There are lots of reasons why you might detect that your Mac won't turn on, or your MacBook won't start up, merely you probably just want to get information technology working again. We'll run through the various checks and changes to make to become your Mac to kick upward to you tin can start using it again.

Read on for some simple tips that should get your Mac working, from the obvious stuff like checking the ability connection, to performing a power cycle, starting in Recovery mode, and checking the file system. And if your Mac really is dead, we'll likewise tell you where to turn side by side.

The fixes in this article apply to most contempo versions of macOS. The menus and interfaces may await slightly different depending on which OS you are running, merely their functions are in essence the same. Similarly, if you accept an M1 Mac there are some changes to the style you lot perform certain functions - like starting up the calculator in Safe way or Recovery, we'll detail these below.

Mac won't turn on

1. Bank check your Mac turns on

Showtime, let's find out if the problem is that your Mac won't start up, or that information technology won't plow on - those might sound like the same thing, merely in that location's actually a big difference.

Printing the Power button on your Mac. If you don't hear a startup chime, you lot don't hear any fan or drive dissonance, and at that place are no images, video, or visuals of any sort on your display, and so your Mac isn't turning on at all. You're non even getting to the bespeak where it refuses to start up.

A Mac that doesn't turn on calls for a different approach to one that doesn't start up. If your calculator doesn't turn on then y'all need to practice the following:

i) Bank check your power connection

Don't be the cliché: check that the ability is on and the Mac is plugged in correctly. Or if it's a laptop, be sure that the battery isn't dead - and if information technology needs charging give it a while to endeavor to charge before concluding that it isn't going to work. If your MacBook won't accuse read this.

2) Effort a dissimilar ability cable or adapter

It may be that the error resides with the power cable. If you've got a friend with a Mac power cablevision that fits your automobile, try it to see if that solves the trouble. If it does, it could be a elementary fix that involves finding a secondhand power cable on eBay (although we propose against ownership third-party power cables that aren't made by Apple, as they are much more than probable to be faulty and possibly unsafe).

If y'all recently had a power cut, that could exist responsible: your power adaptor could accept been damaged in a power surge and you may need a new one.

Finally, it's possible that the cable is loose, and pulling information technology out and plugging it in again will solve the trouble. Merely nosotros doubt it will exist that easy.

Apple tree sells diverse cables for charging Apple Macs and laptops. Yous should find the i you demand here: Apple tree power adaptors. Also read: Which MacBook charger exercise I need?

3) Disconnect all accessories

Unplug all the accessories (such equally printers and USB hubs) attached to your Mac. It could exist that ane of your peripherals is causing problems with the startup sequence.

If you recently installed new RAM or a new hard drive, make sure they are correctly installed and compatible. (If possible, reinstall the one-time memory or difficult drive and meet if that helps.)

If none of those steps work then information technology'south time to motility onto the side by side stage.

ii. Perform a Power Bicycle

If y'all aren't hearing any signs of life, y'all could perform a power cycle, which involves forcing your Mac to restart subsequently killing the ability to it.

  • On a MacBook you need to hold down the power key for 10 seconds. You'll usually hear a squeak as the Mac's power is forcibly cut. Hopefully after waiting ten seconds and restarting, all will exist well.
  • If your Mac is a desktop you lot volition need to unplug it and leave it unplugged for at least ten seconds before plugging information technology dorsum in and attempting to restart.
  • For M1 Macs if you press and hold the Power push you would eventually see Loading startup options - assuming the Mac was working properly. If pressing and belongings the power push button does allow yous to access the startup options and then you can run through those options beneath to get your Mac up and running. Nosotros discuss this below.  We also discuss how to revive your M1 Mac using a second Mac and the Configurator app below.

If performing a power cycle on your Mac doesn't help, or if pressing the Power button on the M1 Mac doesn't open the commencement up options, there are a few other elementary things to try out earlier moving on to the more complicated steps.

three. Cheque your display

If yous're using a desktop Mac such as a Mac Pro or Mac mini this could apply to y'all. If you don't have a dissever display plugged in you can skip this footstep.

