I decided to prepare a separate article with solutions to the problem when the Wi-Fi indicator on the laptop does not light up, which signals the operation of the wireless module on the laptop. It doesn't matter how you got this problem. Immediately after purchasing a laptop, reinstalling Windows, or the Wi-Fi indicator suddenly stopped lighting. I think the tips in this article will help you fix this problem. We will look at solutions using Windows 10 as an example. But if you have Windows 7 or Windows 8, then you can apply all the solutions at home. Same thing with a laptop. The tips are suitable for different manufacturers: ASUS, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Packard Bell, etc.
First you need to find out what specific case you have:
- Most often, when the Wi-Fi indicator on a laptop is not lit, then Wi-Fi is not working. And this is quite logical. We will consider solutions to this particular case later in the article.
- It also happens when a laptop connects to wireless networks without problems, everything works, but the light responsible for indicating the operation of the wireless network does not light up. In this case, I advise you to simply ignore it. It works and is good. But if you still want to fix it, then start by reinstalling the drivers.
The wireless network indicator itself can be located anywhere on the laptop body. It all depends on the specific model. It is often built into a button that is responsible for turning on/off wireless modules. On my ASUS laptop, this indicator is on the front panel.
In the photo above, the indicator does not light only because I turned on airplane mode in Windows 10. I turn it on with a keyboard shortcut on my laptop. And in Windows 7, it was the Wi-Fi module that was controlled. After installing the appropriate drivers and utilities. Also, this light most likely will not light up if the wireless adapter driver is not installed on the laptop at all. But first things first.
If you have such problems with Wi-Fi after reinstalling Windows, then you can immediately proceed to the part of the article where I will talk about problems with drivers and their installation.
If Wi-Fi suddenly stops working, try to remember what you did before. What could have caused it?
A few articles that may also be useful to you:
- – a very detailed guide with many solutions.
Turn on the Wi-Fi indicator using the keys on the laptop
Without going into the weeds right away, let’s try a simple method. Almost every laptop has a key combination that is responsible for enabling and disabling wireless modules. Sometimes, this is a separate switch on the case.
Combinations for different manufacturers:
- ASUS – FN+F2
- HP – Fn+F12
- Lenovo – Fn+F5
- Acer – Fn+F3
- Samsung – these are the Fn+F12, or Fn+F9 keys
- DEL – Fn+F2, or Fn+F12.
For example, on my ASUS laptop:
As you can see, the F2 key has the same icon as next to the indicator. We press the combination of these keys and see if the light comes on and if Wi-Fi is working. As I wrote above, I have Windows 10 installed, and the combination of these keys simply turns airplane mode on and off. When airplane mode is turned on, the indicator does not light up.
But most likely this is because I do not have the utility from ASUS installed, which is responsible for the operation of the function keys. And if I had Windows 7 installed, the combination of these keys would not work at all without installing a special utility from the manufacturer. Each manufacturer calls this utility differently. Look for them on the manufacturer's website, in the downloads section for your laptop.
Checking the status of the wireless adapter. Enable it programmatically
We need to go to "Network Connections" and check whether the "Wireless Network" or "Wireless Network Connection" adapter is enabled. To do this we do this:
After this, the wireless network on the laptop should work.
Important point! If you do not find the “Wireless Network” or “Wireless Network Connection” adapter in the “Network Connections” window, then the problem is most likely that you do not have the Wi-Fi adapter driver installed, and you need to install it.
Let's continue to figure it out.
Wireless driver and indicator
You need to open the device manager and see if there is an adapter there that is responsible for the Wi-Fi connection.
Press the Win + R key combination, enter (copy) the command mmc devmgmt.msc and click Ok. Or launch Device Manager in another way convenient for you.
Immediately open the “Network Adapters” tab and see if there is an adapter there whose name includes “Wireless”, “Wi-Fi”, “WLAN”. Most likely, you won't see it there. I have this adapter and it looks like this (name and manufacturer may be different):
Information that may be useful in self-diagnosis and troubleshooting
The laptop does not turn on, the indicators do not light up
Why won't my laptop turn on?
If your laptop does not turn on when you press a button, whether with or without a battery, with the power supply connected or not, and most importantly, the indicators do not light up (see photo), then the laptop's power circuit is to blame. In many laptops, the first link of the power circuit (where 18-19V from the laptop power supply gets) contains protective elements - diodes and fuses. Diodes protect against reverse voltage (it can appear in a laptop when using a non-original charger), and fuses provide current protection and short circuit protection. After overvoltage and reverse voltage protection there is a control chip - a multicontroller. It often breaks down.
Why don't the indicators light up?
First of all, do you have a battery connected? Some laptops will not have an LED indication without the battery connected.
Let's imagine a technician diagnosing the power circuit of a laptop: first of all, the connector of the charger and laptop will be checked, because they often break out, the contacts become dirty, the charging connector is the most common failure in the power circuit. Let’s say the charging connector is intact, voltage flows through it to the “first link”, but the indicators still do not light up, and there is no response to the power button. Next you need to check the power button itself, does it work? On older laptops, the button oxidizes inside and does not close the contacts to provide a power-on signal. After the initial “rough” protection for short circuits and reverse polarity, there is a special microcircuit that supervises and controls all the main laptop modules for power supply. This is a multicontroller.
