Dell Inspiron 5555 Troubleshooting

The laptop does not show any indication of life and will not turn on.

Make sure that the power adaptor is plugged into an electrical outlet and that it is completely inserted into the charging port of the laptop. If everything is completely plugged into an outlet and the laptop, then there may be a flaw with the power adaptor. Consider purchasing a brand new power adaptor and replacing the old one.

Remove the battery from the laptop and plug in the power adaptor. If the system powers on without the battery inside of the laptop, then there is an issue with the battery and it needs to be replaced for the laptop to operate wirelessly. If the system does not start, then a faulty motherboard is the cause of the power on problems, causing a need in a motherboard replacement.

The laptop does not hold power when not plugged in and dies at a fast rate.

The power adaptor to the laptop could be damaged, not allowing a proper charge. If there is a loose connection, the tip to the charger’s connector could be damaged, causing it to have an inconsistent connection. To prevent this, the cord from the power adaptor may have to be held in place to receive an optimal charge. Consider replacing the power adaptor tip, if possible. If the tip needs to be replaced, it is recommended that the entire power adaptor be replaced.

If the power adaptor is connected to the laptop in the charging port but there is a loose connection, the charging socket may be worn out. Therefore, the charging socket should be replaced.

The battery could be nearing its lifespan, not allowing it to hold a charge when it is done being charged. Consider a battery replacement.

The laptop will spontaneously shut down and reboot.

The main cause of random restarts on a laptop are due to an update on the software. Microsoft laptops, specifically will update monthly to scan the device and update the system as well as add new features ever so often. The user will be notified of the updated system upon completion. Once the update is complete, the user may continue, as long as there is no further instructions provided.

Computers will have an automatic restarting system incase of a hardware failure, or overheated circuits. Often times, computers will notify the user in instances such as these. Other reasons for an automatic restart of the device may consist of: external devices, overloaded graphics card, RAM malfunction, and also a faulty power supply. The first actions to take are to remove any external devices involved with the laptop. If the computer continues to restart on its own, the next actions are directed to the faulty power supply. If the battery is low, not charging or shown as an error, the user is to continue with the “LAPTOP WILL NOT POWER ON” section of the troubleshooting page. If these are not the sources of malfunction, the user is then directed to the “HARDWARE RELATED ISSUES” section of the troubleshooting page.

Laptop gets excessively hot and fan runs continuously causing it to run slower while in use, and laptop also shuts off randomly.

If the screen goes blue or black from excessive heat, turn off the laptop, allow to cool down and restart.

There could be excessive dust or other materials in the fans and vents of the laptop not allowing it to efficiently cool down, causing it to overheat. To fix this, use a can of compressed air to blow out the dust.  Blow compressed air through the intake fan so that the dust blows out through the exhaust vent. Repeat by blowing the air through the exhaust vent so the dust blows out of the intake fan. Repeat back and forth until there is no dust that blows out. Do this gently as to not damage the fan further. You can also take the laptop apart to access the fan in order to clean the fan without the compressed air which can sometimes cause the fan to get stuck.

If the fan stops spinning, check the wires inside the laptop to make sure they are all connected and plugged into the correct spots. If the wires are properly connected, the fan could be old and dying. Replace the fan with a new one.

If your laptop gets excessively hot and hot air i the heatsink might not be properly be carrying the heat away from the CPU (Central Processing Unit) causing the computer to overheat. You may have to clean the heatsink by taking the computer apart in order to access this part of the laptop. If this does not work you may need to replace the heatsink entirely in order to prevent further damage to your laptop from excess heat.

The user experiences LCD display or videos issue indicating distorted or horizontal and vertical lines.

It is important to verify if the issue is with the monitor, video card(GPU) or video settings on the laptop. To check that, try connecting your laptop with any TV and ensure the cables are firmly connected to the video ports to the laptop and the TV. If the screen on TV shows correct screen then it might be that you need to replace the display.

When acquaintance with the distorted screen, look for any damages with the device’s screen or  cables and make sure everything is clean and has no cracks. If there is something damaged inside or outside of the device you will need to replace that specific part to make the laptop work normal again.

Many times the laptop suffers from the distorted screen or horizontal lines issues only because of the software not being updated and slowing, losing its capability of use. The user should look for updates on Chipset driver, Video Card(GPU) driver and Monitor driver.

The keys on the keyboard do not respond to inputs or are broken.

Keyboards are made up of several keys, and have been known to break apart over time. Keyboard pieces often have crumbs, dust, dirt and other elements, which can easily fall between they keys. These elements have been known to cause input error. Follow these steps to replace the keyboard.

Laptop does not make any audio sound while playing anything.

If your laptop does not make any sound, first test your speakers. To test the speakers, try restarting your laptop and as the Dell logo comes up press F12. Second, select the “Diagnostics” options. The screen will show ePSA button, click that and look for  “Perform Quick Audio Check” in the main menu. Through “Perform Quick Audio Check” listen for the series of octave tones from the speakers. If there is no option for “Perform Quick Audio Check” start the ePSA test and when it asks for the color bars on the screen, deliberately fail the test by answering no. This will make a beep sound, listen for the beeps.

After the ePSA test and the color bar test, if the laptop does not make any sound, it means the speaker might have been unplugged from the motherboard. You should try to open the device and check for the plug between speaker and the motherboard. If the speaker is connected and the laptop still has an issue with the audio, you should replace the speaker as it has failed.

The fan spins at high speed and emits loud noises through the vents.

If the laptop is on for long periods of time, it can cause it to become hot. Therefore, the fans have to work harder to cool down the device. The best easy-fix solution for this issue is to give the computer a break by turning it off.

Blocked air vents restrict airflow and can seriously affect the performance of the laptop. To clean the air vents, you should start out by completely shutting down the PC. From there it is important to check for any obstructions or dust in the vents or fans. Once identified use a can of compressed air to blow out any dust or obstructions that are visible. From this point, position the laptop on a hard surface to allow proper ventilation when powering on.

To determine if there are any hardware problems with your PC, it is recommended to run a hardware diagnostics test. To begin with, start out by restarting the laptop. After restarting, when the Dell logo appears on your screen, press the “F12” key on your keyboard. From there you will be allowed to select “Diagnostics” with your arrows and click the Enter key when selected. From there follow the on screen instructions and answer the questions appropriately to complete the test. Once the test is complete you may regularly use the laptop. However, if the test fails make sure to copy the error and validation codes associated with the diagnostics test. Once you have the codes you can visit [http://Support Assist Pre-Boot System Performance Check|https://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/...] for more information.

There may be an issue with the service system on the specific laptop. If this is the case then it is recommended to download BIOS A04 from the Dell website. This download has been known to help with internal temperatures and loud fans.