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No Boot or No Power Issues on Intel® Compute Sticks

Content Type: Troubleshooting   |   Article ID: 000016715   |   Last Reviewed: 05/24/2023

Try the Online No Boot Wizard.

If you're unable to use the Online No Boot Wizard, try the manual troubleshooting steps below.

Manual Troubleshooting Steps

If your Intel® Compute Stick doesn't start properly, follow the troubleshooting steps below in order.

Click or the topic for details:

Step one: Check the power LED on the chassis and try the troubleshooting steps in the table.
Power LED State Possible Causes Troubleshooting Steps
LED is blinking Intel® Compute Stick is in sleep mode. This is normal LED behavior for sleep mode. Press the power button to wake your Intel Compute Stick.
LED is ON (solid color) Monitor input source is set wrong. If the monitor or TV has multiple video inputs, make sure you select the correct source. This selection is usually made through an INPUT or SOURCE option on the display's remote control device.
Video cable is defective. Try a different video cable.
Video adapter/dongle or receiver is interfering.
  • If the Intel Compute Stick is connected to a TV through an AV receiver, try connecting directly to the TV instead.
  • If you are using a video adapter/dongle (like HDMI-to-VGA), try connecting to a monitor that allows straight-through connection (HDMI-to-HDMI) with a single cable.
  • If using an AV receiver, check with the manufacturer for firmware updates.
TV firmware is out-of-date. If your TV contains firmware, check with the TV manufacturer for firmware updates.
LED is OFF Bad power source

First make sure:

  • The Intel Compute Stick is plugged into an AC outlet.
  • You aren't trying to power the Intel Compute Stick via a USB port on a TV.
If the LED light is still OFF:
  • Connect the Intel Compute Stick to a different AC outlet.
  • Try plugging the Intel Compute Stick directly into an AC outlet (if you're using a power strip).
  • Try another Compute Stick power adapter (if you have one).
Defective Intel® Compute Stick If you have confirmed that the power adapter is working, but the LED still does not light up, skip to Step six: contact Intel Customer Support.
Step two: If BIOS settings were changed, set them back to factory default values.

Changing BIOS settings can prevent the Intel Compute Stick from starting properly. To restore factory defaults:

  1. Press the power button and hold it down for three seconds. Then, release it before the 4-second shutdown override.
  2. The Power Button Menu appears.
  3. Press F2 to enter BIOS Setup.
  4. Press F9 to restore factory defaults.
  5. Press F10 to save and exit BIOS Setup.
Step three: Determine if the boot problem is due to overheating.

If the Intel Compute Stick overheats, it might not boot or might randomly shut down.

If overheating symptoms appear, refer to the checklist below:

  • Don't block the ventilation holes of the Intel Compute Stick chassis.
  • Keep the Intel Compute Stick on a hard surface.
  • Set the Intel Compute Stick vertically on its left or right side (for better airflow to the bottom ventilation holes).
  • Make sure there's adequate airflow around the Intel Compute Stick.
Step four: Identify errors when starting the computer.

Error displays when you start the Intel Compute Stick: A bootable device has not been detected.

Check that the drive is detected in BIOS:

  1. Press F2 during boot to enter BIOS Setup.
  2. On the Configuration menu, check the Boot Drive Order.
  3. Press F10 to exit BIOS Setup.

If Boot Drive Order shows No Boot Drive, it's possible that the drive inside the Intel Compute Stick failed. Perform a BIOS recovery (Step five).

Step five: Try a BIOS Recovery.

The Intel Compute Stick might not start properly if BIOS becomes corrupted. Try a BIOS Recovery.

Step six: Contact Intel Customer Support for further investigation.

If you've tried all the steps listed above and your Intel® Compute Stick still doesn't start properly, Intel Customer Support can help.

Click Contact Support below to find the support options for your region. Be ready to explain the steps you tried.

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