Dell Inspiron 14-5447 Troubleshooting

Computer does not appear to turn on when pressing the Power button.

Make sure all cords are connected properly and your power outlets are functional. Give your laptop 10 minutes to charge to ensure your charger or AC input is not the cause.

The motherboard is one of the most important components of a computer. If your laptop's motherboard is damaged, it must be replaced before the laptop can turn on. Follow this guide to replace it.

The laptop is not charging when plugged in.

Your charger may be malfunctioning or broken. If there are damaged wires inside the cord, then the charger will not supply power to the laptop properly. Damage to the wall plug and the laptop plug will also result in a faulty charger. Inspect the cord, input plug, and output plug. If the power supply brick has a light, the charger is broken if the light is off when plugged into the wall. If your charger is broken, you will need to purchase another one.

Check inside the AC input on the left side of the laptop (The circular plug). Use a flashlight if necessary to check if there’s any dirt inside the AC input. If the AC Input needs to be cleaned, use a compressed air canister, or gently scrape the inside with a toothpick or paperclip to remove dirt and dust buildup.

If the laptop still will not charge, the system may not recognize that the charger is connected. Power on your laptop and click on the battery symbol on the lower right side of the Taskbar. A small window should appear. If the text "Plugged in, but not charging" appears in this window, the BIOS (basic input/output system) may need to be updated. To update your BIOS, follow this link, and enter your service tag/ product ID or click on Detect Product. Select your Operating System and download the appropriate BIOS. If your charger is working, the AC input is not clean, and updating your BIOS did not solve the problem, however, it is likely that your system has a faulty battery that must be replaced.

Computer is running programs abnormally slow and not responsive.

Keeping a computer on for long periods of time may cause certain programs to expand in RAM use. This is called a "memory leak". One of the best solutions is simply turning off the computer and turning it on again. Find the Settings icon, then click or press the Power icon and select the "Shut down" option.

If memory leaks persist, find your computer diagnostics to manually find any memory issues that can be occurring. If any issues are found the computer will restart automatically and show you a report when your computer is finished restarting. Problematic software may need to be reinstalled or uninstalled completely.

Ignoring updates to the Operating System may cause slow performance. Prior to updating your software be sure to have your computer charging and connected to internet. Now, find the Settings icon and click or tap on it. After this click or tap on Change PC Settings > Update and Recovery > Windows Update > Check Now. Do NOT turn off your computer while it is updating.

An overloaded hard drive can cause a computer to run sluggishly. Open the Windows Explorer and browse for folders and files that you know are no longer needed. Uninstall all applications that are not or will not be used.

Viruses and Malware can overload RAM and cause other memory issues, as well as corrupt your PC. Scan and Clean your computer to remove any possible malware. Then, safely wipe your hard drive or SSD to ensure no virus has leaked over to your hardware.

If the laptop gets very hot to the touch while running, it is overheating. This may cause slow performance and even damage to other components of the laptop. In order to fix slow performance on account of overheating, and prevent damage to the laptop, the fan and inside must be cleaned. Follow this guide to open up the laptop and find the fan. This guide also shows the steps that must be taken to remove the fan in case it is damaged.

Laptop unable to connect to connect to your wireless router/modem.

Routers do not power on by themselves- most have switches that need to be turned on. If a router is off, the network will not be functional. Make sure your router/modem is powered, showing correct blinking lights that it’s connected according to the guide for your router/modem.

Laptops and PCs have the option to not sense networks if requested. If your Wi-Fi icon on the lower right side is either not showing or grayed out, press the combination (Fn + PrtScn) or button on the top right of your keyboard that shows PrtScn and Wi-Fi icon, or click on the bottom right of the screen where the Wi-Fi icon is as and click/slide the switch.

If the laptop is not already set to automatically connect to a network, you will need to manually connect to it. Click on the Wi-Fi icon on the lower right of your screen, and wait for your laptop to find your router/modem. The username and the password should be displayed under the router/modem. Before you connect to it, make sure to check the option that says "Connect automatically".

Out-of-date drivers can cause a variety of problems. Wi-Fi cards require drivers to function, and if your drivers are out of date they may not allow the card to connect properly. Updating and downloading extra wireless card drivers will require visiting Intel’s website and installing the correct drivers for your system.

If the Wi-Fi is still faulty, it may be a sign that the router itself needs an update. With the laptop connected to the router, login into your router administration setting on your computer by putting your router's IP address in the search bar. To access the IP address, search “run” , and a window will prompt what to open. Type in "cmd", then "ipconfig" in the next window. Your IP should be the Default Gateway.

It is possible that the laptop's BIOS is not recognizing the Wi-Fi card. If this is the case, the BIOS will need to be updated. To update your BIOS, click on this link, and enter your service tag/ product ID or click on Detect Product. Select your Operating System and download the appropriate BIOS. Having unresponsive connection to your router will further need replacement of wireless card.

The Laptop’s touchpad is acting overly sensitive, or not working at all.

Sometimes, if a device’s drivers are out of date, the hardware may begin to malfunction. If this is the case, updating the driver may fix the problem. Open your computer’s System Settings and go to “Devices” in the menu. Open up the Device Manager and click on “Mice and pointing devices”. Right-click the touchpad’s name in the Device Manager and select “Update Driver Software”.

If other pointer software is installed on the laptop, it may be clashing with the touchpad’s ability to control the mouse. After making sure you know what touchpad drivers you need, try disabling or removing the software and drivers of other pointer devices from the Device Manager.

If updating the drivers does not solve the problem, the issue lies in faulty hardware. One way to work around the faulty hardware is to cover the touchpad with tape. Some customers have reported that plastic and phone covers solve the touchpad’s sensitivity issues completely. However, if the touchpad is not working at all, or if the touchpad continues to act overly sensitive under coverings, it will need to be replaced.