a customer calls complaining their laptop won’t start: 90 Troubleshooting Interview Questions

Question

Answer ( 1 )

    0
    2023-04-28T06:59:16+00:00

    The customer calls complaining their laptop won’t start: 90 Troubleshooting Interview Questions

    What is the make and model of the laptop?

    The first question is always “What is the make and model of your laptop?” This will help you determine if the problem can be fixed in-house, or if it needs to be sent out for repair.

    If they don’t know or they tell you that it’s an old computer, ask them to check their sticker on the bottom of their laptop. It should have at least three things: manufacturer, model number and serial number (or date of purchase). If not all four are there then we need more information before proceeding with our troubleshooting process.

    How old is it?

    • How long have you had it?
    • How often do you use it?

    If the customer says “I got this laptop three years ago,” ask them how many hours a day they use it, and when they last turned it on. If the answer is, “I don’t know,” then ask what model number and serial number are printed on their computer’s case as well as where they bought it (if there is any information available).

    Is there a sticker on it with information on it?

    • Check for a sticker on it with information about the laptop.
    • Check for a sticker on the battery with information about the battery.
    • Check for a sticker on the power supply with information about the power supply.
    • Check for a sticker on the bottom of your laptop that has serial numbers or model numbers (and sometimes even warranty information).

    Does it have a battery icon in the bottom right corner?

    If you see a battery icon in the bottom right corner, it’s a laptop. If there is no battery icon, then it’s likely a desktop computer.

    If there is a battery icon but it isn’t charging (the light is red), then check these things:

    • Make sure that your power cord is plugged into both ends of their power supply and then into an outlet or surge protector (not just another computer).
    • Check if any other devices are plugged into this same outlet/surge protector and unplug them temporarily to see if that fixes things for you!

    Does the laptop stay on if you press the power button?

    If you suspect that the problem is with the battery, try plugging in the computer and seeing if it stays on. If it does, then it’s likely that the problem is with your battery or power cable.

    If the laptop turns off when you press the power button, there could be several reasons why this happened:

    • Your battery may be dead or dying (try using another known-good one)
    • The battery was removed while running on AC power (you should always disconnect from AC as soon as possible)

    Do you hear any beeps or other sounds when pressing the power button?

    When a customer calls complaining their laptop won’t start, it’s important to ask them if they hear any beeps or other sounds when pressing the power button. If you do hear beeps, it is important to find out what they mean. If you don’t hear any beeps, then there could be several reasons why this may have happened:

    • The customer might have accidentally muted their computer’s volume control panel. To unmute your computer’s speakers, simply click on Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound > Speaker Settings (or similar). Then select “Unmute All” or “Mute” as appropriate for your situation and try again with starting up your system.

    How does the computer get plugged in (power cable, wall outlet, etc.)?

    • What kind of power outlet is it?
    • Is it a wall outlet, or laptop power adapter?
    • Is the power cable plugged into the laptop or the wall outlet?

    Have you had this problem before? If so, when was the first time you experienced it and what happened then?

    Have you had this problem before? If so, when was the first time you experienced it and what happened then?

    The first time I experienced this problem was when my laptop would not start up. I did not know how to fix it at that time because I had just purchased my laptop and hadn’t used it yet. However, after taking some time off from using my computer, I decided to try again later on in the day and it worked fine!

    Is anyone else having the same problem at home or work with their laptops or computers in general?

    • Ask the customer if anyone else is having the same problem at home or work with their laptops or computers in general.
    • This could be a good time to ask about other computer issues and see if they know someone who has had the same problem.

    I hope this has helped you understand how to troubleshoot a laptop that won’t start.

Leave an answer