What is a multicontroller, what does it do and how is it related to indicators
Multicontroller, or, as it is often called by masters, “multik” is a microcircuit that generates a signal to power the processor, video card, USB buses, and other components.
The multicontroller is equipped with a power button, when you press it, the multicontroller checks all buses for short circuits and gives permission to start.
The processor unlocks and begins reading the code from the BIOS. This is how the laptop starts booting. But in our case there is no download. And there are no indicators either. The LEDs for power, hard drive and keyboard unit are also connected to the multicontroller, sometimes indirectly, through other circuits.
The multicontroller has failed
The reason for this could be a broken firmware of the microcircuit, water damage, or a voltage surge on the bus from the power supply (all 19 Volts are supplied to the cartoon from the power supply!). One way or another, it fails and does not give us an indication of the connected charger, does not respond to the button and does not start the laptop. This multicontroller needs to be changed! In some laptops, multicontrollers need to be flashed (programmed) before installation; the manufacturer writes the data necessary for the operation of the logic to the flash memory of the microcontroller. Most often you come across multicontrollers without firmware; such controllers are easy to install, and checking also takes little time.
Repair price
The cost of repairing a laptop power circuit ranges from 2000-8000 rubles, it depends on what is damaged and what model it is. A guarantee is issued for such work.
Go to or call us for advice.
Other fault options
Short circuit
If there is a short circuit on one of the main power rails of the laptop (1V, 3.3V, 5V, 12V), then you can get the same symptoms as when the multicontroller fails.
A short circuit can occur if the laptop is assembled incorrectly (the bolts are overtightened, the short on the case, or the insulation of the wire is crushed), if water gets into the laptop (water gets into the laptop, under voltage, MOSFET keys in the step-down stabilizer circuit fail, 19V gets where it should be 5V, other ICs have failed, and so on.
Power button malfunction
In old laptops, the contact of the power button often oxidizes; it is enough to find this fault, replace the button, and everything will work. The operation takes no more than a couple of hours and costs no more than one and a half thousand rubles.
Good afternoon, dear readers!
In this article, we will analyze the problem that the laptop does not turn on and the power indicator does not light up, as well as the problem when it does not work (or slows down) with the battery, but works fine from the mains.
I want to say that I have already encountered both problems, not only in theory, but also in practice.
And let's look at the possible problems and solutions one by one. And besides this, we recommend that you read other similar articles.
If you have any special cases, ask below in the comments - they will help you. Also, we will be grateful if you share this article with others by clicking the social buttons. networks. Thank you!
Solving the problem with turning on the laptop
Read also other useful articles:
So, let's go...
Due to improper use of the battery, it soon became faulty.
This was due to the fact that I used the laptop most often from the mains, but the battery was always inserted. Manufacturers recommend removing the battery after fully charging if the laptop will be used from the mains.
This is due to the fact that laptop batteries are designed for a limited number of charge-discharge cycles.
In other words, sooner or later they will fail. Most often it starts with the laptop discharging faster and then stopping charging completely, i.e. The icon in the taskbar indicates that it is charged, say, 80% and is not charging.
This means that its maximum volume has decreased, which means it will not be able to work as before. In my case, this is how it all started, and then I noticed that if I turn on the laptop from the mains, but with the battery inserted, then it would not start, and sometimes it would start, but for a very long time.
The startup process with the battery took about 5 minutes. After removing the battery, the laptop worked as before: quick startup and no problems.
If you encounter such a problem, then first of all you need to make sure that the battery is working.
We check the laptop to turn on with and without the battery... We look at the power indicator
To do this, do the following:
First, remove the battery and check for damaged contacts, and then remove all USB devices.
Secondly, after making sure that the battery is not damaged, insert it back and connect to the network. Leave the laptop turned off while charging. At the same time, the indicator on the laptop should light up, indicating that charging is in progress.
Third, turn on the laptop with only the battery. If it turns on, the battery is working, but it needs to be checked.
Battery check and calibration
Calibration allows you to more or less accurately determine the charge/discharge level of a laptop battery.
As a result, the battery is used more efficiently.
For nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, calibration is one of the means to combat the “memory effect”. Usually indicated on the battery itself. Take a look now and write a comment about what you think.
Let's look at how the battery is calibrated
If your laptop allows you to calibrate the battery using the BIOS Setup utility, be sure to use it.
Let's look at the battery calibration process using an HP laptop as an example:
To test the battery, use the following procedure:
Press and hold the power button for five seconds to turn off the computer.
Turn on the computer and press the key several times in a row F2 (Delete, Esc, F8, F3, F5, F10, Ctrl+Esc - the choice of button depends on your laptop model), until the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics UEFI window opens.
From the main menu, select Component tests.
From the list of component tests, select Battery.
In the battery test area, select Run once.
The battery test will begin.
Testing the battery takes two minutes. If battery calibration is necessary, it will take 2 to 4 hours.