You could have a problem with the display you have plugged in, rather than the Mac itself. Have a listen to your Mac to come across if it's making any sounds during boot-up.

screen and mac mini

It is possible that your Mac does turn on, only doesn't boot upward considering information technology can't access the brandish - if that's the case you are about likely having trouble with the display hardware (rather than a broader startup outcome).

If you remember it's a problem with your monitor, then take a look at this Apple tree Support certificate for advice on troubleshooting a display. If your brandish isn't working the advice is to:

  1. Cheque the power supply to the Mac (and the ability to the brandish if using a dissever unit).
  2. Confirm that all cables are continued deeply.
  3. Remove all display extenders and switches, and whatsoever other devices betwixt the Mac and monitor.
  4. Unplug the video cable (if using a split up monitor) and plug it back in.
  5. If using more one monitor in a 'daisy chain', unplug all monitors and test using just one.
  6. If possible, endeavour to use a different brandish, or a different adapter (utilize DVI instead of VGA, for example).
  7. Apple besides advises adjusting the screen resolution in Organization Preferences.

iv. Boot upwards your Mac in Condom Boot

Rubber Boot limits what checks and functionality your Mac focuses on during startup, and performs sure diagnostics. It's rare, simply sometimes you lot tin can get your unhappy Mac to start up successfully with a Safe Boot, and and so restart it normally, and everything returns to hunky-doriness. If you want more assist with this step read: How to starting time a Mac in Safe Style.

  • To enter Safe Style on an Intel-powered Mac: Start your Mac upward while belongings down the Shift key. Safe Kick can take a while to start (if it does piece of work at all).
  • To enter Prophylactic Mode on an M1-powered Mac: Press and continue to hold the ability button until y'all encounter the startup options appear on the screen. Choose the startup disk. Now press and hold Shift so click Continue in Safety Style. Then release the Shift key. You volition see the words Safe Mode in menu at the superlative correct of your screen.
  • To get more feedback almost what'southward happening, you could beginning up an Intel-powered Mac while holding down Shift, Command and V: that enters both Rubber Boot and something called Verbose Mode, which spits out some letters almost what Safe Boot is actually trying to do as information technology goes.

Now you lot are in safe style nosotros volition discuss how to utilise Prophylactic Mode to fix your Mac outset up problems.

While you are Safety Way the interface volition await very slightly unlike, with blocks of colour rather than transparency. The biggest giveaway is the Dock at the bottom of the screen, such every bit in the image below, for example.

Safe Mode Mac

Once in Safe Fashion y'all may be able to run certain checks (we'll run through these beneath) and brand changes that could set up your Mac. For example you could reinstall macOS or update other software.

If y'all notice you tin start upwardly in Safe Way it is probable that the issue is related to 1 of your startup items, in which example you should go to: System Preferences > Users & Groups and remove all the items (click on -). You could employ trial and error to work out which startup item is causing the trouble.

5. Reset the PRAM / NVRAM

In the PowerPC days, we talked almost resetting the PRAM. On Intel Macs, the term is resetting the NVRAM. The NVRAM in M1 Macs is reset automatically, but in that location is a way to reset NVRAM on the M1 Mac - we discuss that here: How to reset NVRAM on an M1 or Intel Mac.

The name refers to special memory sections on your Mac that shop data that persists even when the Mac is close off, such as volume settings and screen resolution.

Resetting that data isn't harmful, merely quite bluntly information technology's also rarely genuinely useful. But it can't injure.

You might need to abound an actress finger or two for this one, or take a friend assist you out. Here's how to reset the PRAM/NVRAM on your Intel-powered Mac:

  1. Hold downwards all of these keys: Command, Selection (Alt), P and R, and plow on the Mac (it's the aforementioned keys to reset the PRAM).
  2. Go along holding the keys down until y'all hear the Mac restart over again.
  3. Mind for a second reboot, and then release the keys.

