What do you do if your Windows 10 wont turn on?

You sit down at your computer, push the power button just like you do every day, and...nothing happens. Maybe the computer doesn't turn on at all, maybe it powers up but shuts right down, or maybe all you get is a blue screen. There's nothing obviously wrong here, so why won't the computer just start? Here are some troubleshooting steps to take.

Table of Contents Show

Give It More Power
Things to try first
1. Disconnect accessories and make sure your Surface is charged
2. Wake it up with keyboard and tablet shortcuts
3. Force a restart
Did your Surface turn on?
If your Surface still won’t turn on or start, submit a service order
How do I fix Windows 10 that won't turn on?
How do I turn on Windows that won't turn on?
How do I fix my computer not turning on?
How do I force my computer to start?

Give It More Power

Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn't get grease on his mechanical keyboard.

If your Surface won’t turn on, turns on then off, or starts and gets stuck on a screen—a black screen, a screen with a logo, or another screen—here's what you can try to get it working again.

Applies to

The info on this page applies to the following devices:

Surface Book 3, Surface Book 2, Surface Book, Surface Go 3, Surface Go 2, Surface Go, Surface Laptop SE, Surface Laptop Studio, Surface Laptop Go 2, Surface Laptop Go, Surface Laptop 4, Surface Laptop 3, Surface Laptop 2, Surface Laptop (1st Gen), Surface Pro X, Surface Pro 8, Surface Pro 7+, Surface Pro 7, Surface Pro 6, Surface Pro (5th Gen ), Surface Pro 4, Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 2, Surface Pro (1st Gen), Surface Studio 2, Surface Studio (1st Gen), Surface 3.

Things to try first

Disconnect accessories and make sure your Surface is charged
Wake it up with keyboard (Ctrl+Shift+Win+B) and tablet shortcuts
Force a restart, by pressing the power button for 20 seconds

1. Disconnect accessories and make sure your Surface is charged

Accessories that you’ve connected to your Surface might be preventing it from turning on. Here’s how to check if that's the problem:

Disconnect any USB drives, SD cards, USB accessories, external monitors, the Type Cover, or anything else you’ve connected to your Surface. If you're using Surface Dock, unplug your Surface from it. Try to turn on your Surface—if that works, the accessory may be the problem.
If that didn't work, connect the power supply that came with your Surface.
When your Surface is plugged in with the original power cord, charge it for 15 minutes. Then press the power button to turn on your Surface. If the power connector light doesn’t turn on, or if it flashes, see Surface battery won’t charge or Surface won't run on battery.

2. Wake it up with keyboard and tablet shortcuts

If recharging your Surface didn’t wake it up, here’s a couple other things to try.

Connect to a keyboard or use an integrated keyboard. Then press the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B.
If you're in tablet mode, quickly press the volume-up and volume-down buttons simultaneously three times.

3. Force a restart

If your Surface still didn't turn on after charging it and trying the keyboard and tablet shortcuts, you can try to force a shutdown, then restart. Here's how:

Press and hold the power button until the logo screen appears (about 20 seconds). See Force a shut down and restart your Surface for more info.

After your Surface restarts, we recommend you do the following to help make sure your device is performing its best:

Get the latest updates for Surface and Windows. For more info, see Download drivers and firmware for Surface.
Use the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit.

Did your Surface turn on?

If your Surface turned on, but is stuck on one of the screens below, select that screen to view additional troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue.
If your Surface doesn't turn on at all, your device needs to be sent to Microsoft for repair or replacement. For more details, check If your Surface still won't turn on or start, submit a service order.

Stuck on Microsoft or Surface logo

Choose an option

Surface UEFI boot error

Preparing Automatic Repair

Recovery screen

Microsoft logo with drive icon

Enter the system password

Red bar with an unlocked lock icon

Large battery icon

If your Surface still won’t turn on or start, submit a service order

There's one last step you can take.

If these steps don't resolve the problem, you can submit a service order to Microsoft to access available repair or replacement options. Go to Device Service and Repair, register, and then select your Surface to start a service order.

How do I fix Windows 10 that won't turn on?

Windows 10 Won't Boot?.

Try Windows Safe Mode. ... .

Check Your Battery. ... .

Unplug All Your USB Devices. ... .

Turn Off Fast Boot. ... .

Check Your Other BIOS/UEFI Settings. ... .

Try a Malware Scan. ... .

Boot to Command Prompt Interface. ... .

Use System Restore or Startup Repair..

How do I turn on Windows that won't turn on?

Start your PC in safe mode.

Hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your computer..

Press the power button again to turn it on..

When you see Windows trying to start, hold down the power button until your device turns off..

Press the power button again to turn it on..

Repeat steps 3 and 4..

How do I fix my computer not turning on?

Make sure any surge protector or power strip is correctly plugged into the outlet, and that the power switch is on. Plug in other devices to the power strip and confirm they are operating properly. Double-check that your PC's power supply on/off switch is on.

How do I force my computer to start?

Unplug your computer and plug it directly into a wall outlet you know is working, rather than a power strip or battery backup that may be failing. Make sure the power switch on the back of your power supply is flipped on, and if the outlet is connected to a light switch, make sure that switch is turned on too.