Can be canceled at any time by pressing the Esc key.
Once the test is complete, the first line on the battery test page displays the battery status.
Based on the data received, you will need to make a decision: what to do with the battery, if everything went well, perhaps the laptop will continue to work, if not, then you should try connecting another battery, if available.
If the laptop does not turn on with another battery, you may have to contact a service center to replace the system board.
The laptop does not turn on and the power indicator does not light up. What to do?
If your computer suddenly has problems loading the operating system, you must first perform a hard reset.
Disconnect all peripherals and remove all USB devices and media.
Disconnect the AC adapter, remove the battery, and then press and hold the power button for at least 15 seconds.
Reconnect the AC adapter (do not connect the battery), press the power button, check that the lights next to the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys are lit, and listen for any spinning fan or hard drive noises.
If the speaker does not emit signals and the indicators do not light up near the Caps and Num lock keys, then there are two possible problems: the cable connecting the power button to the motherboard is damaged, or the AC adapter or power connector may be damaged.
First of all, check the AC adapter and cord for damage, fraying or breaks, etc.
If you do not find any signs of damage, you need to disassemble the laptop.
Remove the top of the case, and then check the power supply cable from the motherboard and from the power button, if it is damaged, do the following.
Disconnect the cable.
After you disconnect it, check its integrity; it may be that at the attachment points it could be bent and the contacts have become detached from the cable.
In this case, disconnect the sealing tongue; it will be useful later. 
Next, you need to cut off a small portion of the cable, but be careful not to cut off too much, otherwise the cable will not be long enough to make a reliable connection.
After cutting off the excess, take a knife, scalpel or something sharp, and then carefully strip the contacts from the desired side to approximately the same length as was on the cut off faulty piece of the cable.
After that, connect it back, and insert the sealing tongue on top and secure it.
If the cable is intact and not broken anywhere, check the power connector and its connection to the motherboard.
Also check for physical damage and whether it is connected well. If anything is damaged, you will need to contact the service center for replacement.
To check the adapter, you can take a working adapter from friends, or buy it in a store; if the laptop does not work, you can always return the product by presenting a receipt.
Such problems are always associated with power adapters or batteries, and therefore they need to be replaced.
I hope this article will help you diagnose the problem with your laptop.
Good luck to you and see you again!
Most modern laptops use a removable lithium-ion battery, which provides an average of 3-5 hours of battery life.
After the battery is discharged, simply connect the AC adapter to the computer to start charging the battery again.
Confirmation of successful battery charging will be when the indicator lights up on the laptop panel, which, as a rule, is a small light bulb with a picture of the battery.
Under normal conditions, this indicator is illuminated in green (blue, yellow) or another neutral color, but at certain moments it may begin to blink, change color to red, or stop lighting altogether.
The color indication of the battery, as well as the intensity of its blinking, may differ depending on the brand and model of the laptop, but one thing is intuitively clear - if the charging indicator on the laptop blinks red (or orange), this warns of some kind of problem.
What does a flashing charging light mean? What to do if, when the AC adapter is connected, Laptop battery charging indicator does not light up? The answers to these and other questions are in our review.
Let's consider several situations in which the battery charging indicator may blink, including an unusual color:
- When the laptop is running autonomously The charging indicator suddenly started flashing red. There is nothing wrong with this - such an alarm indicates that the battery charge level is approaching zero, and you need to urgently shut down the work or connect the AC adapter to the device.
- The charging indicator on the laptop constantly blinks green (blue, yellow) or another neutral color. This can be observed when the device is closed but not turned off.
This indication is not a cause for concern, but only indicates that the computer is in standby mode.
- When charging the laptop, the battery indicator flashes red. If the battery charge light continues to blink red even when connected to the network via a standard charger, this indicates problems. In this case, the fault may be hidden not only in the laptop battery, but also in the power supply itself. To determine the exact cause of the breakdown, you should contact the service center.
Attention! Do not try to open and repair the battery yourself - it is unsafe! The battery has its lifespan (about 1000 charge-discharge cycles), perhaps it's time to replace the battery.
- When you connect the AC adapter, the charging indicator lights up, but the laptop does not turn on.
If the device was completely discharged before connecting to the network, you should wait a few minutes - the problem should disappear.
If the laptop sits on charge for a long time, the corresponding indicator is illuminated in the standard color, but the device does not react in any way when the power button is pressed, then there is a high probability that there are problems with the computer’s video card. Only diagnostics will determine the exact cause.
What to do if the battery charging indicator on your laptop does not light up
As a rule, in most laptop models, the battery charge indicator does not light up when the device is running on battery power.
This indicator usually starts blinking when the battery charge level drops below 10%. When approaching a critical charge level, the indicator begins to flash orange or red.
If, when you connect the AC adapter, the charge indicator does not light up and charging does not occur, you should check the contact in the laptop power supply socket - it is often broken if the device is handled carelessly. You should also pay attention to the cable - it may be damaged.
If The battery charging indicator on the laptop does not light up, but the device is charging and operating normally, you should check whether the indicator itself is working properly.
