How to Turn on Laptop Without Power Button – 6 Easy Methods

| Updated on July 23, 2024
how to turn on laptop without power button

Are you stuck because your laptop’s power button is not working? 

One of the most dreaded scenarios for anyone is when their laptop’s power key is not working. True, it’s not straightforward to turn laptop on without power button. There could be many reasons for a power key to malfunction. It could be hardware/software issues or simply a lack of laptop care. Well, fret not.

Here, we discuss in detail what methods and techniques you can use to get your system up and running in no time. Read on to find out how to turn on laptop without the power button.

Also Read: [Simple & Easy] Ways to Transfer Windows to Another Drive

How to Turn on a Laptop Without Power Button? 

Read on to find out multiple step-by-step methods for turning on a laptop without using the power button. 

Using Keyboard

Keyboard Method

You can set up your system to turn it on with any keypress on your keyboard. Yes, any key! So, are you wondering how you can turn on your laptop with a keyboard? 

Well, all you need to do is set up keyboard shortcuts. For this, you need to enter the BIOS of the system. To begin, follow these simple steps:

  1. While turning on your PC, hold any keys – DEL, F2, or F10. This will have you enter the BIOS instead of Windows.
  2. Navigate to the ‘ACPI Management’ or ‘ACPI Configuration’ tab, whatever is available. 
    BIOS
  1. Enable the option by pressing the ‘+’ or ‘-’ key.
  2. Now select any key as per your preference, and it will be the key that will turn on your laptop.
  3. Save and press F10 to exit the BIOS setup.

So that was how to turn on the computer with the keyboard. For the next time, all you have to do is press this key, and your system will be turned on. 

Motherboard

Motherboard Method

This is a hardware-based method. Here are the detailed steps on how to turn on a laptop without power button, using the motherboard:

  1. First of all, open the bottom cover of your laptop with the help of screwdrivers. Make sure that you’ve unplugged the charging cable from the laptop.
  1. Carefully remove the motherboard using the appropriate tools. 
  1. After you have removed the motherboard from the chassis, ensure that all connections are intact.
  1. Remove the connections between the power key and the motherboard.
  1. Short pin 1 and pin 3 with the help of a wire or a metal screwdriver. This will instantly turn the laptop on.

For future purposes, you can access the BIOS and set another key for powering on your laptop as an easy measure.

Clock Battery

Clock Battery Method

This is another hardware-based method on how to switch on a laptop without using the power key. But it’s way faster than using the motherboard, here are the details:

  1. Remove the bottom cover of your laptop with the help of prying tools and a screwdriver.
  2. Disconnect the motherboard’s battery cable. Note that it’s different from the charging cable on your laptop.
  3. Remove the CMOS battery or the clock battery of the motherboard. By doing this, your laptop will be drained of all power. And connection to any power source now will boot it up instantaneously.
  4. Now, as you might have anticipated, it’s time to connect the clock battery again and your laptop will turn on right away.

After this, you can again enter the BIOS and set another key for the power button for easier booting up the next time.

Wall Socket

Wall Socket Method

This is a similar method to the clock battery method. Here again, we’ll force-start our laptop. The logic is the same here. When you remove the battery cable of the motherboard, the laptop will not have any power left and any power source can quickly boot it now. 

However, this time you need to use the laptop’s charger instead. Here are the quick guidelines for how to use the wall socket method to turn on a laptop without power button:

  1. Open the base of your laptop using the appropriate tools, like a screwdriver.
  2. Remove the motherboard from the chassis.
  3. Disconnect the battery cable from the motherboard.
  4. Now, connect your laptop with the laptop charger.
  5. As your laptop gets power, it will start immediately.

Using Wake On LAN

Wake on LAN Method

You can also use your LAN connection to turn the laptop on without the power button. This too is done after entering the BIOS. Here are some simple steps to get you started: 

  1. Access the BIOS while turning on your computer. Press F2, F10, or DEL after pressing the power key. This will enter you in the BIOS.
  2. Click on the ‘Power Management’ or ‘Power Configuration’ tab.
    BIOS
  1. Look for the setting for ‘Wake on LAN’ or ‘LAN’.
  2. Enable this setting.
  3. Save your settings by pressing F10.

