There are lots of reasons why you might find that your Mac won't turn on, or your MacBook won't outset up, only yous probably merely want to go it working again. We'll run through the diverse checks and changes to make to get your Mac to boot up to you can beginning 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 organization. And if your Mac really is expressionless, we'll also tell you where to turn next.

The fixes in this article apply to most contempo versions of macOS. The menus and interfaces may look slightly unlike depending on which Os you are running, but their functions are in essence the aforementioned. Similarly, if you accept an M1 Mac there are some changes to the manner you perform certain functions - similar starting up the estimator in Condom manner or Recovery, we'll detail these beneath.

Mac won't turn on

1. Check your Mac turns on

First, let's find out if the problem is that your Mac won't start up, or that it won't plough on - those might sound similar the same thing, but there'due south really a large difference.

Press the Power push on your Mac. If you don't hear a startup chime, you don't hear whatever fan or drive noise, and there 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 showtime up.

A Mac that doesn't plough on calls for a different approach to one that doesn't offset up. If your computer doesn't turn on then you need to do the post-obit:

i) Check your power connexion

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

ii) Try a different power cablevision or adapter

It may be that the fault resides with the power cable. If you've got a friend with a Mac ability cable that fits your automobile, try it to meet if that solves the trouble. If information technology does, it could be a simple prepare that involves finding a secondhand power cable on eBay (although we suggest against buying third-political party power cables that aren't made past Apple, equally they are much more likely to be faulty and possibly dangerous).

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

Finally, it's possible that the cable is loose, and pulling it out and plugging it in once more volition solve the problem. But we dubiousness information technology volition be that easy.

Apple sells various cables for charging Apple Macs and laptops. You should discover the one you lot need here: Apple ability 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. Information technology could be 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 old retentiveness or hard drive and see if that helps.)

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

2. Perform a Power Cycle

If yous aren't hearing whatsoever signs of life, you could perform a power bike, which involves forcing your Mac to restart after killing the power to it.

  • On a MacBook you need to hold down the ability key for x seconds. You'll unremarkably hear a squeak equally the Mac'due south power is forcibly cutting. Hopefully afterwards waiting 10 seconds and restarting, all will be well.
  • If your Mac is a desktop yous will need to unplug it and leave it unplugged for at least ten seconds earlier plugging it back in and attempting to restart.
  • For M1 Macs if you printing and hold the Ability push button you lot would eventually see Loading startup options - assuming the Mac was working properly. If pressing and holding the power button does allow you lot to access the startup options then you can run through those options below to get your Mac upwards and running. Nosotros discuss this beneath.  We likewise 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 assistance, or if pressing the Power push on the M1 Mac doesn't open the beginning up options, at that place are a few other simple things to attempt out before moving on to the more than 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 you. If you lot don't have a separate brandish plugged in you can skip this footstep.

You could have a problem with the brandish you accept plugged in, rather than the Mac itself. Accept a listen to your Mac to see if it'southward making any sounds during boot-up.

screen and mac mini

It is possible that your Mac does turn on, but doesn't boot up because it can't access the display - if that's the example you lot are well-nigh likely having trouble with the display hardware (rather than a broader startup issue).

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

  1. Check the power supply to the Mac (and the power to the display if using a split up unit of measurement).
  2. Ostend 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 cablevision (if using a split monitor) and plug it back in.
  5. If using more i monitor in a 'daisy concatenation', unplug all monitors and exam using but one.
  6. If possible, try to utilize a different display, or a unlike adapter (employ DVI instead of VGA, for example).
  7. Apple likewise advises adjusting the screen resolution in System Preferences.

four. Kicking upwards your Mac in Prophylactic Kick

Safe Boot limits what checks and functionality your Mac focuses on during startup, and performs certain diagnostics. It's rare, but sometimes y'all can get your unhappy Mac to offset upward successfully with a Prophylactic Kick, and then restart information technology unremarkably, and everything returns to hunky-doriness. If y'all want more help with this step read: How to start a Mac in Safe Mode.

  • To enter Safe Manner on an Intel-powered Mac: Offset your Mac up while holding down the Shift key. Safe Kicking can take a while to start (if it does work at all).
  • To enter Safety Manner on an M1-powered Mac: Press and continue to hold the power push until you see the startup options appear on the screen. Cull the startup disk. Now press and hold Shift and so click Go along in Safety Mode. Then release the Shift key. You lot will encounter the words Safe Manner in menu at the tiptop right of your screen.
  • To become more feedback about what'south happening, you could starting time up an Intel-powered Mac while holding down Shift, Command and V: that enters both Safety Boot and something called Verbose Way, which spits out some messages near what Condom Boot is actually trying to exercise equally it goes.

At present you are in safe mode we will discuss how to utilise Safety Mode to set up your Mac start up problems.

While y'all are Safe Mode the interface will look 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 beneath, for example.

Safe Mode Mac

Once in Safe Mode you lot may exist able to run sure 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 lot find you can start up in Safe Mode it is probable that the issue is related to 1 of your startup items, in which instance you should go to: System 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 trouble.

5. Reset the PRAM / NVRAM

In the PowerPC days, we talked most resetting the PRAM. On Intel Macs, the term is resetting the NVRAM. The NVRAM in M1 Macs is reset automatically, merely there is a style 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 data that persists fifty-fifty when the Mac is close off, such as volume settings and screen resolution.

Resetting that data isn't harmful, simply quite frankly information technology's also rarely genuinely useful. But it tin can't hurt.

Y'all might need to grow an extra finger or two for this one, or take a friend help you out. Here's how to reset the PRAM/NVRAM on your Intel-powered Mac:

  1. Hold downwardly all of these keys: Control, Selection (Alt), P and R, and turn on the Mac (it'southward the same keys to reset the PRAM).
  2. Go along property the keys downward until you hear the Mac restart again.
  3. Listen for a second reboot, so release the keys.

