There are lots of reasons why you might discover that your Mac won't plow on, or your MacBook won't showtime upwards, but you probably just want to get it working over again. Nosotros'll run through the diverse checks and changes to make to get your Mac to kicking upward to you lot can start using it once more.

Read on for some simple tips that should get your Mac working, from the obvious stuff like checking the power connectedness, to performing a ability cycle, starting in Recovery style, and checking the file organisation. And if your Mac really is expressionless, we'll also tell you where to plough next.

The fixes in this article utilize to most recent versions of macOS. The menus and interfaces may wait slightly dissimilar depending on which OS y'all are running, merely their functions are in essence the same. Similarly, if you have an M1 Mac there are some changes to the way you perform certain functions - like starting upwardly the calculator in Safe mode or Recovery, we'll particular these below.

Mac won't turn on

1. Check your Mac turns on

First, let'south find out if the problem is that your Mac won't get-go up, or that it won't plough on - those might sound like the aforementioned matter, but at that place'southward actually a big divergence.

Press the Power button on your Mac. If you lot don't hear a startup chime, y'all don't hear any fan or drive racket, and there are no images, video, or visuals of whatever sort on your display, then your Mac isn't turning on at all. You're not even getting to the bespeak where it refuses to starting time upwardly.

A Mac that doesn't plow on calls for a different approach to one that doesn't first upwards. If your computer doesn't turn on and then you need to practice the post-obit:

i) Cheque your power connection

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

ii) Attempt a different power cable or adapter

It may be that the fault resides with the ability cable. If you've got a friend with a Mac ability cable that fits your car, endeavour it to run across if that solves the problem. If it does, it could be a elementary fix that involves finding a secondhand power cable on eBay (although we advise confronting ownership third-political party power cables that aren't made by Apple, as they are much more likely to be faulty and maybe dangerous).

If y'all recently had a ability cut, that could be responsible: your power adaptor could have been damaged in a power surge and you may need a new 1.

Finally, it'southward possible that the cable is loose, and pulling it out and plugging information technology in once again will solve the problem. But we doubt it will be that easy.

Apple sells diverse cables for charging Apple tree Macs and laptops. You should notice the 1 you need here: Apple tree ability adaptors. Likewise read: Which MacBook charger practise 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 issues with the startup sequence.

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

If none of those steps work then it'due south time to move onto the side by side phase.

2. Perform a Power Cycle

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

  • On a MacBook you lot demand to hold down the ability primal for ten seconds. You'll ordinarily hear a squeak equally the Mac's power is forcibly cut. Hopefully afterwards waiting ten seconds and restarting, all will be well.
  • If your Mac is a desktop you will need to unplug it and leave it unplugged for at least ten seconds earlier plugging it dorsum in and attempting to restart.
  • For M1 Macs if you press and concur the Ability push button you would somewhen see Loading startup options - assuming the Mac was working properly. If pressing and property the power push does permit you to access the startup options and so you lot can run through those options below to get your Mac up and running. We talk over this beneath.  We 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 upward options, at that place are a few other uncomplicated things to attempt out before moving on to the more complicated steps.

3. Check your display

If you're using a desktop Mac such equally a Mac Pro or Mac mini this could apply to you. If you don't take a separate display plugged in you can skip this stride.

You could take a problem with the display you accept plugged in, rather than the Mac itself. Have a mind to your Mac to see if it's making any sounds during boot-up.

screen and mac mini

It is possible that your Mac does turn on, but doesn't kick upward because information technology can't admission the brandish - if that's the case you are most likely having problem with the display hardware (rather than a broader startup issue).

If you think information technology's a problem with your monitor, then accept a look at this Apple Support document for communication on troubleshooting a brandish. If your display isn't working the advice is to:

  1. Check the power supply to the Mac (and the power to the display if using a separate unit).
  2. Ostend that all cables are connected securely.
  3. Remove all display extenders and switches, and any other devices betwixt the Mac and monitor.
  4. Unplug the video cable (if using a carve up monitor) and plug it back in.
  5. If using more than ane monitor in a 'daisy chain', unplug all monitors and test using merely one.
  6. If possible, endeavour to use a different display, or a different adapter (use DVI instead of VGA, for example).
  7. Apple likewise advises adjusting the screen resolution in Organisation Preferences.

iv. Boot upward your Mac in Safe Kicking

Safe Kick limits what checks and functionality your Mac focuses on during startup, and performs sure diagnostics. It's rare, simply sometimes you can become your unhappy Mac to start up successfully with a Safety Boot, and then restart it normally, and everything returns to hunky-doriness. If you lot want more help with this footstep read: How to start a Mac in Prophylactic Manner.