On M1 Mac resetting the NVRAM ways using Terminal, the method is discussed in the commodity linked in a higher place.

In some cases, subsequently performing this step, your Mac volition restart commonly. In other cases, y'all might instead see a progress bar on startup. If the progress bar fills up so the Mac starts upward, yous're probably good to go. In some cases we've seen, even so, the Mac shuts down at around the halfway point in the progress bar.

6. Reset the SMC

In some situations, you may demand to reset your Mac's SMC (System Management Controller). This is largely a concluding-ditch attempt to fix the current version of macOS before attempting to recover the information and moving on to reinstalling the OS.

SMC is absent from the M1 Mac so you tin't reset it. However you can change the settings that the SMC used to expect after. Nosotros discuss how to do this here: How to reset a Mac's SMC.

Here's what to do if you desire to reset the SMC (Intel Macs):

On a Mac laptop:

  1. Shut downwardly the MacBook.
  2. Unplug and then reconnect the power cablevision.
  3. Press Shift + Ctrl + Option/Alt keys and the power push button at the same time.
  4. Now release all those keys and the power button at the aforementioned fourth dimension.
  5. You lot may see the light on the ability cable flicker.
  6. Restart your MacBook.

On a Mac desktop:

  1. Shut down the Mac.
  2. Unplug it.
  3. Press the power button for 5 seconds.
  4. Plug the Mac back in.
  5. Turn on your Mac.

How to fix a Mac that won't turn on: Reset the SMC

seven. Run Disk Utility in Recovery Mode

If your Mac is booting but the operating system isn't loading up, you may have a corrupted drive. Luckily it is possible to gear up this in Recovery Fashion. Nosotros have a detailed tutorial on using Recovery Mode here, just we'll run thorough the nuts below.

Notwithstanding once more, accessing Recovery Manner is a lilliputian different on an M1 Mac (read nigh All the new ways of doing things on M1 Macs).

The offset pace is to run Disk Utility. On a Mac running Mountain King of beasts or later on, which will be the vast majority of Macs, you can run Deejay Utility past booting into Recovery Mode.

  • On an Intel Mac you need to make sure the Mac is turned off. If it's not responsive because it'south stuck on a grey, blue or white screen, just hold down the Mac'southward power button for several seconds until information technology gives up and shuts off. (Here'due south what to do to fix a Bluish Screen of Decease on a Mac.) Concur down the Control and R keys, and power the Mac support again. Proceed pressing Cmd + R while your Mac is booting up until y'all encounter the Apple logo.
  • On an M1 Mac press and agree the Power push button until the Mac starts upward and eventually shows the outset up options. Select Options > Continue to enter Recovery.

Now you lot are in Recovery mode here's what to do:

  1. Once your Mac starts in Recovery Mode y'all will gain access to Utilities. Click on the Disk Utility choice. macOS Utilities
  2. Locate your Mac's drive - probably Macintosh Hd, select information technology.
  3. Click Starting time Aid. First Aid Mac
  4. If there are errors with your disk, Disk Utility should detect them and will either repair them automatically, or volition ask if you would like to repair them. Click Repair Disk if this is the case.

In Recovery Mode yous can likewise exercise the following:

  • Restore from a Fourth dimension Machine fill-in.
  • Get help online.
  • Install or reinstall macOS (we talk over this beneath).

eight. Revive a M1 Mac

If you lot take an M1 Mac and yous still haven't been able to revive it, the next pick to try is to apply a 2d Mac running Apple tree'south Configurator ii to update the firmware.

You volition need a second Mac, a USB to USB cable, a web connection and Apple's Configurator 2 software.

  1. Connect the two Macs with a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cable.
  2. Open Configurator 2 software on the working Mac.
  3. Now on the non-working Mac printing and concord the power button while also pressing the following key combination: Right shift, Left Selection/Alt, Left Control. You will need someone to aid you unless yous have gigantic hands considering yous also need to be pressing the Power Button at the aforementioned fourth dimension.
  4. Afterwards about x seconds let go of the keys, just go on pressing the Power button. Hopefully the M1 Mac will announced in the Configurator app on your 2d Mac by this bespeak (the M1 Mac yet won't show any screen activity though).

