Do you have a Mac that won't turn on, and you're just unsure what to do? Don't worry, there are ways to figure out why this might happen and what you need to do about it. Having a computer that won't turn on can be frustrating if you don't know how to troubleshoot the problem. This guide will take you through some of the most common reasons for your Mac not turning on and give instructions for fixing these problems.
There are numerous reasons for your Mac not turning on. If you're trying to troubleshoot your Mac, you first need to determine what is causing it. Some reasons for your Mac not turning on are listed below:
Your Mac might not receive power if the cable has disconnected or if you have a bad power adapter. If it isn't receiving power, your Mac won't start up. The cable can easily be checked by plugging it into another Mac, but make sure you check the power on the actual power cord of your Mac. If it's not getting power, then your charger may be bad.
If a computer is constantly running and turning up its internal temperature, it can burn out and not turn on. If you notice this happening to your Mac often, try shutting down your computer and leaving it alone so that the heat dissipates. If your Mac is overheating, you may consider opening up the side of the computer to let it breathe
A Mac's power supply unit (PSU) can cause your computer not to turn on. This can happen if the PSU is disconnected or if there isn't enough power being provided by it. If you have an older model, you might need a new PSU for your Mac to operate properly. If you're using a new model, however, you should check the PSU and ensure everything is connected properly. If this is the case, plug it into another Mac and make sure it turns on.
Another problem that can cause your Mac not to turn on is motherboard problems. The motherboard allows all parts – including RAM – to work together to create a functioning computer. If your motherboard has gone bad, your computer won't turn on. The motherboard can be checked by putting the computer into different modes, such as Safe Mode. Don't worry about losing any data; it is unlikely that any data will be lost, even if you have a bad motherboard.
If your Mac won't turn on, but there are no other problems with it, your display might be the cause. The display is what allows you to see everything that is on your screen. If you have a bad display, then you won't be able to see anything. It is possible to fix the display by opening it up, checking the backlight, and replacing parts as necessary
Another reason for your Mac not turning on can be problems with the hard drive. The hard drive stores all your data and allows you to access it whenever possible. If your hard drive dies on you, you won't be able to access any data from it. The hard drive can be checked into Disk Utility in your Utility folder. If you have data stored on the drive, then it is likely that you can still access it, but if there is no data on the drive, your hard drive may be dead and need to be replaced.
The RAM that is installed in your computer is what allows it to function properly. Without RAM, your Mac won't turn on because it won't have access to any of its data. The RAM can be checked by plugging it into another Mac, restarting the computer, and seeing if it comes up. You will need to replace your RAM chips if it doesn't start up.
If you're having problems with your Mac not turning on, you'll want to follow a few steps to fix the problem and get it back up and running. Here are a few things you can do to fix the issues.
Restarting is one of the world's most underrated yet highly useful technical troubleshooting techniques. Computer systems have many processes running in the background that can become unresponsive and cause problems or errors. Restarting brings your computer back to a clean slate by clearing out unresponsive applications and processes.
Press the power button on your Mac to start it up, then immediately press and hold the Command + S keys until you see a black screen with white text instructing you to restart your computer. Wait for the computer to restart and try booting it up again.
Resetting the SMC is the first troubleshooting step we recommend trying before taking drastic measures like getting it repaired or buying a new machine. You need two pins or thumbtacks and an Allen wrench to reset your SMC.
Note: Resetting the SMC on your Mac is similar to resetting the PRAM (Parameter RAM) on a Mac.
To reset your SMC, follow these steps:
A common problem with laptops, especially MacBooks, is unplugging all attached devices, which can lead to your Mac not turning on. If you have difficulty remembering what goes where create a chart and keep it near your computer for reference.
Step 1: Unplug the power adapter from its socket and plug it back in. If restarting the computer doesn't do anything.
Step 2: Unplug any accessories that are connected by USB. Note: If you're using an iMac.
Step 3: Move any cables out of their sockets (for example, the optical drive connector on a laptop)
Step 4: Unplug any external storage devices. Note: If you're using an iMac.
Step 5: Unplug the hard drive from its SATA or SATA port.
Step 6: Restart your computer.
A safe mode is a troubleshooting mode that allows you to temporarily fix problems in your computer. For example, if your Mac has been running slower than usual or has developed a problem with the display, then a safe mode can give you a better look at what's happening with your machine.
Step 1: Restart the computer.
Step 2: Within a few seconds, you'll see a message reading "Starting up..." followed by the Mac logo.
Step 3: Once you see the Mac logo, press and hold the Command+S keys to go into safe mode. If you're using a MacBook or iMac, you may need to hold down Command+R during startup to restart in safe mode.
Step 4: After a few moments, your Mac will boot back up normally without any changes.
Try booting the computer in safe mode again if the above steps don't help.
If your Mac turns on but won't boot up, then resetting the PRAM/NVRAM can help by clearing out any unresponsive processes in the hardware that may be causing problems. To reset your PRAM/NVRAM, do the following:
Step 1: Restart your Macintosh computer.
Step 2: Press and hold down Command-Option-P-R on your keyboard (at least until you see a line of text appear on the top of your screen that says something about resetting NVRAM). Note: If you're using a MacBook, use the Command + Option + P + R keys instead.
Step 3: Release all keys simultaneously when you see the line of text on your screen. The computer will turn itself off after doing so.
Step 4: Turn your Mac back on by pressing the POWER button again. Note: After performing a PRAM/NVRAM reset, your screen resolution may be set to some weird value like 720x1,024 or something similar.
If your Mac turns on but won't boot up, try resetting the NVRAM again.
If your Mac still won't turn on after trying the above troubleshooting techniques, it's time to perform a power cycle. A power cycle may be described as turning your computer off and then turning it on again. This helps smooth out the problems of your machine's software or hardware by resetting them. To perform a power cycle, you need to:
Turn off your Mac.
Wait for a few moments before turning it back on again.
If your problem persists, try doing this at least three more times (i.e., power cycle the computer three more times).
Restoring your Mac from recovery mode can also help you fix a Mac that has stopped booting up. This is especially helpful if you have accidentally deleted critical files on your hard drive and cannot start up your computer anymore. If your Mac doesn't start up, then try restoring it from recovery mode as follows:
Step 1: Restart your Mac, and hold down the Command and R keys on your keyboard until you see an Apple icon on your screen.
Step 2: Select Disk Utility from the list of applications.
Step 3: Select Restore from the list of functions.
Step 4: Choose the disk or volume in your disk drive that you want to restore from, then click Restore. Depending on how much data needs to be restored, this can take a while. Once it's done, click Continue.
As you can see, there are plenty of different things you can try if your Mac won't start up. In most cases, you should combine 1 or 2 of the above steps to see if you can fix your Mac. If your computer is still under warranty, then it's probably a better idea to get it looked at by a professional unless you want to risk voiding your warranty.
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