  • To enter Safety Style on an Intel-powered Mac: Start your Mac upward while holding down the Shift central. Safety Kick can take a while to offset (if it does work at all).
  • To enter Condom Way on an M1-powered Mac: Press and continue to agree the power push button until yous see the startup options appear on the screen. Choose the startup disk. Now press and hold Shift and and then click Continue in Safe Mode. So release the Shift key. You will see the words Safe Mode in menu at the superlative right of your screen.
  • To get more feedback about what's happening, you could commencement upwards an Intel-powered Mac while holding downwardly Shift, Command and 5: that enters both Safe Boot and something called Verbose Mode, which spits out some messages about what Safe Kick is really trying to do as information technology goes.

At present you are in safe mode we will hash out how to use Safe Mode to set up your Mac start up issues.

While you are Safe Manner the interface volition look very slightly different, with blocks of color 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

One time in Safe Mode you may be able to run certain checks (we'll run through these below) and make changes that could fix your Mac. For example you could reinstall macOS or update other software.

If you find you lot tin start up in Safe Mode it is probable that the event is related to one of your startup items, in which case you lot should go to: Organization Preferences > Users & Groups and remove all the items (click on -). You could use trial and error to work out which startup item is causing the problem.

v. Reset the PRAM / NVRAM

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

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

Resetting that data isn't harmful, only quite bluntly it's likewise rarely genuinely useful. But it tin't hurt.

You might need to grow an extra finger or 2 for this ane, or have a friend help you out. Here's how to reset the PRAM/NVRAM on your Intel-powered Mac:

  1. Concur 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 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 Terminal, the method is discussed in the commodity linked above.

In some cases, after performing this step, your Mac volition restart normally. In other cases, you might instead run into a progress bar on startup. If the progress bar fills up and then the Mac starts up, you're probably good to go. In some cases we've seen, however, the Mac shuts downwardly at effectually the halfway indicate in the progress bar.

6. Reset the SMC

In some situations, you may need to reset your Mac's SMC (System Direction Controller). This is largely a last-ditch attempt to gear up the current version of macOS before attempting to recover the data and moving on to reinstalling the Bone.

SMC is absent-minded from the M1 Mac so you can't reset it. However you lot tin change the settings that the SMC used to look afterward. We talk over how to do this here: How to reset a Mac'southward SMC.

Here'due south what to practise if you want to reset the SMC (Intel Macs):

On a Mac laptop:

  1. Shut downwards the MacBook.
  2. Unplug and then reconnect the ability cable.
  3. Press Shift + Ctrl + Selection/Alt keys and the ability button at the same time.
  4. At present release all those keys and the power button at the same time.
  5. Y'all may encounter the low-cal on the ability cable flicker.
  6. Restart your MacBook.

On a Mac desktop:

  1. Shut downward the Mac.
  2. Unplug information technology.
  3. Printing 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 Deejay Utility in Recovery Mode

If your Mac is booting merely the operating system isn't loading upwards, you may take a corrupted bulldoze. Luckily it is possible to set this in Recovery Mode. We have a detailed tutorial on using Recovery Way hither, but we'll run thorough the nuts below.

Withal again, accessing Recovery Mode is a little unlike on an M1 Mac (read almost All the new ways of doing things on M1 Macs).

The start step is to run Deejay Utility. On a Mac running Mountain Lion or later, which volition be the vast bulk of Macs, yous tin can run Disk Utility past booting into Recovery Manner.

  • On an Intel Mac you need to make sure the Mac is turned off. If it'south not responsive because information technology's stuck on a greyness, bluish or white screen, just 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 Blueish Screen of Death on a Mac.) Agree down the Control and R keys, and power the Mac back upwardly over again. Proceed pressing Cmd + R while your Mac is booting up until yous come across the Apple logo.
  • On an M1 Mac printing and concur the Power button until the Mac starts upward and eventually shows the starting time up options. Select Options > Proceed to enter Recovery.

