In that location are lots of reasons why you might find that your Mac won't plow on, or your MacBook won't start up, only yous probably but want to get information technology working again. We'll run through the diverse checks and changes to brand to get your Mac to kicking up to you lot can start using it once again.

Read on for some simple tips that should go your Mac working, from the obvious stuff like checking the power connectedness, to performing a power cycle, starting in Recovery mode, and checking the file arrangement. And if your Mac really is expressionless, nosotros'll also tell you lot where to plough side by side.

The fixes in this article employ to most recent versions of macOS. The menus and interfaces may look slightly dissimilar depending on which OS you are running, just their functions are in essence the same. Similarly, if you lot take an M1 Mac there are some changes to the way you perform sure functions - like starting up the figurer in Condom fashion or Recovery, we'll particular these below.

Mac won't turn on

1. Bank check your Mac turns on

Kickoff, let'southward find out if the problem is that your Mac won't start upwardly, or that it won't turn on - those might audio like the same thing, only there'south actually a large difference.

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

A Mac that doesn't turn on calls for a unlike arroyo to ane that doesn't commencement upwards. If your computer doesn't turn on then you lot need to exercise the following:

i) Check your ability connection

Don't be the cliche: check that the power is on and the Mac is plugged in correctly. Or if it's a laptop, be sure that the bombardment isn't dead - and if it needs charging give it a while to attempt to charge before concluding that it isn't going to work. If your MacBook won't charge read this.

ii) Effort a unlike power cable or adapter

Information technology may exist that the error resides with the power cablevision. If yous've got a friend with a Mac power cablevision that fits your machine, effort it to meet if that solves the problem. If information technology does, it could exist a elementary fix that involves finding a secondhand ability cable on eBay (although nosotros advise confronting ownership 3rd-party ability cables that aren't fabricated past Apple, equally they are much more probable to be faulty and maybe unsafe).

If you recently had a ability cut, that could be responsible: your power adaptor could have been damaged in a power surge and you lot may demand a new one.

Finally, information technology's possible that the cablevision is loose, and pulling it out and plugging it in over again will solve the problem. But nosotros dubiety it volition exist that easy.

Apple sells various cables for charging Apple Macs and laptops. You should observe the one you need here: Apple power adaptors. Also read: Which MacBook charger do I need?

iii) Disconnect all accessories

Unplug all the accessories (such as printers and USB hubs) attached to your Mac. It could be that i 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 erstwhile memory or hard bulldoze and run into if that helps.)

If none of those steps work then it's time to move onto the next stage.

two. Perform a Power Cycle

If you aren't hearing whatsoever signs of life, you lot could perform a power bicycle, which involves forcing your Mac to restart after killing the ability to information technology.

  • On a MacBook you need to hold down the power central for ten seconds. You'll unremarkably hear a squeak as the Mac's power is forcibly cut. Hopefully after waiting ten seconds and restarting, all will be well.
  • If your Mac is a desktop yous will need to unplug information technology and go out information technology unplugged for at least ten seconds before plugging it back in and attempting to restart.
  • For M1 Macs if you lot press and concur the Power button y'all would somewhen see Loading startup options - assuming the Mac was working properly. If pressing and holding the power button does allow you to access the startup options then you tin can run through those options below to go your Mac upwards and running. We discuss this below.  Nosotros as well discuss how to revive your M1 Mac using a second Mac and the Configurator app below.

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

3. Check your display

If you'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 separate brandish plugged in you can skip this step.

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

screen and mac mini

It is possible that your Mac does plough on, but doesn't kick upward considering information technology can't access the brandish - if that's the instance yous are virtually likely having trouble with the display hardware (rather than a broader startup event).

If you think information technology'south a problem with your monitor, and so take a wait at this Apple tree Support document for communication on troubleshooting a display. If your display isn't working the communication is to:

  1. Check the ability supply to the Mac (and the power to the brandish if using a divide unit of measurement).
  2. Confirm that all cables are connected securely.
  3. Remove all display extenders and switches, and any other devices between the Mac and monitor.
  4. Unplug the video cable (if using a separate monitor) and plug it back in.
  5. If using more than than i monitor in a 'daisy chain', unplug all monitors and test using just 1.
  6. If possible, try to apply a unlike display, or a different adapter (utilise DVI instead of VGA, for example).
  7. Apple also advises adjusting the screen resolution in Organisation Preferences.