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

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

vi. Reset the SMC

In some situations, you may demand to reset your Mac's SMC (System Management Controller). This is largely a last-ditch try 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 tin't reset it. All the same you tin can change the settings that the SMC used to look after. We talk over how to do this here: How to reset a Mac's SMC.

Here'south what to do if you 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. Press Shift + Ctrl + Option/Alt keys and the power push button at the same fourth dimension.
  4. Now release all those keys and the power button at the aforementioned time.
  5. You may see the calorie-free on the ability cable flicker.
  6. Restart your MacBook.

On a Mac desktop:

  1. Close down the Mac.
  2. Unplug it.
  3. Press the power button for 5 seconds.
  4. Plug the Mac back in.
  5. Plow 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 simply the operating system isn't loading up, y'all may have a corrupted bulldoze. Luckily it is possible to set up this in Recovery Mode. We have a detailed tutorial on using Recovery Mode hither, but we'll run thorough the basics below.

Even so again, accessing Recovery Mode is a piddling dissimilar on an M1 Mac (read about All the new ways of doing things on M1 Macs).

The commencement step is to run Disk Utility. On a Mac running Mountain Panthera leo or subsequently, which will exist the vast majority of Macs, you can run Deejay Utility past booting into Recovery Mode.

  • On an Intel Mac you need to make certain the Mac is turned off. If information technology's not responsive considering it's stuck on a grey, bluish or white screen, just hold down the Mac'southward 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 support again. Keep pressing Cmd + R while your Mac is booting upwards until you see the Apple tree logo.
  • On an M1 Mac press and concord the Ability button until the Mac starts upward and somewhen shows the start up options. Select Options > Go on to enter Recovery.

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

  1. In one case your Mac starts in Recovery Fashion y'all volition proceeds admission to Utilities. Click on the Deejay Utility pick. macOS Utilities
  2. Locate your Mac'south drive - probably Macintosh HD, select information technology.
  3. Click Start Aid. First Aid Mac
  4. If there are errors with your deejay, Deejay Utility should find them and will either repair them automatically, or will ask if you would like to repair them. Click Repair Disk if this is the example.

In Recovery Fashion you lot can also do the following:

  • Restore from a Fourth dimension Motorcar backup.
  • Go help online.
  • Install or reinstall macOS (we hash out this below).

8. Revive a M1 Mac

If y'all have an M1 Mac and you withal haven't been able to revive it, the side by side option to try is to utilize a second Mac running Apple's Configurator two to update the firmware.

Y'all will need a second Mac, a USB to USB cable, a web connection and Apple tree'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 two software on the working Mac.
  3. At present on the non-working Mac press and concur the power push while likewise pressing the following key combination: Right shift, Left Option/Alt, Left Control. You lot will need someone to assist yous unless you have gigantic hands because you likewise need to be pressing the Power Push button at the same time.
  4. Afterward virtually 10 seconds allow go of the keys, merely go along pressing the Ability button. Hopefully the M1 Mac will announced in the Configurator app on your 2nd Mac by this signal (the M1 Mac withal won't show any screen action though).

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

  1. In this instance yous need to unplug it and wait for about x seconds.
  2. Printing and agree the power button.
  3. Plug information technology in again, while still holding the power button.
  4. Release the ability push button.

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 Deportment > Advanced.
  3. Select Revive Device.
  4. This will revive the firmware on the M1 Mac.

nine. Check the file system

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

Earlier you go too excited though, this isn't an option for M1 Macs.

  1. Shut the Mac off, and start it up once more while holding Cmd + S to launch in Unmarried User Mode. You lot can release the keys when the intimidating black screen with messages in white text appears.
  2. Wait until the command-line prompt appears, when all the text is done scrolling past. Then type fsck -fy and hit Return. And look. Possibly for several long minutes.
  3. Somewhen, after five dissimilar checks that take varying amounts of time, y'all should get to 1 of two messages: "The volume [your Mac'south name] appears to be OK" or "FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED."
  4. If yous run across the first message, type reboot and press Return.
  5. If you meet the latter bulletin, you need to run fsck -fy all over again. You tin can retype the command and hit Return, or press the Upward arrow once so press Return.

If this doesn't work, and your Mac notwithstanding doesn't start up, so movement on to the next pace.

10. Use Target disk mode to copy files

This step should be 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, correct?

If you lot're not sweating at the moment, and are confident in your Time Motorcar or other backup solution, then skip to Stride eleven below. Only if y'all wish you'd backed up your Mac then now is the time to see what you lot can salve from the machine.

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

  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. Start upwards your Mac while holding down the T push on the keyboard.
  4. Proceed holding the T push button down equally yous hear the startup chime and proceed information technology pressed until the Thunderbolt icon appears on your screen.

This places your Mac in Target disk mode. In Target Disk style your Mac acts like an external drive. You should now hopefully run across the hard drive for your faulty Mac on your second Mac'due south Finder.

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

Plug in Mac

eleven. Reinstall macOS

This is pretty drastic, but if you have tried everything else, so reinstalling the operating system could remove the result that is stopping the Mac from starting properly.

Remember macOS Recovery from the step above? You can apply it to reinstall macOS too.

  1. Boot into Recovery mode as above (hold the Command and R keys while y'all start up, or printing and concur the power push 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 information on wiping a Mac and reinstalling macOS.

12. Brand a Genius Bar appointment

If you've fabricated information technology this far and your Mac still doesn't work, you'll need to take it to an Apple Genius Bar to see if they can assistance you fix it (or arrange for a repair under warranty). Hopefully you take got plenty data from your Mac so as to exist able to support, or go along working on a new Mac.

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