Why Won’t My MacBook Turn On

If your MacBook isn’t turning on, it can be a frustrating experience. There are several potential causes of this problem and they range from minor to major. Some of the most common reasons why your MacBook won’t turn on include an issue with the power supply or battery, a corrupted operating system, or hardware malfunction.

Check your Mac turns on

If your Mac isn’t turning on, then you may have a more serious problem than one that will not start up. The first step is to press the power button to see if anything happens. If the Mac does not emit any sounds such as the startup chime, fan, or drive noise and there is no video or visual present on the display screen, or it appears black screen then it is clear that your machine won’t turn on.

At this point, you need to take a different approach: it could be due to an electrical issue or software update related problems like a corrupted system file. It could also be because of damage caused by an unexpected power surge. Identifying and solving the issue requires some troubleshooting steps such as disconnecting all cables attached to the machine, resetting RAM and other components, and resetting PRAM (parameter random access memory) in some instances. In worst cases even hardware repair might be necessary if other methods fail to solve the problem.

Reasons your MacBook wont turning on:

1. Check your power connection

Properly connecting your Mac to a power source is vital for its proper operation. It is essential to check that the power cable is intact and connected properly to both your Mac and a working electrical outlet. You should also make sure power adapters, converters, power cord, and extensions are firmly connected as well. If any of these components are not properly attached, this can lead to an unstable connection and potential long-term damage to your device.

If you’re utilizing an external display with your Mac, it’s also important to make sure that the display is connected to a power source and connected back to the computer itself. Lastly, do not forget that the external monitor must be turned on in order for it to function in tandem with the Mac itself. These simple verifications will help ensure that you have properly configured your Mac’s power connections so that you can begin using it without delay or disruption.

2. Press and hold the power button

Pressing and holding the power button on a Mac is an easy process that is often used when trouble shooting your computer. By pressing down and holding the power button, you are essentially restarting the system, and it can be a helpful tool in solving many common technical issues you may encounter. This process is especially important if your system has become unresponsive or frozen, as it will reset the system software of your computer and often provide the needed reset to resolve the issue at hand.

This process also applies to laptop computers with Touch ID. By pressing and holding both the Touch ID on a compatible laptop and then pressing and releasing the normal power button, a similar reset action will occur like it would on a desktop computer. This approach allows access to different administrative functions and settings which can help in identifying or resolving any underlying technical issues with your laptop computer. All in all, press and hold the power button is an easy but powerful way of restarting a Mac or laptop while having other options available if it doesn’t result in fixing an issue.

3. Unplug accessories

It is important to unplug all accessories from your Mac whenever you are experiencing issues with one or more of them. This includes printers, drives, USB hubs and mobile devices. Unplugging all of the cables will help prevent any device from interfering with your Mac’s performance. When disconnecting the cables, it is important to remember the order in which they were attached, as each cable likely has a specific port on the Mac into which it should go for optimal performance.

Once all of the devices have been disconnected, it is time to start troubleshooting and isolating the issue. Given that no accessory is connected, you can then begin testing each one separately by re-plugging each device in slowly, one at a time. If you experience an issue when a particular device is plugged in or if your Mac responds differently when different hardware combinations are employed then you may want to check on software or driver updates for those individual components before investing precious time into further analysis. Once isolated and identified as part of the problem this will allow you to take appropriate measures in fixing it quickly.

4. Check your display

Having a functioning display on your Mac is essential for viewing images and graphics. Without it, you would not be able to view the contents of your computer screen. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to check if there are any issues with your display – even if you don’t have a separate one plugged in.

For desktop Macs such as the Mac Pro or Mac mini, start by having a listen to see if the device is making any noise during boot-up. If it isn’t, you could have a problem with the display itself rather than an issue with the whole machine. You can also try rebooting again and checking for any visual signs that may point to potential issues—such as flickering or horizontal lines on the screen. If there is none, it’s likely that you simply need to replace your display hardware itself. In this case, it would be best to bring your computer into a qualified expert who will be able to help diagnose and repair what might be going wrong quickly and effectively.

5. Getting into Recovery Mode

Taking the next step in attempting to repair your Mac can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully, Macs are equipped with Recovery Mode, which helps you make repairs by providing access to Disk Utility. This easy-to-use utility allows users to reach from cables and other external inputs all the way down to their hard drive.

Getting into Recovery Mode is quick and straightforward on Intel Macs. All you need to do is make sure your computer is fully powered off and then hold down Command + R (⌘+R) when turning it back on. When the system reboots, a new selection window will appear with various options that allow you to begin working through fixes and repairs. With this useful tool, more complex troubleshooting can happen efficiently and safely while minimizing any potential impact to other parts of your system.

6. Try to restart in safe mode

Restarting your Mac in Safe Mode is a good first step when you’re experiencing any type of problems that your Mac might have. Safe Mode allows you to bypass some small processes that could be limiting the performance of your system. To enter Safe Mode on Intel Macs, press and hold the shift key when starting up. If successful, you will see a progress bar appear and shortly after, release the shift key to allow your Mac to startup in Safe Mode.

On the other hand, if you own an Intel Mac, you must press and hold down the power button until you see startup options appear on the screen. Then choose Safe Mode from these same options and let your device start up normally with this setting enabled. Once you’re logged into Safe Mode environment, use it as an opportunity to try diagnosing what went wrong before on your regular mode or identify which process might be causing issues.

7. Reset your Mac’s NVRAM

NVRAM, or non-volatile random access memory, is a form of memory that remembers information even when the power to the system is turned off. It’s used in Macs to store important system settings and preferences, including those relating to startup disks, time zones, display resolution, sound volume and other hardware choices. As these settings can sometimes become corrupted over time, resetting NVRAM can be very helpful for resolving certain hardware and software issues.

Fortunately, resetting your Mac’s NVRAM is not particularly complicated – all you have to do is hold down Command+Option+P+R (⌘+⌥+P+R) while powering up your Mac until you hear the second startup chime. This clears out any bad data that sites inside the NVRAM, which can help address certain kinds of problems relating to performance and stability. It’s worth noting though that this will completely erase any settings you’ve made previously so it should only be done as a last resort after all other troubleshooting attempts fail.

8. Perform a Power Cycle

Performing a power cycle on your Mac is an effective way to fix certain technical issues. This process involves completely disabling the power supply to the machine, which essentially restarts it with all its settings reset. On a MacBook laptop, you can accomplish this by holding down the power key for ten seconds. When done correctly, you’ll hear a squeak sound indicating that the power has been cut off. After waiting 10 more seconds and restarting, the machine should be functional again.

For those with a desktop Mac model, unplugging it from all power sources and leaving it offline for at least 10 seconds is necessary before attempting to restart. If this doesn’t help resolve the issue then there may be further problems that require professional assistance or hardware replacement. Before taking such drastic measures though, performing a power cycle gives you one additional option for troubleshooting your machine’s issues.

9. Faulty Trackpad

Liquid spills on the trackpad or its cable can cause a power issue in Mac devices. This is because Apple has not provided significant protection to these areas from such damage. If a liquid spills and causes corrosion, your device may experience problems. Signs of this damage can often be seen when you try to turn on the laptop, but notice it is slow to boot up and the fan speeds are running high.

If you suspect that a liquid spill may be causing your power issues, unplugging the trackpad from the logic board and attempting to power it on will offer further diagnostic information about whether this is the root cause of the problem. Even if it does help identify this source of damage, you should take your device to an authorized service provider for corrective measures. Technical staff can clean any residual liquid present and replace corroded parts if necessary, restoring your Mac back to working order.