4. Boot up your Mac in Rubber Boot

Safe Kicking limits what checks and functionality your Mac focuses on during startup, and performs certain diagnostics. It's rare, but sometimes you tin can go your unhappy Mac to showtime up successfully with a Condom Boot, and then restart it unremarkably, and everything returns to hunky-doriness. If you want more help with this step read: How to showtime a Mac in Condom Fashion.

  • To enter Safe Fashion on an Intel-powered Mac: Start your Mac upwardly while holding downwards the Shift key. Safe Boot tin can take a while to start (if it does work at all).
  • To enter Safe Mode on an M1-powered Mac: Press and continue to hold the power push until you see the startup options announced on the screen. Choose the startup disk. At present printing and hold Shift and then click Continue in Prophylactic Style. Then release the Shift key. Y'all will see the words Safe Way in carte du jour at the pinnacle right of your screen.
  • To get more feedback near what'due south happening, y'all could start up an Intel-powered Mac while holding downward Shift, Control and 5: that enters both Rubber Boot and something chosen Verbose Mode, which spits out some letters about what Safe Boot is actually trying to do as it goes.

Now you are in safe mode nosotros will hash out how to use Safe Mode to fix your Mac start upward issues.

While yous are Safe Style the interface will expect very slightly different, with blocks of color rather than transparency. The biggest giveaway is the Dock at the bottom of the screen, such as in the epitome below, for example.

Safe Mode Mac

Once in Condom Mode you may be able to run certain checks (we'll run through these beneath) and make changes that could set up your Mac. For case you lot could reinstall macOS or update other software.

If you discover you can start upwards in Safe Way it is probable that the issue is related to one of your startup items, in which case you lot should go to: System Preferences > Users & Groups and remove all the items (click on -). You could utilise trial and error to work out which startup item is causing the trouble.

5. Reset the PRAM / NVRAM

In the PowerPC days, we talked about resetting the PRAM. On Intel Macs, the term is resetting the NVRAM. The NVRAM in M1 Macs is reset automatically, just there is a manner to reset NVRAM on the M1 Mac - nosotros discuss that here: How to reset NVRAM on an M1 or Intel Mac.

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

Resetting that data isn't harmful, but quite bluntly information technology's as well rarely genuinely useful. But it tin't hurt.

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

  1. Hold down all of these keys: Command, Selection (Alt), P and R, and turn on the Mac (information technology's the same keys to reset the PRAM).
  2. Keep holding the keys downwards until you hear the Mac restart once more.
  3. Listen for a second reboot, and then release the keys.

On M1 Mac resetting the NVRAM means using Concluding, the method is discussed in the article linked above.

In some cases, after performing this step, your Mac volition restart normally. In other cases, you might instead see a progress bar on startup. If the progress bar fills up and and so the Mac starts up, you lot're probably good to go. In some cases we've seen, still, the Mac shuts down at around the halfway point in the progress bar.

half-dozen. Reset the SMC

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

SMC is absent-minded from the M1 Mac so you can't reset it. Nevertheless you can change the settings that the SMC used to look later on. Nosotros discuss how to do this hither: How to reset a Mac's SMC.

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

On a Mac laptop:

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

On a Mac desktop:

  1. Close downwardly the Mac.
  2. Unplug information technology.
  3. Printing the power push 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

vii. 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 information technology is possible to set this in Recovery Mode. We accept a detailed tutorial on using Recovery Mode here, just we'll run thorough the basics beneath.

Yet again, accessing Recovery Mode is a petty different on an M1 Mac (read about All the new means of doing things on M1 Macs).

The get-go step is to run Deejay Utility. On a Mac running Mountain Lion or later, which will be the vast majority of Macs, you lot can run Disk Utility by booting into Recovery Mode.

  • On an Intel Mac you need to make sure the Mac is turned off. If information technology's not responsive because it'south stuck on a grey, bluish or white screen, merely concord down the Mac'southward power button for several seconds until information technology gives up and shuts off. (Here's what to practise to fix a Blue Screen of Death on a Mac.) Agree downward the Command and R keys, and power the Mac dorsum up once again. Keep pressing Cmd + R while your Mac is booting upward until you encounter the Apple logo.
  • On an M1 Mac press and hold the Power button until the Mac starts upwards and eventually shows the start upwards options. Select Options > Keep to enter Recovery.

