how to turn on laptop without power button

Laptops like most products deteriorate over a period of use; therefore when a part like the power button stops working, don’t be surprised. It is difficult to know offhand how to turn on a laptop without a power button and our guide covers tips on how to work around this.

To turn on a laptop without the power button you can use an external keyboard for Windows or enable wake-on-LAN for Windows. For Mac, you can enter clamshell mode and use an external keyboard to wake it up.

Don’t already have an external keyboard?

This is the one that we highly recommend:

Rii RK907 Ultra-Slim Compact USB Wired Keyboard

Turning On Laptop Without a Power Button [Step By Step]

There might be several reasons why your laptop fails to come on after tapping the power button several times. In such a scenario, you have to confirm that it is a hardware fault of the button itself.

Below, we explain some methods to try and if none of them work, then there might be something else wrong with the system.

Turn On a Windows Laptop Without Power Button Using An External Keyboard

Making use of a keyboard to power on a laptop is a setting that most laptops have. However, by default, this is always disabled. Prior to the power button developing faults, the user or owner should have taken preventive measures by enabling this feature to ensure the use of this method.

Enabling the use of an external keyboard to power on the laptop

To enable the use of an external keyboard to power on the laptop, you need to first access the BIOS settings. The steps are explained below:

Step 1a: Enter BIOS settings using F2 during startup

When you boot your PC, you will see the option to enter the advanced menu by either pressing the “F2” key or “DEL” key

Or 

Step 1b: Enter BIOS settings using F2 during startup

You may already have your system on so instead of shutting down again to access the BIOS Setting, use the steps below:

Step 1b.1: Go to the “Settings” option in the “Start” menu

Step 1b.2: Select the option for “Update & Security” 

Step 1b.3: Read through the options on your left and select “Recovery” 

Step 1b.4: You will see a tab open with two sections.

Step 1b.5: Select “Restart Now” under “Advanced Setup”

Step 1b.6: A new window will pop up

Step 1b.7: Choose “Troubleshoot” 

Step 1b.8: Select the “Advanced Options” 

Step 2: Go to the “Power Management” or “ACPI Management” tab and press “Enter”

Step 3: Check for a setting “Power On By Keyboard” or “Wake On Keyboard”  or something similar

Step 4: Use the “+” or “-” minus key to enabling the option

Step 5: Select a preferred key to power on the laptop

Step 6: Save and exit using the F10 key.

After carrying out the above steps, the next thing to do is to test that the settings will actually work.

Testing if the Keyboard Works

Step 1: Shut down the windows system

Step 2: Once it is off, press the selected key to power it back on.

Don’t already have an external keyboard?

This is the one that we highly recommend:

Rii RK907 Ultra-Slim Compact USB Wired Keyboard

Enabling Wake-On LAN for Windows 10

Just like waking up a laptop using a keyboard, using the LAN option requires prior enabling on BIOS.

How to activate Wake-On LAN with BIOS

Step 1a: Enter BIOS settings using F2 during startup

When you boot your PC, you will see the option to enter the advanced menu by either pressing the “F2” key or “DEL” key

Or 

Step 1b: Enter BIOS settings using F2 during startup

You may already have your system on so instead of shutting down again to access the BIOS Setting, use the steps below:

Step 1b.1: Go to the “Settings” option in the “Start” menu

Step 1b.2: Select the option for “Update & Security” 

Step 1b.3: Read through the options on your left and select “Recovery” 

Step 1b.4: You will see a tab open with two sections.

Step 1b.5: Select “Restart Now” under “Advanced Setup”

Step 1b.6: A new window will pop up

Step 1b.7: Choose “Troubleshoot” 

Step 1b.8: Select the “Advanced Options” 

Step 2: Go to the “Power Management” or “ACPI Management” tab and press “Enter”

Step 3: Check for a setting “Power On LAN” or “Wake On LAN”  or something similar

Step 4: Use the “+” or “-” minus key to enable the option

Step 4: Select a preferred key to power on the laptop

Step 5: Save and exit using the F10 key.

After carrying out the above steps, the next thing to do is to configure the network card to ensure it can power on the system.

Configuration of the Network Card

Step 1: Right-click the “Start” button

Step 2: Select the “Device Manager” option

Step 3: Wait for the “Device Manager” menu to open up

Step 4: Look out for  “Network adapters” 

Step 5: Right-click the menu

Step 6: Click the “Properties” option

Step 7: Go to the “Power Management” tab 

Step 8: Tick the box for “Allow this device to wake the computer” 

Testing if the Wake-on LAN Works

Step 1: Shut down the windows system

Step 2: Once it is off, plug in the LAN to power it back on.

It is important to note that the wake-on LAN configuration and ability to configure the network depends on your motherboard setting. 

How Does a Laptop Power Button Work?

..the power button prevents the electricity from going beyond a certain point…

To power on a laptop, you need to ensure there is a battery present or the system is connected to a power source. The power from either of these two sources produces electricity that flows through the circuits within the laptop.

But, the power button prevents the electricity from going beyond a certain point.

However, when the power button is pushed, the outlet opens allowing electricity to flow to the rest of the laptop. When the same button is pushed, the laptop goes back to sleep.

Can I Install a New Power Button?

Yes, you can install a new power button on your laptop once you notice that the previous one has developed a fault. If you want to carry out the installation yourself, follow these steps:

Step 1: Take out the battery, AC adapter, and back panel

Step 2: Remove the hard drive and RAM

Step 3: Remove the keyboard bezel

Step 4: Take out the keypads

Step 5: Remove the top frame and look for the power switch

Step 6: Remove the old switch and insert the new one

Step 7: Reassemble the laptop

What Does It Mean When My Laptop Fails to Come On?

..If your laptop fails to come on, then it must be facing a hardware fault…

If your laptop fails to come on, then it must be facing a hardware fault. However, this hardware fault maybe as a result of power supply to the system or a fault in other components of the hardware.

Therefore, the first thing you should do is check the power sources (battery and charger) before examining other components.

Need a portable laptop charger?

This is the one that we highly recommend:

Baseus 100W USB C Portable Laptop Charger

Conclusion

If after several attempts to turn on or off your laptop with the power button results in failure, it may be time to consider other alternatives. Try out any of the two methods explained above. However, in the event that none of them work out, then the problem might go beyond the power button.

It may very well be that your computer has other hardware problems which may include the ability to store power or a fault in the CPU. In such a situation you may have to seek expert technicians to diagnose the problem.