How to fix RCA tablet that won’t turn on !? 30


If you own a RCA tablet one thing you will come to realize soon is that they are infamous for not powering on at times. If that is happening to you now do not fret as there is a good chance that one of the tips below will help you in getting your tablet to work again. I have used these methods on several tablets to revive what was once a dead Tablet,especially RCA ones. This will apply to both the Android version RCA Tablets and the ones that are Windows based.

The Issue:

The issue to be clear involves RCA Tablets that wont turn on at all no matter what you try as you press the power button nothing will happen. Likewise if you connect the charger to your device.

What device does this Apply to?

This applies to any RCA branded Tablet whether its running Windows or Android as in most cases. This may also apply to other tablets as well so go ahead and give these tips a try.

How to fix RCA tablet that won’t turn on?

How to fix RCA tablet that won't turn on

Do remember there is no universal fix for every situation and each situation is different so exercise patience as you try each tip below one at time.Also if you have a MicroSD card or SIM in your device please remove it before beginning.

1.Turn the device over and look for a button or hole that says reset beside it. Use a paper clip that you have straitened out to press the button in the hole and hold for about 20 seconds or so until the device screen lights up and powers on.

You can also follow along in this video or continue reading:

2.Find the Power button and make sure that it is actually the power button and press firmly now long press and hold the button for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The Tablet should power on most cases.

For those with a Windows 10 RCA tablet Make sure you are pressing the Power button and not the Windows key.

3. This is for those especially on Android RCA Tablets that the device may come on for a second then go dead. Press the power button for 10 seconds and then and then quickly connect the charger that’s plugged in. This should cause the Tablet to start charging and not power off and power on completely.

4.Open up the Tablet for most tablets both halves are clipped together so you simply need to get something like a pick into the groves and separate carefully. Others have screws and can be disassembled. Once you do that disconnect the battery and leave it disconnected for a few minutes. You can also hold power for a minute while the battery is disconnected. When finished reconnect the battery and in some of the cases it will start working again.

5.In some cases the issue is that the battery in your device is swollen or damaged and need replacing especially if your tablet is old. In others such as cases where you drop your device you will need to replace the display as its broken or the back light is damaged.

Did this work for you?

I would love to know if this actually ended up fixing your RCA Tablet or maybe some other Tablet. If so share your experience below and be as descriptive as possible as this could easily help another out that has the same issue dealing with. Also do share this article and take the time to check out a few more articles here.

 


About Ricardo

I am a Technology enthusiast and a Blogger who loves nothing more than playing with new exciting Gadgets and technology. In my spare time I repair and maintain computers, which is just a few of my many hobbies. Please feel free to leave a comment below and subscribe to this blog. Thank you very much for your visit.

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30 thoughts on “How to fix RCA tablet that won’t turn on !?

  • Marshall

    Hello! My RCA Viking Pro 10″ Tablet (Model RCT6303W87) is recognized as an unknown USB device on my PC, but it won’t charge or turn on…do you possibly know how to fix this? The reset and power buttons didn’t work for me.

    • Elijah Reardon

      If it’s recognized on your pc but has a blank screen, it sounds like it’s bricked into fastboot mode. You may have to reflash one or more partitions.

  • Jammer19

    Sorry but I tried your fix and it didn’t work. ( I tried the factory reset recommended by a Customer Service Rep at RCA and got it to reboot ” sort of ” they recommend holding down the power and volume up buttons. This worked until it got to the point where it was supposed to restart to finalize the operating system install and my personalization settings they it completely DIED. The charging light shows its charging but the screen won’t come on no matter what I try. Got any suggestions that don’t involve using a shotgun on it?

  • Panda

    Thank you! I hard restarted this darn thing five times (via power button), and nada. It would have the RCA logo come up, it would go black with a circling dot, and then nothing but black glowing screen. (Also, my model doesn’t appear to have a volume button on the tablet itself)

    So I did #2, turned it off and then held the power button down for 30 full seconds (I counted, heh) and it finally booted up all the way. This was, of course, after having to reinstall the driver for the Wifi that didn’t work out of the box. Ah, the fun of technology.

    Anyway. Thank you again! This is a tablet for my MIL, who plays a few Microsoft games religiously, and whose life is much improved by having these games to play. I’m usually less freaked out when it’s something for me, but when it’s for someone I love, it has to work well.

