What to Do When Your Mac Won’t Turn On
If you can’t get your Mac to power up at all, it’s a good idea to start by making sure the most basic box is checked: the power connection. That’s an essential link in the chain, but it isn’t the only possible culprit. If your Mac is a laptop, the battery could be the source of the problem. If your Mac overheats, that can prevent it from turning on too.
Check the Power Connections
Start by tracing all power cables to both ends to confirm that they are firmly connected to power and the back of your Mac. There should be nothing between the power connector and any of its connection points on the Mac, the power adapter, or the power socket. Remove anything that could reduce the integrity of the connection. On portable Macs, the power bricks can sag or pull out of wall-mounted power sockets. This is especially problematic when it comes to the two-pronged adapters, which can quickly wear out based on usage. Unplug and replug everything to make sure the connections are secure.
Look for Common Connection Problems
Make sure the wall socket works. Plug a lamp into the same power outlet. If the lamp won’t turn on, neither will your computer. Now, you’re troubleshooting the outlet, which is a different task entirely. Power strips or outlet expanders can be turned off or burnt out. Sometimes, their internal fuses die, or the underlying wiring or electronics fail. Remove these devices from the power chain and plug your computer directly into a wall socket. If it works, you only need to replace the power strip or outlet expander.
Make Sure the Plug Is Grounded
There’s a good chance your power cable has a grounded three-pronged connector. If so, make sure it is plugged into a power outlet that supports the three-pronged connector. People have been known to circumvent this by removing the third grounding pin. While your power cable may still work without the third grounding pin on the bottom, it’s dangerous, both for you and your computer. With many international plug styles, it’s impossible to find a way to disable a ground pin; that’s how bad an idea it is.
Is the MacBook Battery Working?
Even when your portable MacBook isn’t connected to a wall outlet, plenty of things can go wrong. MacBook batteries are a separate power source that needs a different approach.
Ultra-Low Power Deep Sleep
The most likely cause of the power problem is a dead battery. When your Mac’s battery charge is extremely low, the computer goes into standby mode to prevent losing your work. When the power comes back, so does your device. However, it might take a while to charge the battery. Plug your MacBook into an outlet that you are sure is working and wait at least 10 minutes before trying your Mac on battery power again.
Battery Failure
If you attempt to charge the battery and nothing happens, it’s possible the battery in your MacBook has failed and cannot be charged at all. If the battery has suffered physical abuse, electrical shock, water infiltration, or other damage, you might have a lithium-ion paperweight on your hands. In a Mac with a user-replaceable battery, replace the battery with a functional unit to confirm there’s nothing wrong with the rest of the laptop. Apple stopped using removable batteries in its laptops in 2012. If your Mac’s battery isn’t user-replaceable, have an Apple tech look at it, either at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Damage to Power Connector or Logic Board
With your MacBook plugged into a wall outlet, check the status light (available on some Macs) indicating the power connection. If it shows amber, the battery is charging. If it shows green, the battery is fully charged. If it shows nothing, the device can’t report its battery status, possibly because of hardware damage to the power connector or logic board. This is most common when the Mac suffers water damage, but many types of physical damage, including electrical shock or a blunt force impact, could cause this to happen. In these cases, you need to take the Mac for repair.
Is Your Mac a Little Overheated?
Apple computers have built-in protection against overheating. If the device’s internal thermostats detect a temperature outside the safe operating range, the device may shut down or go into a suspended state. This protects the internal electronics of the device, and you shouldn’t try to circumvent it. The MacBook’s ideal comfort range is 62º to 72º F. Any ambient temperature over 95º F (35º C) is too hot for your Mac. If the Mac feels hotter than usual, move it to a cooler area. You want to cool down the device as best you can. Remove the computer from direct sunlight. For a laptop, remove the device from anything soft like a couch, bed, or pillow, as these items retain heat and can cause dramatic thermal load within the Mac. If possible, provide an inch of clearance below your MacBook to allow air to circulate. If that isn’t possible, set your computer on a hard surface with the hinge open and the keyboard and monitor facing the tabletop to provide clear space around the laptop for air circulation. The MacBook is built to dissipate extra heat, so passive cooling should get the device up and running quickly.
Mac Powers On but Won’t Boot
If your Mac powers on but doesn’t complete the boot process, that’s a different sort of problem. You need to focus on troubleshooting tips for Mac startup problems.
If Nothing Works
There may be nothing you can do to fix the computer on your own. If none of the troubleshooting steps here led to more information or a solution, take your Mac to a professional. Either an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider can help you. They have diagnostic tools that are more advanced than those of the standard home user or computer enthusiast. They can also provide a detailed analysis and recommend a course of action, whether it’s a repair, a replacement, or data recovery.
