How do I fix a broken PC laptop?

It's usually possible to fix a laptop, providing it wasn't run over by a truck. But depending on the model and what's wrong, it may be a waste of time and money to try. Your first challenge is troubleshooting what's wrong, and the best place to start is by asking your dad if he remembers when it stopped working. The problem could be as simple as a broken wire in the AC adapter lead which would let the battery run down and even when it's plugged in, but it would be silly to run out and buy a new AC adapter just on the off chance that that's it. The power supply is always the logical first step in troubleshooting computer problems, because without power, nothing is going to work.

Ask your dad if the laptop displayed any symptoms before it stopped working, if he dropped it on the floor, smelled smoke, or knocked his coffee over the keyboard. Ask him if it worked on battery when not connected to the AC adapter, and whether or not the battery lasted for more than a few minutes. If it actually powers on but you don't get a live LCD, ask him if he tried attaching an external monitor (or try yourself). And if it powers up and you get a live screen but Windows doesn't launch, ask him if he had up-to-date virus software installed.

While you can troubleshoot a laptop without knowing where it came from or how well it last worked, it's a lot easier if you have a little history.

Unless you're interested in working on the laptop for the sake of learning about them, check the labels on the bottom to determine what the model number is and what version of Windows is installed. If the operating system is too old to work with the software you want to use, the laptop may just be too old even if you got it working and spent money to upgrade the memory, which is the only upgrade that makes sense on most laptops. If you determine that the model is one that you can actually use, then you can start the troubleshooting process, with an idea of what you'd be willing to spend to get it going again.

The worst thing to do is to just start guessing at parts that might be wrong, because even if you buy them used on eBay, in no time you'll spend the price of an inexpensive new laptop.