The procedure is a little different for the M1 Mac mini.

  1. In this example you need to unplug it and look for about 10 seconds.
  2. Press and hold the ability button.
  3. Plug information technology in once more, while still holding the power button.
  4. Release the power button.

How to employ the Configurator software to revive an M1 Mac.

  1. The M1 Mac should be showing in the Configurator software on the other Mac. Select the M1 Mac you lot want to revive.
  2. Click on Actions > Advanced.
  3. Select Revive Device.
  4. This will revive the firmware on the M1 Mac.

9. Check the file system

This pace is actually kind of fun - at least when it's not your Mac that's under the weather. Information technology'south fun because it feels and so geeky.

Before y'all go besides excited though, this isn't an option for M1 Macs.

  1. Shut the Mac off, and outset it up again while holding Cmd + South to launch in Single User Mode. You lot tin release the keys when the intimidating black screen with letters in white text appears.
  2. Expect until the command-line prompt appears, when all the text is washed scrolling by. Then type fsck -fy and hit Return. And wait. Possibly for several long minutes.
  3. Eventually, after five dissimilar checks that take varying amounts of fourth dimension, you should get to one of two letters: "The book [your Mac'south name] appears to be OK" or "FILE Organisation WAS MODIFIED."
  4. If you encounter the get-go message, type reboot and press Render.
  5. If you see the latter message, you need to run fsck -fy all over again. You tin retype the command and hit Return, or press the Up arrow once and then press Return.

If this doesn't piece of work, and your Mac yet doesn't start upwardly, so movement on to the next step.

10. Use Target disk mode to copy files

This step should exist taken prior to reinstalling macOS and it depends on your backup situation. You do make regular backups, or at least sync important documents, music and photos to the cloud, right?

If y'all're non sweating at the moment, and are confident in your Time Motorcar or other backup solution, and then skip to Step 11 beneath. But if you wish you lot'd backed up your Mac and then now is the time to encounter what you lot tin can save from the machine.

For this, you'll need a second Mac. If you haven't got one and so ask a friend. Follow these steps to utilise Target Deejay Mode:

  1. Connect both Macs together using an Apple Thunderbolt cable (£39 from Apple). If you have an older Mac this aforementioned process works with FireWire cables.
  2. Switch off your Mac.
  3. Start up your Mac while holding down the T button on the keyboard.
  4. Keep belongings the T button down as you hear the startup chime and keep it pressed until the Thunderbolt icon appears on your screen.

This places your Mac in Target disk mode. In Target Disk manner your Mac acts like an external drive. Y'all should now hopefully meet the hard bulldoze for your faulty Mac on your second Mac's Finder.

Yous should be able to take hold of the files you lot need from your unresponsive Mac, or even clone the entire hard bulldoze to another external drive.

Plug in Mac

xi. Reinstall macOS

This is pretty drastic, only if you have tried everything else, and then reinstalling the operating system could remove the issue that is stopping the Mac from starting properly.

Think macOS Recovery from the step above? You can employ information technology to reinstall macOS too.

  1. Boot into Recovery mode every bit above (hold the Command and R keys while y'all start upward, or press and concur the ability push button if you lot are on an M1 Mac).
  2. One time in Recovery click to install the latest OS and follow the onscreen prompts.

Our article on resetting a Mac to manufactory settings has more than information on wiping a Mac and reinstalling macOS.

12. Brand a Genius Bar date

If you've made it this far and your Mac still doesn't piece of work, you'll need to take it to an Apple Genius Bar to see if they can help you prepare it (or suit for a repair under warranty). Hopefully you have got enough information from your Mac and so every bit to be able to back up, or continue working on a new Mac.

Wondering how many years your Mac should last for? Read: How long exercise Macs final?