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

  1. Once your Mac starts in Recovery Mode yous will gain access to Utilities. Click on the Deejay Utility selection. macOS Utilities
  2. Locate your Mac's bulldoze - probably Macintosh Hard disk drive, select it.
  3. Click First Assist. First Aid Mac
  4. If there are errors with your disk, Disk Utility should find them and volition either repair them automatically, or will ask if you would like to repair them. Click Repair Disk if this is the case.

In Recovery Fashion you can also do the following:

  • Restore from a Fourth dimension Machine backup.
  • Get help online.
  • Install or reinstall macOS (we discuss this beneath).

eight. Revive a M1 Mac

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

You will need a second 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. At present on the non-working Mac press and concord the power button while also pressing the following key combination: Right shift, Left Option/Alt, Left Command. You lot will need someone to help y'all unless you have gigantic hands considering you also demand to be pressing the Ability Button at the aforementioned fourth dimension.
  4. Afterward about 10 seconds let go of the keys, but keep pressing the Power button. Hopefully the M1 Mac will appear in the Configurator app on your 2nd Mac by this bespeak (the M1 Mac still won't prove any screen activity though).

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

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

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 lot want to revive.
  2. Click on Actions > Advanced.
  3. Select Revive Device.
  4. This will revive the firmware on the M1 Mac.

ix. Check the file system

This step is actually kind of fun - at least when it's not your Mac that's under the weather. It's fun because it feels so geeky.

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

  1. Shut the Mac off, and start information technology upwards again while belongings Cmd + Southward to launch in Single User Mode. You can release the keys when the intimidating black screen with messages in white text appears.
  2. Expect until the command-line prompt appears, when all the text is washed scrolling past. Then type fsck -fy and hit Return. And wait. Possibly for several long minutes.
  3. Eventually, after five different checks that accept varying amounts of time, yous should become to one of 2 messages: "The volume [your Mac's proper name] appears to exist OK" or "FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED."
  4. If you lot encounter the first message, type reboot and printing Return.
  5. If you see the latter bulletin, you need to run fsck -fy all once more. You tin retype the command and hit Return, or printing the Up arrow once and so press Return.

If this doesn't work, and your Mac all the same doesn't start up, then move on to the next pace.

ten. Use Target disk way to re-create files

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

If you're non sweating at the moment, and are confident in your Fourth dimension Machine or other fill-in solution, then skip to Step 11 below. But if you lot wish you lot'd backed upward your Mac and then now is the time to run into what you tin can salvage from the machine.

For this, you lot'll need a second Mac. If you haven't got one then ask a friend. Follow these steps to utilize Target Disk Mode:

  1. Connect both Macs together using an Apple Thunderbolt cablevision (£39 from Apple tree). If you have an older Mac this aforementioned process works with FireWire cables.
  2. Switch off your Mac.
  3. Get-go upward your Mac while holding downward the T button on the keyboard.
  4. Keep property the T push button downward every bit you hear the startup chime and keep information technology pressed until the Thunderbolt icon appears on your screen.

This places your Mac in Target disk fashion. In Target Disk fashion your Mac acts like an external bulldoze. You should now hopefully run across the hard bulldoze for your faulty Mac on your 2nd Mac's Finder.

You should be able to grab the files you lot need from your unresponsive Mac, or even clone the unabridged hard drive to some other external drive.

Plug in Mac

11. Reinstall macOS

This is pretty desperate, merely if yous have tried everything else, and so reinstalling the operating system could remove the issue that is stopping the Mac from starting properly.

Call back macOS Recovery from the pace above? You can use it to reinstall macOS too.

  1. Boot into Recovery style as above (hold the Command and R keys while you start upward, or printing and hold the ability button if you are on an M1 Mac).
  2. Once in Recovery click to install the latest Bone and follow the onscreen prompts.

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

12. Brand a Genius Bar appointment

If you lot've fabricated information technology this far and your Mac withal doesn't work, you lot'll need to take information technology to an Apple Genius Bar to see if they can help you fix it (or suit for a repair under warranty). Hopefully you take got plenty data from your Mac and so as to exist able to back up, or continue working on a new Mac.

Wondering how many years your Mac should terminal for? Read: How long do Macs terminal?