Top 10 Common Laptop Issues and How to Fix Them at Home (2025 Edition – Sri Lanka)

By LankaFix Tech Tips & Trends
– Because fixing your laptop doesn’t always require a repair center.

Laptops are essential for students, professionals, entrepreneurs, and families across Sri Lanka. But with heavy daily use, even high-end models like HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, or Apple can face frustrating issues.

Before you rush to a service center, many laptop problems can be fixed at home with the right tools and knowledge.

Here’s your 2025 expert guide to the Top 10 Most Common Laptop Issues — and practical steps to fix them without spending a rupee (or at least without visiting a technician).

🧠 Table of Contents

1. Laptop Overheating
2. Slow Performance
3. Battery Not Charging
4. Wi-Fi Not Connecting
5. Black Screen on Startup
6. Keyboard Not Responding
7. Laptop Not Turning On
8. Unusual Noises or Beeps
9. USB Ports Not Working
10. Laptop Freezes or Randomly Restarts

🔥 1. Laptop Overheating

📍Common Symptoms:

• Fan runs constantly
• Laptop gets very hot near the keyboard or underneath
• Shuts down suddenly or throttles performance

✅ Fix at Home:

• Clean air vents using a blower or vacuum
• Place laptop on a hard, flat surface — avoid beds or cushions
• Use a cooling pad
• End background processes:
  Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Task Manager → End high CPU apps

🛠️ Tools:

• Air blower or small brush
• HWMonitor or CoreTemp (for checking heat levels)

📌 Ideal CPU temp: 45–70°C (Idle), under 90°C (Heavy use)

🐢 2. Laptop is Too Slow

📍Common Causes:

• Too many startup programs
• Full hard drive
• Malware or outdated software
• Lack of RAM

✅ Fix at Home:

• Disable startup apps:
  Task Manager → Startup → Disable unnecessary items
• Run Disk Cleanup:
  Start → Search “Disk Cleanup” → Select C: Drive
• Uninstall unused programs
• Use Antivirus scan (e.g., Malwarebytes Free)
• Upgrade to SSD or add more RAM (if possible)

💡 For older laptops, switching from HDD to SSD can give a 10x speed boost.

🔋 3. Battery Not Charging

📍Symptoms:

• Charger connected, but no charging
• “Plugged in, not charging” message
• Laptop shuts down when unplugged

✅ Fix at Home:

• Remove battery (if removable) → hold power button 30 sec → reconnect
• Update battery drivers:
  Device Manager → Batteries → Right-click → Update
• Try a different power socket or adapter
• Use genuine or high-quality third-party chargers

🎯 If the battery is older than 3 years, consider replacement.

🌐 4. Wi-Fi Not Connecting

📍Symptoms:

• No networks showing
• Connected, but no internet
• Disconnects frequently

✅ Fix at Home:

• Restart your router and laptop
• Run Windows Network Troubleshooter
• Update Wi-Fi drivers:
  Device Manager → Network Adapters → Update Driver
• Forget and reconnect to the network

💡 For unstable connections, use a USB Wi-Fi dongle as a temporary fix.

⚫ 5. Black Screen on Startup

📍Causes:

• Boot errors
• Hardware issues
• RAM or display problems

✅ Fix at Home:

• Hard reset:
  Remove battery → hold power button 30 sec → plug in and restart
• External display check:
  Connect to HDMI monitor to see if screen is dead
• RAM reseat:
  Open back panel → remove RAM → clean → reinsert

📌 If it beeps repeatedly, refer to BIOS beep codes to diagnose hardware faults.

⌨️ 6. Keyboard Not Responding

📍Symptoms:

• Some keys not working
• Entire keyboard unresponsive
• Random input glitches

✅ Fix at Home:

• Restart your laptop
• Clean keyboard with air blower
• Use an external USB keyboard to test
• Reinstall keyboard driver:
  Device Manager → Keyboards → Uninstall → Restart

🧼 If liquid is spilled — immediately turn off the laptop, disconnect battery, and let it dry for 48 hours.

⚠️ 7. Laptop Not Turning On

📍Possible Causes:

• Battery failure
• Power supply issue
• Motherboard or RAM fault

✅ Fix at Home:

• Remove charger + battery → hold power button for 30 sec
• Plug charger directly (without battery)
• Try a different charger
• Check power LED or charging light

🧠 If you hear fan or drive noise but no display, try external monitor or RAM reseating.

🔊 8. Strange Noises or Beeping

📍Types:

• Clicking (from HDD)
• Whining fan
• Repeating beeps on startup

✅ Fix at Home:

• Clean fan with blower
• Back up data if HDD clicks (sign of failure)
• Note beep codes (e.g., 3 short = RAM error)
• Check manufacturer manual for BIOS beep meanings

📌 Beeping is your motherboard’s way of asking for help — don’t ignore it.

🔌 9. USB Ports Not Working

📍Symptoms:

• Device not detected
• Power but no data transfer
• Only some ports working

✅ Fix at Home:

• Try different USB port/device
• Update USB drivers:
  Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus Controllers
• Power reset:
  Shutdown → unplug charger → hold power 30 sec → restart
• Disable USB Selective Suspend:
  Control Panel → Power Options → Change Advanced Settings

❄️ 10. Freezing or Random Restarts

📍Causes:

• Overheating
• Software corruption
• RAM or driver conflicts
• Malware

✅ Fix at Home:

• Check RAM: Run Windows Memory Diagnostic
• Scan for viruses with Windows Defender
• Boot into Safe Mode:
  Shift + Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced → Startup Settings
• Clean install OS (as last resort)

🧠 Frequent restarts = possible driver, malware, or power delivery issue.

🧰 Bonus: LankaFix Troubleshooting Toolkit

All tools are free or freemium, and ideal for home use.

🏠 When to Visit a Technician

Visit LankaFix or book a home visit if:

• 🔧 Your screen is cracked or has lines
• 🔋 Battery swollen or not detected at all
• 💾 Laptop keeps shutting down randomly
• 💻 No display even on external monitor
• 🧠 BIOS error codes or frequent blue screens

📞 Call 071 988 8848 or visit: www.lankafix.com/laptop-services

📚 Sources

• Microsoft Support – Windows Troubleshooting
• [HP/Dell/Lenovo User Forums & Diagnostic Tools]
• [CrystalDiskInfo & HWMonitor Benchmark Data]
• LankaFix Laptop Repair Logs (2023–2025)

🎯 Final Thought

Most laptop problems start small but become bigger if ignored. With the right tools and basic knowledge, you can fix many issues from home — and avoid costly delays.

Stay proactive, stay updated — and when you need expert help, LankaFix is just a call away.