make a difference to fixing the problem. If the PC still has no response, you can try replacing the battery with a new one.

Bonus tip: Check partition and fix error after turning on the PC

After resolving the problem that PC won't turn on but power light is on, it's recommended to check your partition to remove all the potential errors that may cause a similar issue again. AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard is a free and all-in-one disk manager that can help you scan and fix the errors on the partition or disk. You can use it to keep you away from some unexpected problems to help get out of the tricky problems you are experiencing.

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Note: If you still cannot turn on your computer, you can create a bootable media to get into your system and use the feature to fix some system problems like rebuilding MBR, checking errors, or surface testing.

Step 1. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard on your PC. Right-click on the partition which you are going to check and choose "Advanced" > "Check Partition".

Step 2. Select the way of checking errors to perform. Here we choose the first one that can check partition and fix errors at the same time.

Step 3. The operation will be completed successfully in a few seconds or minutes. Click "OK" to finish the task.

Conclusion

What should you do if your PC won’t turn on but power light is on? You might be clear about the solutions after you finish reading this tutorial. Try the methods we introduced above to solve your problem quickly. In addition, a tip to help you avoid a similar situation is also provided in the article. In terms of data security, we also suggest you clone your system or hard drive to another drive for backup at a regular time.