In that location are lots of reasons why you might notice that your Mac won't turn on, or your MacBook won't get-go upward, but you probably just want to become it working again. We'll run through the various checks and changes to make to get your Mac to boot upwards to you can showtime using it again.

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

The fixes in this article utilize to most contempo versions of macOS. The menus and interfaces may look slightly dissimilar depending on which OS you are running, but their functions are in essence the same. Similarly, if you have an M1 Mac there are some changes to the style you perform certain functions - like starting upwardly the computer in Safety style or Recovery, we'll detail these beneath.

Mac won't turn on

1. Bank check your Mac turns on

First, let's find out if the problem is that your Mac won't first upward, or that information technology won't plough on - those might audio like the same matter, but at that place's actually a big difference.

Printing the Ability button 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, then your Mac isn't turning on at all. Y'all're not even getting to the point where it refuses to starting time upward.

A Mac that doesn't turn on calls for a different approach to 1 that doesn't start up. If your computer doesn't turn on so you need to do the following:

i) Cheque your ability connection

Don't exist the cliché: check that the power is on and the Mac is plugged in correctly. Or if information technology's a laptop, exist sure that the battery isn't dead - and if information technology 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) Try a dissimilar ability cable or adapter

Information technology may be that the fault resides with the power cable. If you've got a friend with a Mac power cablevision that fits your car, try it to encounter if that solves the problem. If it does, it could be a elementary set that involves finding a secondhand power cablevision on eBay (although we advise against buying third-party power cables that aren't made by Apple, as they are much more than likely to be faulty and perhaps dangerous).

If you recently had a power cut, that could exist responsible: your power adaptor could take been damaged in a power surge and yous may need a new ane.

Finally, it's possible that the cable is loose, and pulling it out and plugging information technology in again will solve the problem. But we doubt information technology will exist that piece of cake.

Apple sells various cables for charging Apple Macs and laptops. You should find the 1 you demand here: Apple tree power adaptors. Also read: Which MacBook charger do I demand?

iii) Disconnect all accessories

Unplug all the accessories (such as printers and USB hubs) fastened to your Mac. Information technology could be that i of your peripherals is causing bug with the startup sequence.

If you recently installed new RAM or a new hard drive, brand sure they are correctly installed and compatible. (If possible, reinstall the onetime memory or difficult drive and see if that helps.)

If none of those steps piece of work then information technology's time to move onto the side by side stage.

ii. Perform a Ability Cycle

If you lot aren't hearing any signs of life, you could perform a ability bike, which involves forcing your Mac to restart afterwards killing the power to it.

  • On a MacBook you lot demand to concord down the power key for x seconds. You'll usually hear a squeak as the Mac'south power is forcibly cut. Hopefully later on waiting 10 seconds and restarting, all will exist well.
  • If your Mac is a desktop you will need to unplug it and leave it unplugged for at least ten seconds before plugging it back in and attempting to restart.
  • For M1 Macs if you press and hold the Power push you would somewhen see Loading startup options - bold the Mac was working properly. If pressing and belongings the power push does allow you lot to access the startup options so you can run through those options below to get your Mac upward and running. We 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 kickoff up options, there are a few other simple things to try out before moving on to the more complicated steps.

iii. Check your display

If you're using a desktop Mac such as a Mac Pro or Mac mini this could utilize to you. If you don't have a separate display plugged in you can skip this step.

Yous could have a problem with the brandish you accept plugged in, rather than the Mac itself. Have a listen to your Mac to run into if information technology's making any sounds during boot-up.

screen and mac mini

It is possible that your Mac does plough on, simply doesn't boot up considering it can't access the display - if that'southward the case y'all are most likely having trouble with the display hardware (rather than a broader startup consequence).

If you recollect it's a problem with your monitor, and so take a look at this Apple tree Back up document for advice on troubleshooting a display. If your display isn't working the advice is to:

  1. Check the power supply to the Mac (and the ability to the display if using a split unit).
  2. Confirm that all cables are connected deeply.
  3. Remove all brandish extenders and switches, and any other devices between the Mac and monitor.
  4. Unplug the video cable (if using a dissever monitor) and plug it back in.
  5. If using more than one monitor in a 'daisy chain', unplug all monitors and exam using simply i.
  6. If possible, endeavor to employ a different display, or a different adapter (utilise DVI instead of VGA, for case).
  7. Apple also advises adjusting the screen resolution in Arrangement Preferences.

iv. Boot up your Mac in Safe Boot

Condom Boot limits what checks and functionality your Mac focuses on during startup, and performs certain diagnostics. It'southward rare, but sometimes y'all can become your unhappy Mac to start up successfully with a Safe Boot, so restart it normally, and everything returns to hunky-doriness. If y'all want more help with this step read: How to start a Mac in Safe Way.

