How to Turn on a Laptop without a Power Button?

We are supported by readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

It doesn’t matter whether you are buying the best laptop under $800; you are going to witness signs of damage and deterioration over time with the laptop. It is predominantly common and something you need to be worried about. One of the most common issues that people face with such old laptops is that their power button stops working. This is way more common than one thinks it is. 

However, unless you are tech-savvy, it is very common for you to not know how to switch on and off the laptop or desktop using just the power button and that is perfectly alright. All you need to know about the different ways that we are going to list out for you.

Just ensure that you follow along and sort out the issue without any kinds of further complications.

How does a Laptop Power Button work?

Before we discuss the ways to switch on a laptop without a power button, let us discuss how a power button functions.

In general, make sure that your laptop has its battery intact and is connected to a power source in case the battery level is low. The electricity traverses through the circuits inside the laptop.

The primary function of the power button is to prevent the electricity from going beyond that. However, when a user presses down on the power button, its suppression is lifted and the electricity flows through the circuit, enabling you to switch on the laptop.

How can I install a new Power Button?

If your old power button isn’t working, you can install a new one on your device. Most of the users tend to rely on professionals to help them with this process. However, if you are someone who likes to tackle things on their own, we’d recommend that you follow the following installation guide that we have sorted out for you:

  • Start by turning over your laptop and take out the battery, AC adapter, and the back panel.
  • From there, you need to remove the RAM and the hard drive of the device.
  • Gently remove the keyboard bezel and take out the keypads.
  • From there, you need to remove the top patch and then look for the power switch.
  • Once you find it, you need to take out the power switch and then replace it with a new one.
  • Once you are satisfied with everything, you need to put back everything in its place.

Should I be worried when my laptop isn’t switching on?

If you find it hard to switch on your laptop, despite it being the best laptop under $500 or $1000, you need to ensure that you either check the functionality of the power button or the hardware inside.

Sometimes, it is the faulty hardware that ends up causing the entire ruckus. However, sometimes the battery is completely drained out, which can result in the device now switching on. So, make sure you check that too.

How to Turn on a Laptop without Power Button?

Now that we have discussed some of the important associated questions, it is time we move onto the main part of the article. How should one turn on their device if their power button is faulty? To be fair, the process isn’t as complicated as many people make it out to be.

Here, we will be discussing some of our favorite recommendations.

From the motherboard

Even if your power button is completely broken and isn’t working, this method can crack the problem. The associated steps aren’t as complicated. All you need to do is follow the steps below:

  • Start by unplugging your device from the charging cable.
  • Once done, open the laptop case and source the location of the power button.
  • Remove the button and then connect the pins underneath with any type of conductor.
  • The laptop will immediately turn on when the conductor comes in contact.

Make sure that you use this method only when your laptop’s battery is substantial and you don’t have to connect it to an external power source.

Using a keyboard

Not all but the majority of the laptops in today’s date come with this option wherein you can switch on the laptop from the keyboard. However, it isn’t enabled. You need to enable it from the settings on your device to enable you to switch on your device using that button in case something is wrong with the power button.

You need to check the BIOS settings and then change the same from there directly. We’d recommend getting professional help if you aren’t tech-savvy.

With Wall Socket or Extension

As weird as it might sound, this does work. This is particularly effective for leading electronic and tech brands like HP, Dell, ASUS, Acer, etc. This is a completely safe method, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your laptop for good.

Here’s what you need to do:

  • Search for the cable that connects the power button to the motherboard of the device.
  • Once done, you need to disconnect and leave the cable unplugged.
  • Remove the battery from the laptop and then plug in the laptop directly to a socket with power ON
  • Once done, place the battery back in and it should switch on the device.

With Lid

Another unusual yet effective way of switching on the laptop without a power button is with the lid. This is very common in MacBooks when the users switch off the lid of the device without shutting it down. What happens is when you do this; the laptop goes into Sleep mode, instead of being switched off.

Here are a few steps you can follow to change the settings:

  • Visit the BIOS settings in your device using the F2 or Del key
  • From there, navigate to the Advanced tab and then select “Power Management”
  • Under Power Management, you will find an option called “Power on while Open Lid”
  • Enable that setting and then click OK to confirm

Wake on LAN

Last on the list is to turn on the Wake on LAN. This involves a very complicated list of steps that you should get done by a professional. This is also because you need to configure the network card along with your laptop which requires additional skills.

FAQs

Should I replace my power button?

Yes, if your power button isn’t working optimally, we’d recommend changing it to a new one. That is the most viable and easiest option to make your device work again.

Can I use an external keyboard to turn on the laptop?

It is not a favorable option but some laptops do support the “Power On by Keyboard” option that you can enable to switch on the device.

Which steps work best to power on an HP laptop without a power button?

The external keyboard or Wake on LAN functions works the best for HP laptops. However, we’d still recommend getting the hardware checked.

Conclusion

If you are tired of the power button malfunctioning in your laptop, we hope this article gives you all the answers that you are looking for. In case nothing works, it is better to get it checked by professionals to find the cause of the issues.

Contents