Lenovo IdeaPad U350 Troubleshooting

The laptop will not respond or show any sign of powering up.

Check to make sure that the power adapter is plugged in. If it is, check to see if the charging indicator LED is either solid orange, blinking orange, or blinking white. If the indicator isn't lit, then you may need to replace the power adapter.

If the laptop only powers up when the adapter is plugged in, regardless of charging time, then the battery is faulty. Replace the battery using this guide.

The keys on your keyboard won't respond or aren't there.

If the keys do not respond, the keyboard may be broken or improperly connected. This will require either re-seating the ribbon cable in the ZIF connector, or replacing the keyboard. A guide to replacing the keyboard can be found here.

When keys can't be pressed, there may be something below the physical key holding it up. To fix this, remove the key and make sure that nothing is stuck below it. You may need to wipe off the area underneath. Once it is sufficiently clean, snap the key back into position.

If keys on the keyboard are missing, replace them.

Your computer does not load the Operating System and instead takes you to an error message.

If your computer crashes during normal operation, crashes during memory intensive tasks, or beeps and will not boot up, this may mean that you have bad RAM or that you do not have enough RAM. Here is a guide to replacing or upgrading the RAM in your computer.

Even though you have a hard drive in your computer, there may be an error on it. To resolve this issue, get a Windows DVD for the version that you have. Please note that the specific version does not matter, only that it is for Windows XP, Vista, 7, or 8. Boot to the DVD, and choose “Repair your computer,” then click next. On this screen, pick “Startup Repair” and let it run. After this, your Lenovo IdeaPad U350 should boot correctly. If your computer does not boot correctly and still has issues, or if the same issue returns after a short period of time, you may need to replace your hard drive. You can use this guide to replace your hard drive.

You have trouble listening to sounds on your computer.

Test audio through the computer speakers, then test it using headphones. If the audio is only distorted while listening via headphones, the audio jack or the headphones themselves may be faulty. Audio that cuts in and out is often a sign of a loose audio jack, so make sure the audio jack is fully inserted in the computer.

If the audio sound is distorted when listening through the laptop’s speakers, the audio driver may be corrupt. Search for the driver here. After downloading the audio driver, go to Control Panel -> Device Manager -> Sound Controllers. Click on your sound card and click “Update driver.” Select your updated driver, then restart the computer.

Your Lenovo IdeaPad U350 will not read any CD's or DVD's.

If your Lenovo IdeaPad U350 optical drive does not open or does not read CD's or DVD's, the optical drive may be broken and needs to be replaced.

The monitor on your Lenovo IdeaPad U350 doesn’t show anything, and you know the computer is turned on.

Make sure that the display is not accidentally disabled. To do this, press one of the “Fn” keys in the lower corner of the keyboard and then press “F2.” If the display was disabled by accident, then this will re-enable the display.

If the above action does not fix the problem, repeat the previous instruction once more, hold down the Windows key, and then push “P” twice. The computer may have been previously set to “Projector mode;” doing the action above will convert it back to “Computer Only.”

If the display is not emitting any light, but you can see a faint image on the screen with a flashlight very close to it, then the backlight inverter may be broken.

Everything appears too big or out of proportion.

The computer may be operating in an incorrect resolution. To fix this, double check the Resolution settings by right-clicking the desktop, and selecting “Screen Resolution.” The ideal resolution for the Lenovo IdeaPad U350 is 1366 x 768. Alternatively, it is possible to change the resolution by pushing the “Fn” button and then hitting “F4.” This should bring up a small menu where you can select the correct resolution.

The most probable cause for this issue is an outdated video driver. To update the video driver, go to this site and download the appropriate video driver by checking for the correct operating system.

While you are working, your computer randomly shuts off without notification.

Computers can overheat due to excessive dust and other materials stuck in the vents or fan. To fix this, use a compressed air duster to carefully blow the dust off the vents and fan.

Your computer may not have adequate contact between the heat sink and processor. This is usually caused by a lack of thermal paste or by air in between the two components. A guide for replacing the thermal paste in your computer can be found here.

If you feel little or no air flow from either the exhaust vent on the left side of the laptop or the intake vent on the bottom of the laptop, then the fan may be broken. This may also lead to an immediate warning notification upon boot up. A guide for replacing your fan can be found here.