A lot of times personal computers Mac included experience startup challenges such as failure to turn on, a start-up in safe mode, startup issue after an app update or Mac update, Mac can’t boot past apple logo, can’t start up in recovery mode, etc. Be it apple mac, mini mac, desktop mac, this post provides you with what to do when Mac won’t startup. On the occasion that your Mac computer won’t start up follow the below easy quick fix first before delving into the backup fix methods.
Mac Won’t Startup Fixing Using Key Combination
When your Mac won’t start up, plug in your mac power cable, press and hold the Shift +Control+Option keys press the Power button for 10 seconds altogether and release all held buttons at the same time, then press only the power button again to turn on your Mac.
The best technical approach to take when your mac isn’t responding when you press the power button or when you turn on but do not boot past the apple logo you will need to do the below following things to get it fixed.
Remember, you will need to try each of the methods at a time to which works for you. But be rest assured that the fix method in this post will get your mac back in shape. In the event it proves otherwise, then you might need to take your mac computer to a technical person or take it back to a nearby apple outlet for proper troubleshooting.
How to Troubleshoot Startup Issues On Mac Computer – Mac won’t Turn on – Identity what & where the issue is coming from to solve it
The first thing to do is not to complain about your mac not coming on but look for ways to fix it. But fixing it starts with first knowing what the issue is and from where it’s coming from either from a hardware or software failure. You would need to check common startup problems or issues faced by Mac users.
Power Issue on Mac – How to Fix Mac Power Problem
The first thing to check for users who their mac isn’t coming up at all is to check the power source; it might be where you plug the power adapter, the charger, and the voltage-current the flow through the charger.
Possible Power Problems when Mac won’t Turn on and How to fix it
- Damaged power cable or adapter – Change or get a new power cable.
- Dead Power Outlet – try plugging your Power cable or adapter in a different power outlet.
- Battery Discharged/Dead – Plug your Mac and leave it for a while before pressing the power button to turn it on.
- Dead Battery or Bad Battery Terminal Contact – remove the battery plug your mac directly into a power outlet and turn it on.
- Low Voltage Power Supply– make sure the power supply is equal to the voltage power supply recommended for your MacBook (check the power adapter or the label at the back of your MacBook).
Hardware Issue On Mac – Mac Won’t Startup – Possible Hardware issues and How to Identify and fix them – if your Mac Won’t Boot After it’s Turned on
This is when your mac computer can power up when your press the power button but won’t boot to the desktop or start-up menu or boot past the apple logo. Some hardware components might be responsible for mac not coming up, like connection cables for desktop mac, Video-out cable for Mac mini, RAM, or Hard drive for MacBook’s.
How to Identify Hardware Component with Issues on Mac – Solutions to Boot Problems on Mac
Here is how to identify what hardware is preventing boot up or booting but not displaying in the case of Mac desktop and mac mini.
- Cable connections – cross-check your cable connection to see if all cable is connected to the right port and rightly connected. In some cases, you might need to unplug the cables and connect them back again.
- RAM– check your RAM to see if the one you have is damaged or no longer working. This might require a technical experience to be able to remove the Ram from where it’s seated and test a new RAM. Sometimes it might be that the RAM is not well connected to the circuit board or the motherboard, you might need to open up your mac and reseat them correctly. We recommend you search google on how to dismantle your Mac computer if you have the right tool and know a bit how to go about it or meet a computer technician.
- Hard Drive– Similar to RAM is the hard drive that houses the operating system (system OS). When there is a shift in its connection, the system might not be able to boot. You might need to dismantle your Mac and reconnect it back to the port. Or change to a new one, it’s possible the hard drive in it is damaged. In the event of damage or your use latest Apple MacBook with a recent hard drive installation called SSD hard drive; which is connected directly to the system motherboard, you definitely need to see a computer specialist.
- Peripherals –if you try all the above-recommended hardware checks and it still didn’t boot up, you might need to discount all externally connected hardware components or peripherals and try starting up your Mac.
Force Power Up – Mac Not coming up or responding to power button Press, Force Power Up to Turn on Mac
In the event, you tried pressing the power button and your mac isn’t coming on, you might need to perform a force power up to enable the power-up supply surge. This usually happens when your mac didn’t shut down completely or didn’t go through the normal shutdown process. Probably it was forced to shut down or your battery life doesn’t last beyond direct current supply and it goes off when something goes wrong with the power outlet. Follow the below guide to power your mac up.
- Latest MacBook – press and hold the power button for about 20 seconds and release it to forcefully shut down the computer completely. Press the power button again to turn it on.
- Removable Battery Mac – if your mac battery is removable, you will need to remove the battery and unplug your mac from the power source or outlet for about one minute. Insert the battery again, and press the power button to turn it on.
- Mac Desktop – for users with iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro, unplug the power cable from your Mac and leave it out for about one minute, plug it back and press the power button to turn on your mac.
Mac System Management Controller Firmware Reset – How to Reset Mac SMC on Mac Desktop & MacBook
If you have tried all the above solutions and your mac is still not coming up, you will need to reset the system management controller firmware that helps in the boot-up process. Don’t dread on the name resetting the SMCF is not a big deal as the name sounds. It’s a combination of buttons or keys to smartly and correctly put together with respect to the recommended time interval.
System Management Controller Firmware Reset Instructions
| Mac Version | Solution (Key combination)/Instructions |
| Current MacBook | Connect the power cable to the mac, press and hold the Shift+Control+Option keys and the Power button at the same time for about 10 seconds, and release them. Next, press the power button only to turn on the Mac.
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| Old MacBook with Removable Battery | Unplug your power cable if plugged, unplug on a power outlet, and remove the mac battery. Key combines the following buttons; Press Power button and release it after 10 seconds, insert the battery back, plug your power adapter and press the power key to turn on.
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| Desktop Mac | Unplug the power cable from a power outlet and allow it for a few minutes. Plug it back and press the power button to power up.
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Boot Up Issues – Mac won’t Boot past Apple Logo – Booting Issues Solved
In the event your mac turns on but won’t boot up, this might be due to a software problem; due to the app you installed, update, system executable file corruption, etc. you can restore normal boot up using the disk utility recovery mode. But you will need to boot to recovery mode first following the below guide;
- Press the power button.
- Immediately the bootup logo or system shows the first window.
- Press and hold the Command and R key together.
- Your mac will boot into recovery mode.
- Click on the Disk utility option.
- Tap on the First Aid tab.
- Chose to disk the repair option.
- The Disk Utility will check your system files to see which file is corrupted and will try to fix it.
Backup Recovery
The second to the last option is to do a backup recovery when you boot to the recovery mode. Backup recovery is a way of restoring the previous backup operating system of your computer or a restore point created by your system during system backup. The recovery happens when you boot to recovery mode.
Reinstall Mac OS X – Reinstall OS through the Recovery Mode
The last step will be to reinstall your Mac OS X on your mac, to fix the problem. Remember that installing an OS will wipe your current documents and files, and if the system isn’t booting to the desktop, there is probably no way to copy out your document.
To reinstall OS X, you will need to boot to the recovery mode and click on the OS reinstall, the process takes care of itself, if it went successful, your mac should be up and booting on well, if it doesn’t you might need to return your mac to apple it’s still under warranty or take your mac to a computer technician or apple repair or service center.