However, all is not done yet. You still need to configure the network card. 

Configuration of Network Card

  1. Go to Device Manager by pressing the Windows key + X.
    Device Manager
  1. Find the ‘Network Adaptor’ option.
    network adapters
  1. Open its properties by simply right-clicking on it.
    Network Adapter and Properties
  1. Now go to Power Management.
  2. Select “Allow this device to wake the computer”.
  3. Next move to the Advanced tab.
  4. Enable the ‘Wake on magic packet’ option. 

And that’s it! You can now turn on your laptop via the LAN connection.

Tip ❗After configuring LAN, you can use an app like TeamViewer to switch your system on and off with it.

Using Laptop Lid

Laptop Lid Method

Wouldn’t it be convenient if you could just use your laptop’s lid to turn it on and off? 

It certainly will be. With the default setting, the laptop goes to Sleep mode when the lid is turned off. But with this method, you can program it to shut down your system. Similarly, while opening the lid, you can turn on your system. So if you’re wondering how to turn on laptop without power button from the laptop lid, here are the steps:

  1. This method, too, involves you entering the BIOS. So, as discussed before, press F2, F10, or DEL while turning on your PC.
  2. Next, navigate to the ‘Power Settings’ or ‘Power Management’ tab.

Tip ❗ If you don’t find the Power Setting option, it might mean that your laptop doesn’t support this feature. Sometimes updating of BIOS is required to make this option visible.

  1. Find the option ‘Power on with Open Lid’ and enable it.
  2. Save and exit by pressing F10.

Now, every time you open or close your laptop’s lid, your system will turn on or off with it! 

All the techniques mentioned above are surely going to be a great help however, if you are looking for a more handy and enduring fix, it’s best to install a new power key. 

How to Install a New Power Button?

As a more convenient and permanent solution, we recommend you to change the button itself. This method is much faster to deploy, so we recommend giving it a try. Here’s how to install a new power button!

  1. Order a new and compatible key for your system. 
  2. Now open your laptop from the bottom using prying tools and a screwdriver.
  3. Once it’s opened, remove the old button and install the new one.
  4. Connect it to the motherboard and then close the laptop.

Now you have yourself a new and working power key!

Possible Reasons Your Laptop’s Power Button Is Not Working

There could be many reasons for your power button on the laptop to not work. The cause could be:

  • Hardware Issues – One of the most common causes for your power key to not work is because of physical damage to the keyboard. This can be the result of spills, dust, drops, or wear and tear over time. 
  • Software Issues – Another issue that’s causing your power button to malfunction could be a software issue. This could be the result of corrupted files, driver errors, etc. 
  • Virus or Malware Infections – This is rather a less common cause for your laptop’s power key to not work. Some malware infections can disable the laptop and perform unwanted commands or actions. To fix the issue, you can install anti-malware software or fully reset your system.

Final Words

If you have a faulty power key, worry not. You can power on your system using the above-discussed methods, namely, using a keyboard, motherboard, clock battery, wall socket, and wake-on LAN. 

All methods on how to switch on a laptop without the power button are simple to execute and don’t require any expertise. Still, if your system is not booting, you can take it to a service center for further assistance.

Suggested read: How to See Recently Deleted Apps on iPhone/iPad – Guide

FAQs

Ans: With Dell, it’s convenient to set up your Dell laptop to turn on and off with the lid being opened or closed. Enter BIOS, navigate to the ‘Power on Lid Open’ option, and toggle it to on. Select apply. Then press F10 to save and exit.

Ans: Some MacBook Pros come configured with an auto-boot feature. This means you can turn on/off your laptop by opening/closing the lid. You can also turn the laptop on by plugging it in to charge. If your model comes with a Touch Bar, you can use the Touch ID space to switch the laptop on, as it acts as a power button.

Ans: No, it’s not possible to turn on your laptop with the help of an external keyboard. The power button on the laptop is connected directly to the motherboard and is independent of the rest of the keyboard.

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