My computer won't power on

I know it seems silly and should be obvious, but always check if it's plugged in. Even as techs, we forget to check the basics sometimes. I've also seen people do this as an office prank as it is so quick to perform.

  • If its a desktop make sure it's plugged in both to the wall as well as the back of the PC, try powering on
  • If its a laptop, make sure its plugged in, the charging light works when it is plugged in, and try powering on
  • If it's plugged into a docking station, make sure that is getting power. You can also try plugging the laptop in directly bypassing the docking station to see if that is causing the issue.
  • Make sure the outlet is getting power by trying another device.

My monitor is only showing an amber-colored light / only green or blue for a moment then back to amber.

  • Make sure that the computer itself is powered on.
  • Make sure that the input/source of the monitor is the same as expected with the computer. if it's not set correctly or to auto, it will not find the device
  • Try unplugging the video cable from the computer and back in, sometimes a driver has merely failed
  • Try connecting to a different monitor or docking station/monitor setup if possible.