Asus G53JW-A1 Troubleshooting

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

Unfortunately, the most common cause of this problem is that the port for the charging cable is broken. The charging port will need to be fully replaced, which involves disassembling the device to gain access to the internal components. Be sure to try the other solutions below first. While there is not yet a guide for replacing this component on iFixit, this video might be helpful.

Without access to electricity, the device won't be able to turn on. Make sure it’s plugged in, and the battery is fully charged and installed properly. If neither of these work, it's possible that the battery or power cord are faulty and need to be replaced.

If nothing else works, it's possible that there's been severe internal damage, and we'll need to replace the motherboard.

The computer is on (indicated by various lights above the keyboard) but the screen won't display anything.

It's possible that the computer is on and functioning properly, but the brightness is simply too low for you to see. Increase the brightness by pressing the F6 "Increase brightness" key. You may need to hold the Fn button on the lower left corner of your keyboard while you press the F6 key.

If all else fails, it is likely that your screen is either unplugged from the device or will fully need replacement. Check out the guide.

The computer is on and responds to input, but will experience a delay after each input and takes a long time to open/use programs.

Your computer may not have any physical issues, but is just bogged down by using too many actions at once. Try closing all programs you don't actively need both from the taskbar and hidden icon tray in the bottom right of your screen. It's a good idea to double check with the Task Manager, accessed by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard. If nothing improves after you close programs, try restarting your computer and installing an antivirus program.

It's possible that the ASUS G53JW-A1 just doesn't have enough processing power to handle the tasks you're performing, so you'll need to increase its capability. A few ways to do this are to upgrade the hard drive to a solid state drive, upgrade the RAM, or both.

Your device functions normally when plugged in, but fails to retain a charge using its battery.

A likely cause of this issue is that the charging cable or port are not functioning properly. Ensure that your device is able to recognize that it is plugged in, via the battery icon in the lower right of your screen. If you encounter issues when your device is not plugged in, it's possible that your battery isn't reading correctly. Make sure you have a battery plugged into the large battery port on the bottom rear of your laptop, and that the contacts are unobstructed and clean.

If your device's connections to power are confirmed, but your laptop dies quickly after being unplugged, it may be time to get a new battery. Luckily, the battery is very easy to replace. Flip over your laptop and make sure the slider to the right of your battery is in the "unlocked" position, indicated by the lack of a red "locked" piece on the slider. Then, while sliding the other slider on the opposite side of the battery, remove the battery by pulling it toward the hinge of the battery. It should remove easily. Purchase a replacement battery, and install it by smoothly snapping it into the battery slot.

The computer is hot to the touch, and may even shut down due to high internal temperatures.

Most likely, the vents on the side of your laptop are covered in lint/dust, so the fans aren't able to do their job properly. Try taking a can of compressed air and spraying it into the vents to clear them of dust particles. If the obstruction is especially bad, you might need to open up the computer to access the vents from the inside. Also be sure to clean the fans themselves, as dust may be blocking them from spinning.

It's also possible that the internal fans aren't functioning properly or even not spinning at all. This requires disassembly of your computer to access the fans. Unscrew the three small screws on the side of the fan, unplug its cables, and remove it from your laptop. Then, replace it with a new fan.

If there are no issues with the cooling system of your laptop, it's possible that other electronic components of your device are running hotter than they should. This is a big sign that you'll need to replace that component. Disassemble the laptop when it's hot, then inspect each part of your laptop to find the culprit.