Dell Chromebook 11-3120 Troubleshooting

The USB port is nonresponsive to input of a USB drive; USB port appears to be broken.

If the USB port does not load a USB drive, then a connection between the USB's circuit board and the motherboard may not be properly established.

If the USB port does not respond to any other solution, the USB port may have been broken and the daughterboard will need to be replaced. You can follow this guide to remove and replace the daughterboard.

Check to see if your driver software is out of date, dysfunctional, or missing altogether. If so, you will need to update your driver software or download the missing driver software from your device's product support page. Once you have the driver selected, install it on your operating system.

The battery will not charge with charger connected or it doesn't hold a charge after disconnected.

Be sure to check the wall outlets for power. If the outlet is supplying power to the charging cable, check the end of the power cord to make sure the power is coming through the AC adapter. If there is no power coming through the receiving end of the AC adapter, then the AC adapter may be in need of replacement.

After a few years the laptop battery becomes incapable of holding a charge on its own. At this point the battery is considered permanently dead. If this happens you will need to replace the battery, and you can follow this guide to accomplish this.

Check to see if your driver software is out of date, dysfunctional, or missing altogether. If this is the case, you will need to update your driver software or download the missing driver software from your device's product support page. Once you have the correct driver selected, install it on your operating system.

The computer will not turn on or show any signs of starting up.

Make sure that your laptop battery is charged and is not out of power. If your laptop is not holding a charge then it may be a battery issue see "battery doesn't hold a charge".

Some devices will trip the device's over voltage protection when they are plugged in to its USB 2.0 port on its right side. When this occurs, the device will power off and will not power back on until the battery is unplugged and plugged back in. For more information, see this Dell support article.

The motherboard is the backbone of a computer system. If the motherboard is shot for any reason whatsoever, it will need to be replaced completely. This can occur if a static charge shorts out a section of the board, or all of it. Any other damage to the motherboard can cause this permanent failure. Follow this guide to replace the entire motherboard safely and properly.

Listen for components inside the laptop that typically make noise, this could indicate that the device is indeed receiving power, but there is something wrong with either the screen or the system's startup sequence. If this is the case, attempt a hard reset by holding the power button.

The laptop produces a static or broken sound output, or no sound output at all.

Insert an external audio source into the headphone jack, for example, a pair of headphones. If you can hear the sound continuing to cut in and out through this source, this may be a sign that your headphone jack is faulty and needs to be replaced.

If the speakers are old or overused, their sound quality may decline overtime. If you hear a static sound emitting from them or if they are cutting in and out repetitively, then you may need to replace the speakers. Use this guide to remove the speakers and install new ones.

Check to see if your driver software is out of date, dysfunctional, or missing altogether. If this is the case, you will need to update your driver software or download the missing driver software from your device's product support page. Once you have the driver selected, install it on your operating system.

The computer's trackpad is not responding when being touched or pressed

On some batches of the 11-3120, the trackpad to motherboard ribbon cable may work itself loose and no longer make contact with its plug. If this is the case, no mouse cursor will appear when the device is booted. If the device is reset to factory settings, it may prompt you to plug in an external mouse or connect one with Bluetooth.

To fix this, follow the battery replacement guide to remove the battery. With the battery removed, fully unplug the trackpad ribbon cable (it is labeled TP on the trackpad plug and MB on the motherboard plug) by lifting the plug latch and pulling it out of the plug. Gently pull the ribbon free of its adhesive, then plug it back in and close the latch. Stick the ribbon back to the adhesive and put the laptop back together.

If the trackpad is unresponsive, the trackpad hardware might be permanently damaged. This can happen if the trackpad is stuck in the "pressed" position, or if the trackpad tracking panel fails to operate properly. In these rare occasions, you will need to replace this component. You can do this by following the instructions in this guide.

Check to see if your driver software is out of date, dysfunctional, or missing altogether. If this is the case, you will need to update your driver software or download the missing driver software from your device's product support page. Once you have the driver selected, install it on your operating system.