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Display doesn’t appear to be on, or is frozen and won’t respond to input.

Drivers let the individual components of a laptop communicate and work together. When new software updates are released, sometimes the drivers are no longer compatible with the new software, which can cause certain features and functions of the device to not work properly. To fix this, either go to the manufacturers website and find the updated driver for the laptop’s graphics card, or use an application such as Easy Driver. This makes it possible to go through and update all the drivers that are out of date.

Every now and then, a laptop will accidentally pick up a malicious piece of software, which could cause your display to malfunction. To fix this, press the Windows key and type “virus.” An entry titled “ Virus & Threat Protection’’ should appear. After clicking on that entry, a page in settings is pulled up which has a button labeled “Quick Scan.” Clicking the button will make the laptop scan all files and applications for malicious software and subsequently remove it.

The explorer.exe program regulates the keyboard, task bar and several other interface aspects of the laptop. Sometimes the program doesn’t launch properly on startup, which can cause issues with device accessibility. To fix this, press the windows key and type “Task Manager.” Once this program is opened, click the “Show More Details” button on the bottom right, then navigate to the “Details” tab at the top. In the “Details” tab, scroll down to the “explorer.exe” program and right click it to pull up the file menu. At the top of the menu click the “End Task” button, and then restart the laptop.

If all else fails, perform a system reset. To do this, press the Windows key and type “Reset” which will pull up a window titled “Recovery.” Click the button that says “Get Started” under the heading titled “Reset This PC.” This will pull up another window with two buttons “Keep My Files” or “Remove Everything.” To save the files on the laptop’s hard drive, select the “Keep My Files.” To reset the laptop back to factory condition, select the second “Remove Everything.”

Keys aren’t performing keystrokes as they ought to.

Gently pry up each key to reveal the sensors and board beneath.  Use a tool like a toothbrush or q-tip to break up and dislodge any debris. Then blow out particulates with compressed air, or turn the device over and lightly tap on the bottom.

Search the word “keyboard” in the bottom left corner on your screen. Open the Keyboard Control tab and adjust the sliders for repeat rate and repeat delay until keys produce a desirable response.

Device’s battery does not last as long as it should.

Rechargeable batteries inevitably degrade over time, and if you’ve had the device for a while and have noticed that the battery life is dramatically shorter than when it first powered on, odds are the battery needs to be replaced. Tips below will demonstrate how to extend your battery’s life, but if the battery is severely degraded, these may not help you much.

If you don’t find yourself using Bluetooth devices often with your device, disabling Bluetooth capabilities can increase battery-life. Once Bluetooth is disabled, the Dell Latitude 9510 will not search for devices to connect, reducing power usage.

To disable Bluetooth, click the Windows Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen to access the start menu. Click the gear icon on the left side of the Start menu to access settings. Click the “Devices” heading to access the device menu. Once in the device menu, select the “Bluetooth & other device” tab. At the top middle of the “Bluetooth & other devices” menu look at the “Bluetooth” button. If the button says “off”, do not click the button. If the button says “On,” click the button. After clicking the “Bluetooth” button, the button should shift from left-to-right, and the word should change to “Off.”

Turning the brightness down on the Dell Latitude 9510 will reduce the power required to light the screen, increasing the length of battery life.

Press the F6 key to reduce the brightness. To maximize battery life, hold F6 until the brightness bar is as low as possible.

Disabling keyboard backlighting reduces the power usage and extends battery life.

Press the F5 key to toggle the keyboard backlighting on or off. To maximize battery life, make sure that the keyboard is not emitting any light.

The Dell Latitude 9510 will budget battery life differently based on different battery preferences. To maximize battery life, change the battery preference to “battery saver” mode.

To access battery settings, click on the battery symbol on the bottom right side of the screen. Click and drag the vertical line to the far left of the horizontal bar. The text above the horizontal line should read “Power mode: Battery saver.”

Running too many processes that are not actively being used will slow down the Dell Latitude 9510 and increase power consumption.

Click the Windows Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen to access the start menu. Click the gear icon on the left side of the Start menu to access settings. Once in settings, type “background apps” into the search bar. At the top of the screen click the button that says “Let apps run in the background” and toggle it to “off.”

Computer will not detect or connect to a wireless network.

Click the “Wi-Fi” button in the bottom right of the taskbar and make sure the Wi-Fi button is blue. Then click on the desired Wi-Fi network and input your password.

Type “Check for updates” in the search bar in the bottom left of the taskbar. Apply any updates found.

If your computer is too far from your router, it will be difficult to get a strong internet connection. Move it closer, and try to connect to Wi-Fi again.

Cursor doesn’t move according to movements on trackpad.

If the sensitivity has been changed, the cursor may respond spastically or not respond at all.

Click the Windows Start button in the bottom left corner of the screen to access the start menu. Click the gear icon on the left side of the Start menu to access settings. Click the “Devices” heading to access the device menu. Once in the device menu, select the “mouse” tab (third tab from the top) on the left side of the menu. Use the horizontal bar to adjust the cursor speed to your desired sensitivity.