Now you are in Recovery mode here'due south what to do:

  1. Once your Mac starts in Recovery Mode you will gain admission to Utilities. Click on the Deejay Utility option. macOS Utilities
  2. Locate your Mac'due south drive - probably Macintosh Hard disk drive, select it.
  3. Click Beginning Aid. First Aid Mac
  4. If at that place are errors with your disk, Disk Utility should discover them and will either repair them automatically, or will ask if yous would like to repair them. Click Repair Deejay if this is the example.

In Recovery Way y'all can too practice the following:

  • Restore from a Time Motorcar backup.
  • Get assist online.
  • Install or reinstall macOS (nosotros discuss this below).

8. Revive a M1 Mac

If you lot take an M1 Mac and y'all still haven't been able to revive it, the next option to effort is to apply a second Mac running Apple's Configurator 2 to update the firmware.

Y'all will need a 2nd Mac, a USB to USB cablevision, 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 cablevision.
  2. Open up Configurator 2 software on the working Mac.
  3. Now on the non-working Mac printing and hold the power push while also pressing the following key combination: Right shift, Left Option/Alt, Left Control. You volition need someone to help you unless yous have gigantic hands because you also demand to be pressing the Power Button at the aforementioned time.
  4. Later about 10 seconds permit go of the keys, simply keep pressing the Power button. Hopefully the M1 Mac will appear in the Configurator app on your second Mac by this indicate (the M1 Mac still won't prove whatever screen activity though).

The procedure is a footling dissimilar for the M1 Mac mini.

  1. In this instance you demand to unplug it and await for about ten seconds.
  2. Printing and agree the power push button.
  3. Plug it in again, while yet holding the ability button.
  4. Release the power push.

How to use 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 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 step is really kind of fun - at least when it's not your Mac that'due south nether the weather. It's fun because it feels so geeky.

Before you get as well excited though, this isn't an option for M1 Macs.

  1. Shut the Mac off, and commencement it up again while holding Cmd + S to launch in Single User Mode. You can release the keys when the intimidating black screen with messages in white text appears.
  2. Await until the control-line prompt appears, when all the text is washed scrolling past. Then type fsck -fy and hit Return. And look. Mayhap for several long minutes.
  3. Eventually, after five unlike checks that take varying amounts of fourth dimension, yous should get to 1 of two messages: "The book [your Mac's name] appears to be OK" or "FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED."
  4. If y'all run across the outset message, type reboot and press Return.
  5. If yous see the latter bulletin, you need to run fsck -fy all over once again. You can retype the command and striking Return, or printing the Up arrow in one case and so press Return.

If this doesn't work, and your Mac nonetheless doesn't start upwards, and then motility on to the next step.

ten. Utilise Target disk style to copy files

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

If you're not sweating at the moment, and are confident in your Time Car or other backup solution, then skip to Step 11 beneath. Just if you wish you'd backed up your Mac then at present is the time to run across what you can salvage from the machine.

For this, you'll need a second Mac. If you haven't got 1 then ask a friend. Follow these steps to use Target Deejay Mode:

  1. Connect both Macs together using an Apple Thunderbolt cable (£39 from Apple). If you have an older Mac this same procedure works with FireWire cables.
  2. Switch off your Mac.
  3. Starting time upwardly your Mac while holding downwards the T push button on the keyboard.
  4. Keep holding 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 Deejay mode your Mac acts like an external bulldoze. You should now hopefully come across the difficult drive for your faulty Mac on your 2nd Mac'south Finder.

You should be able to grab the files yous need from your unresponsive Mac, or even clone the entire hard drive to another external bulldoze.

Plug in Mac

11. Reinstall macOS

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

Remember macOS Recovery from the pace above? You tin utilize it to reinstall macOS too.

  1. Boot into Recovery style as in a higher place (concord the Command and R keys while you start up, or press and hold the power button if you are on an M1 Mac).
  2. Once in Recovery click to install the latest OS and follow the onscreen prompts.

Our commodity on resetting a Mac to factory settings has more data on wiping a Mac and reinstalling macOS.

12. Make a Genius Bar appointment

If you've made it this far and your Mac still doesn't piece of work, you'll need to accept it to an Apple tree Genius Bar to see if they tin can aid yous fix information technology (or arrange for a repair under warranty). Hopefully you lot take got plenty data from your Mac so as 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 do Macs last?