Why my Mac is not turning on? 13 Reasons and possible fixes

why-my-mac-is-not-turning

We often get asked ‘Why my Mac is not turning on?’

There are many reasons why a Mac might not turn on. Here are 13 solutions to try:

1. Repair permissions on your hard drive using Disk Utility

One way to try and fix a Mac that’s not turning on is to repair the permissions on your hard drive using Disk Utility.

2. Boot your Mac into recovery mode and run Disk Utility

If you’re having problems with your Mac not turning on, you can also try booting it into recovery mode and running Disk Utility. This can be done by following these steps:

3. Try a different power adapter

If you’re using a power adapter that’s not original to your Mac, it might be the source of your problems. Try using a different power adapter to see if that fixes the issue.

4. Check the power cable

The power cable is another common source of problems for Macs not turning on. Make sure that the cable is plugged in securely and isn’t damaged.

5. Disconnect all connected devices

If you have any external devices connected to your Mac, disconnect them and try turning on the computer again. Often times, these devices can cause problems with the Mac not turning on.

6. Boot into safe mode

If you’re having troubles getting your Mac to turn on, you can try booting into safe mode. This will start the Mac up with a limited set of functions. To do this, hold down the Shift key when you turn on the computer.

7. Reset the SMC

The System Management Controller (SMC) can also be responsible for problems with a Mac not turning on. You can reset the SMC by following these steps:

  • Shut down your Mac and unplug it from power
  • Disconnect the battery if it’s removable
  • Plug in your Mac and wait for it to boot up
  • Press and hold Command + Option + P + R before the gray screen appears
  • Keep holding these keys until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for a second time
  • Release all keys and let your Mac boot normally

dead-macbook

8. Reinstall macOS

If you’ve tried all of the above troubleshooting steps and your Mac still won’t turn on, you may need to reinstall macOS. To do this, you will need to have a bootable USB drive or an external hard drive with a clean version of macOS on it. If you don’t have one of these, you can create one by following these instructions from Apple.

  • Once you have your bootable drive, follow these steps to reinstall macOS:
  • Restart your Mac and hold down the Option key while it boots up
  • Select the bootable drive with macOS on it from the list of drives that appears
  • Click on the arrow below the drive to start the installation

9. Restore from a Time Machine backup

If you have a Time Machine backup, you can restore your Mac from that. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Restart your Mac and hold down the Command and R keys while it boots up
  • Select your Time Machine backup from the list of backups that appears
  • Click on the arrow below the backup to start the restoration process

10. Use Target Disk Mode

If your Mac won’t turn on but it does turn on in Recovery Mode, you can use Target Disk Mode to try to fix it. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Connect an external hard drive to your Mac
  • Restart your Mac and hold down the T key while it boots up
  • When you see the “firewire” or “target disk” icon, release the T key
  • Your Mac will now act as an external hard drive and you can access its files from another computer

11. Check for hardware issues

If your Mac still won’t turn on, it could be due to a hardware issue. To check for this, follow these steps:

  • Disconnect all external devices from your Mac
  • Remove the battery (if possible)
  • Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds
  • Reconnect the battery and try turning on your Mac again
  • If your Mac turns on, it was probably a problem with an external device. If it doesn’t turn on, there could be a problem with the logic board, and you’ll need to take it to a technician.

12. Reset the PRAM

Another thing you can try is resetting the PRAM (Parameter RAM). PRAM stores certain settings and information that your Mac needs to access. To reset the PRAM, follow these steps:

  • Shut down your Mac
  • Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Command + Option + P + R keys
  • Continue holding the keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time
  • Release the keys
  • If resetting the PRAM doesn’t fix the issue, try resetting the NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory).

13. Reset the NVRAM

NVRAM is similar to PRAM, but it stores different types of information. To reset the NVRAM, follow these steps:

  • Shut down your Mac
  • Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Command + Option + P + R keys
  • Continue holding the keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time
  • Release the keys

If none of the above solutions worked, ring one of our apple mac repair technicians.

Author:
I am a computer engineer holding a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, complemented by a Master's in Business Administration from University of Strathclyde, Scotland. I currently work as a Senior IT Consultant in Melbourne, Australia. With over 15 years of...