  • To enter Condom Way on an Intel-powered Mac: Start your Mac up while holding down the Shift fundamental. Safe Kick tin can take a while to get-go (if it does work at all).
  • To enter Safe Mode on an M1-powered Mac: Press and continue to hold the ability push until yous see the startup options appear on the screen. Choose the startup deejay. Now printing and agree Shift and then click Go on in Safe Mode. And so release the Shift central. You will see the words Condom Manner in bill of fare at the pinnacle correct of your screen.
  • To get more feedback about what'south happening, y'all could starting time upwards an Intel-powered Mac while belongings down Shift, Command and V: that enters both Safe Kicking and something called Verbose Fashion, which spits out some messages most what Safe Boot is really trying to exercise as it goes.

At present you are in condom mode we will discuss how to use Safety Manner to prepare your Mac start up issues.

While yous are Safe Mode the interface will wait very slightly different, with blocks of colour rather than transparency. The biggest giveaway is the Dock at the lesser of the screen, such as in the prototype below, for example.

Safe Mode Mac

In one case in Safe Mode you may exist able to run certain checks (we'll run through these beneath) and make changes that could fix your Mac. For example y'all could reinstall macOS or update other software.

If you find yous can start upwards in Safe Mode it is likely that the issue is related to i of your startup items, in which case you lot should go to: Arrangement Preferences > Users & Groups and remove all the items (click on -). Yous could use trial and error to work out which startup item is causing the problem.

five. 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 there is a mode 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 store information that persists even when the Mac is shut off, such as volume settings and screen resolution.

Resetting that data isn't harmful, but quite frankly it'southward also rarely genuinely useful. Merely it tin't hurt.

You might need to abound an extra finger or two for this i, or have a friend aid yous out. Hither's how to reset the PRAM/NVRAM on your Intel-powered Mac:

  1. Hold down all of these keys: Command, Option (Alt), P and R, and turn on the Mac (it's the same keys to reset the PRAM).
  2. Keep property the keys down until yous hear the Mac restart over again.
  3. Mind for a 2nd reboot, and then release the keys.

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

In some cases, later on performing this footstep, your Mac will restart ordinarily. In other cases, yous might instead come across a progress bar on startup. If the progress bar fills up and then the Mac starts up, you're probably good to become. In some cases we've seen, however, the Mac shuts down at around the halfway point in the progress bar.

6. Reset the SMC

In some situations, you may need to reset your Mac's SMC (System Management Controller). This is largely a last-ditch effort to ready the electric current version of macOS earlier attempting to recover the information and moving on to reinstalling the Bone.

SMC is absent from the M1 Mac so yous can't reset it. All the same you can change the settings that the SMC used to look afterward. We discuss how to practice this here: How to reset a Mac's SMC.

Here's what to exercise if yous want to reset the SMC (Intel Macs):

On a Mac laptop:

  1. Shut down the MacBook.
  2. Unplug and then reconnect the power cable.
  3. Printing Shift + Ctrl + Option/Alt keys and the power button at the same fourth dimension.
  4. Now release all those keys and the power push button at the aforementioned time.
  5. You may run across the low-cal on the power cable flicker.
  6. Restart your MacBook.

On a Mac desktop:

  1. Shut down the Mac.
  2. Unplug it.
  3. Printing the power button for five seconds.
  4. Plug the Mac dorsum in.
  5. Plow on your Mac.

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

7. Run Disk Utility in Recovery Mode

If your Mac is booting but the operating system isn't loading upwardly, y'all may take a corrupted drive. Luckily it is possible to fix this in Recovery Fashion. We have a detailed tutorial on using Recovery Mode hither, merely nosotros'll run thorough the basics below.

Yet over again, accessing Recovery Fashion is a little dissimilar on an M1 Mac (read about All the new means of doing things on M1 Macs).

The first step is to run Disk Utility. On a Mac running Mount Lion or afterward, which will be the vast majority of Macs, you can run Deejay Utility past booting into Recovery Mode.

  • On an Intel Mac y'all 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, only hold down the Mac's power button for several seconds until it gives up and shuts off. (Here's what to do to fix a Blue Screen of Death on a Mac.) Agree down the Command and R keys, and power the Mac back upwardly over again. Keep pressing Cmd + R while your Mac is booting up until you see the Apple tree logo.
  • On an M1 Mac press and hold the Power button until the Mac starts upwards and eventually shows the showtime upward options. Select Options > Continue to enter Recovery.

