A Dell Precision 5690 with no sign of life is handled with Dell's no-power checklist. First the power: use the original adapter in a wall outlet, and try another adapter and port if you can; the LED on the adapter and the one near the charge port show power arriving. Press the power button and watch its LED: Dell laptops blink a pattern of amber and white that is a diagnostic code you can read from Dell's pages, such as a pattern for memory or the display.
The checks in more detail
Then a hard reset: disconnect everything, hold the power button for fifteen seconds, reconnect the charger and start. Remove docks and accessories. If the laptop beeps or blinks codes, record the pattern. Dell's built-in diagnostics from F12 test the board when it can start. A laptop that powers on with a dark screen is a display problem, see the black-screen page.
If nothing responds with a known-good adapter and outlet, the board or battery needs Dell service under warranty, and the service tag from the underside identifies the unit. Dell's laptops also have a Battery Test button or an LED on some models, and the adapter's own LED shows whether the brick works; if the adapter LED is off with the cable in a working outlet, the adapter has failed.
If you use a dock, the dock's power supply and its cable are another chain link, so bypass the dock completely for the test and use the laptop's own charger in the wall. If the laptop is part of a company fleet, report the failure to IT with the service tag and the LED pattern, since IT can open a case with Dell ProSupport that brings a technician and replacement parts faster than a consumer repair. Do not swap parts yourself on a managed laptop.
Differential
Likely causes of “Dell Precision 5690 will not turn on or start”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A faulty adapter or outlet
What separates it No LED at the port
How to confirm Try another adapter and outlet
- 2
A stuck power state
What separates it Nothing responds
How to confirm Hold power fifteen seconds with everything unplugged
- 3
A blink-code fault
What separates it The LED blinks amber and white
How to confirm Note the pattern and look it up on Dell's page
- 4
A dock or accessory fault
What separates it It fails to start with a dock
How to confirm Disconnect everything
- 5
A board or battery fault
What separates it Nothing works after the steps
How to confirm Contact Dell service
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The LED pattern
- The adapter and its LED
- What is connected
- The service tag
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedCheck the adapter and port LEDs
ReversibleLook for power arriving.
Disconnect everything
ReversibleDocks, drives and monitors.
Hold power fifteen seconds
ReversibleThen reconnect the adapter.
Read the LED blink code
ReversibleWrite down the colors and count.
Run diagnostics if it starts
ReversibleF12, Diagnostics.
Contact Dell
ReversibleWith the service tag.
Bypass the dock
ReversibleCharge the laptop with its own adapter straight from the wall.
Check the adapter LED
ReversibleAn unlit adapter LED in a working outlet means the adapter has failed.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- LED codes
- Dell uses blink patterns as codes.
- Service tag
- It identifies the laptop for support.
- Docks as a link
- A dock adds a power supply that can fail.
- Adapter LED
- Dell adapters show a light when they work.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If nothing responds on a good adapter, contact Dell service with the tag
- !If it blinks a fault code, quote it
- !A burning smell means unplug
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why won't my Precision 5690 turn on?+
An adapter fault, a stuck state or a board fault.
What do the blinking LEDs mean?+
A diagnostic code.
How long should I hold the power button?+
About fifteen seconds.
Where is the service tag?+
On the underside.
Could my dock stop the laptop starting?+
If its power supply fails, yes.
How do I test the adapter?+
Look at its LED.