  • Linda Drage

    My RCA S/N:PFGD9Z144D8 will not come on. When It does it shows a picture of a battery. I have kept it plug in for days , so it’s had enough time to charge. It still won’t come on. Once in a while it comes on for a few minutes & goes out again saying battery is low. It does not show a reset or memory card,

    • Marie Bourn

      Ok. I tried yours and several more. So I figured it’s a hardware issue. I took the same kind of tablet inside out and put it in the one without a broken screen. I connected everything together but still nothing. The blue light comes on in the back, so I disconnected battery see if it would run off straight wall charger. Nope. Switched batteries.nope. but I did notice something on the sensor strip that goes from the glass to themotherboard. There is a black dots on it. Almost looks like a black marker made it but not sure. If nothing works, how do abstract files from a damage screen tablet? I tried switching the motherboards but that’s explained above

  • Ashley E Johnson

    I haven’t used my tablet in a little while and it was put away in a case so it didn’t get dirty. Well went to go charge it today cause I knew it was totally dead and it was stuck on the Vikings pro logo for almost 10 mins .so I tried the reset and it kept resetting back to the logo and getting stuck to now won’t turn on or even charge. The blue light won’t come on. I’ve tried disconnecting the battery to that wasn’t fun to get to. I’m at a loss this thing is maybe 2-3 years old and warranty is no good on it now.

  • Shelley Belsky

    Hi Ricardo.
    You know what your doing, so here goes.
    My seven inch RCA tablet turns on, and gets as far as the splash screen.
    Sometimes,if I’m luck I can get it into the reboot screen.
    BUT if I get it to that screen and I try to place a command, it SAYS it’s working however the little android robot figure just freezes and it does not execute the command.
    Any suggestions?

  • tom hill

    RCA Galileo 11 Android. Disconnected battery, flushed memory to factory reset, however, it just stops at the RCA logo page with two dogs. When powered off, and plugged in, the battery icon shows it is charging. Ran integrity check and if failed. Device was sitting idle for several months. At one point it got past logo screen and hung said it was loading application, but now it just stops at RCA logo. I only left the battery disconnected for a few seconds. Would this make a difference. Also there was small magnet on the inside, not attached to anything, about the size of half a match stick that attached to metal case. What is that for. Does this sound like it is dead. I can get to the system level screen to do the factory reset, but nothing past rca logo screen when I sign on.

  • Sez Tom

    My 2015? RCA Maven 11″ has been ignored for a while since I got a $300 IPad. Tried to turn the RCA on again, but nothing comes up on screen. Unit shows 0.46A input (@5Vdc) for 30 seconds, then it stops “charging”. If one pulls out charger and puts it back in, the same thing starts “charging” again at 0.46A, and stops current after 30 seconds again. Disconnect battery and current is 0.13A. No sign of life on screen. Replaced battery (old 3.2V, new 3.78Vdc). Still same problem, no sign of life. $20 for Cameron Sino 4000mAhr battery wasted, i guess. Tried holding power and up or down volume buttons for 45 seconds, still nothing. Reset button tried in various combinations also. RCA just not engineered to last, but perhaps get what you pay for. RCA did offer to fix (screen?) for $45, but hate to send it in, thinking they would have access to my accounts. Thanks for video!

  • Michael Besler

    every piece of info is based on the w101 V2 model with audio and reset buttons. I have a RCA W101SA23T1 V1. There are NO audio buttons or reset button this unit. That’s the W101 V2 model.The tablet took a big Win10 update of which I set the unit to install and shut off. I have not been able to restart the tablet since!
    In opening the tablet, there are 2 unmarked buttons on the motherboard. One along the side about an inch below the factory power button and a second button on the backside of the motherboard beside the usb port housing.
    5 days and many videos and to date I have not seen anyone working on this model! I need assistance if possible.
    Thank you in advance.

    • Monica

      i am having the same problem i have seen many videos but nothing on the exact same model you have . Mine has been charging for 5 going on 6 hours and will not turn on but the blue light has been flashing the whole time.

      • walter david stanley

        I have an exact same issue my tablet will not power up .i had used it a week prior to this issue with no problems … looks like yours is probably the same model.

        it dawned on me what those two unmarked buttons on the motherboard are… those are UNUSED volume up and down buttons .. they are in the exact position of where models that have a volume button would be…

        all that being said. if I use a USB connection for charging, the blue light flashes, if I disconnect the battery , blue light stops flashing if I use the charger that came with my device, blue light stays illuminated and does not flash doesn’t matter if battery is connected or not. I bought a new battery, that did not fix this thing either …. ill keep paying attention to this thread

  • Gabe Lujan

    Held the power button for 30 seconds. brought it back to life. It powered on and started optimizing android settings. working great now. Thank You the tip.

  • Erin

    I tried number 2 bc that’s the only one that applies to my tablet…and it still won’t turn on….but we don’t know if we need another battery or even where to get one…