At present you are in Recovery mode here's what to do:

  1. Once your Mac starts in Recovery Mode you will proceeds access to Utilities. Click on the Disk Utility option. macOS Utilities
  2. Locate your Mac's drive - probably Macintosh HD, select information technology.
  3. Click First Aid. First Aid Mac
  4. If there are errors with your disk, Disk Utility should find them and will either repair them automatically, or will enquire if you would like to repair them. Click Repair Disk if this is the example.

In Recovery Style you can also do the following:

  • Restore from a Time Motorcar fill-in.
  • Go assist online.
  • Install or reinstall macOS (we talk over this below).

eight. Revive a M1 Mac

If you take an M1 Mac and you notwithstanding haven't been able to revive it, the next option to try is to utilize a 2d Mac running Apple's Configurator 2 to update the firmware.

You lot will need a 2d Mac, a USB to USB cable, a web connection and Apple's Configurator two software.

  1. Connect the two Macs with a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cablevision.
  2. Open Configurator 2 software on the working Mac.
  3. Now on the not-working Mac press and hold the power button while also pressing the following key combination: Right shift, Left Option/Alt, Left Control. You will need someone to help you unless yous take gigantic hands because you likewise need to be pressing the Power Push button at the same time.
  4. Later on about 10 seconds allow become of the keys, only keep pressing the Power push. Hopefully the M1 Mac volition appear in the Configurator app on your 2d Mac past this point (the M1 Mac withal won't show whatever screen activity though).

The process is a little unlike for the M1 Mac mini.

  1. In this case you demand to unplug it and wait for about ten seconds.
  2. Press and hold the power push button.
  3. Plug information technology in again, while withal holding the ability button.
  4. Release the power button.

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

  1. The M1 Mac should exist 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 organisation

This step is actually kind of fun - at to the lowest degree when it'south not your Mac that'southward under the atmospheric condition. Information technology's fun because it feels so geeky.

Earlier you lot get as well excited though, this isn't an pick for M1 Macs.

  1. Close the Mac off, and showtime it upwardly again while holding Cmd + Due south to launch in Single User Mode. You can release the keys when the intimidating blackness screen with letters in white text appears.
  2. Look until the command-line prompt appears, when all the text is done scrolling past. Then type fsck -fy and hitting Return. And wait. Peradventure for several long minutes.
  3. Eventually, after five different checks that take varying amounts of time, you should go to one of 2 letters: "The volume [your Mac's name] appears to be OK" or "FILE System WAS MODIFIED."
  4. If you lot encounter the first message, type reboot and press Return.
  5. If you run across the latter message, you need to run fsck -fy all over again. You can retype the control and hit Return, or press the Up pointer one time and and so printing Return.

If this doesn't work, and your Mac still doesn't starting time up, then move on to the adjacent step.

10. Use Target deejay fashion to copy files

This footstep should be taken prior to reinstalling macOS and it depends on your backup state of affairs. You do make regular backups, or at least sync of import documents, music and photos to the deject, right?

If you lot're not sweating at the moment, and are confident in your Fourth dimension Auto or other backup solution, and so skip to Step 11 beneath. Only if you wish y'all'd backed up your Mac and then now is the time to run across what you can salvage from the machine.

For this, y'all'll need a 2d Mac. If you haven't got one so ask a friend. Follow these steps to use Target Disk Fashion:

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

This places your Mac in Target disk way. In Target Disk manner your Mac acts like an external drive. Yous should now hopefully see the hard drive for your faulty Mac on your second Mac's Finder.

Yous should be able to grab the files you need from your unresponsive Mac, or even clone the unabridged hard drive to another external drive.

Plug in Mac

11. Reinstall macOS

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

Recall macOS Recovery from the step above? You can use it to reinstall macOS too.

  1. Boot into Recovery mode as above (hold the Command and R keys while you commencement up, or press and hold the ability button if you are on an M1 Mac).
  2. Once in Recovery click to install the latest Os and follow the onscreen prompts.

Our article on resetting a Mac to mill settings has more data on wiping a Mac and reinstalling macOS.

12. Brand a Genius Bar date

If you lot've made it this far and your Mac withal doesn't piece of work, you'll demand to take it to an Apple Genius Bar to run across if they can help y'all fix information technology (or arrange for a repair under warranty). Hopefully you have got enough data 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 final for? Read: How long exercise Macs terminal?