Help! My MacBook No longer Turns On or Doesn’t Start Up. What Now? A Guide to Problem Solving

A non-starting MacBook can be quite frustrating, but don’t panic! We delve into possible causes and solutions for various situations. Read on to find out what you can do if your MacBook pro or MacBook Air won’t boot or won’t turn on.

We discuss the following topics:

• MacBook Does Not Boot Up: First Steps
• Check the power supply, either the battery and charger
• The MacBook hasn’t turned on by itself yet?
• Black screen? Check the MacBook’s display
• Perform the following resets on the MacBook
• Check the software and restore macOS again
• Motherboard problems
• Update: MacBook with Apple Silicon does not boot up
• Your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air still won’t boot up?

MacBook Does Not Boot Up: First Steps

If your MacBook won’t boot, try these general steps first:

1. Check the power supply, either the battery and charger:

Make sure your MacBook is connected to a properly working charger and let it charge for a while. If the battery is completely dead, this can sometimes be the cause.

1. Does your MacBook have a MagSafe charger? Check that the charger light turns orange.
2. Do you have access to another charger? Test it for at least 30 minutes. A very dead battery can take a very long time to start up.
3. Remember to test the operation of the outlet with another device.

Have you been suffering from a steadily deteriorating battery for some time? Then there is also a good chance that it is now completely defective.
A new battery
will possibly fix the problem.

2. The MacBook hasn’t turned on by itself yet?

Then try holding down the power button for 10 seconds. Then press the power button again and to check if your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air now boots up.

3. Black screen? Check the MacBook’s display:

Check for display problems by checking the following things when you press the power button:

1. Do you hear the startup sound of your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air from the speakers?
2. Do you hear a buzzing sound from the fan or hard drive spinning?
3. Does the light come on on the Caps lock key when you press it?

Is the answer to (1 of) these questions Yes? Then chances are your MacBook will turn on and boot itself. You can confirm this by connecting an external monitor. Will this screen work? Chances are it
screen of your MacBook is defective
and needs to be replaced.
Check here for pricing and schedule an appointment.

4. Perform the following resets at the MacBook:

• Resetting the NVRAM / PRAM memory

Various system settings are stored in NVRAM and PRAM memory. In new MacBooks, NVRAM memory is integrated and in older MacBooks, settings are kept in PRAM memory.

Both memory blocks are reset in the same way: Press the key combination Command-Option-P-R simultaneously and boot your MacBook while keeping the keys pressed.

Did this not fix the problem? Try the following reset:

• System Management Controller (SMC) reset

Restarting the SMC system is recommended when your MacBook won’t boot and the previous four solutions haven’t worked.

What does the SMC do?


The SMC (System Managment Controller) controls various functions such as the sleep and wake function, various lights, fans and, not unimportantly, the laptop’s power supply. And precisely the power supply is needed for booting the laptop.

How do you reset the SMC?

• MacBook without Touch ID: simultaneously press the Shift – Control – Option (left) keys and the power button. You need to press and hold the keys for 5 seconds. After this reset, try restarting your MacBook.

• MacBook with Touch ID: simultaneously press the keys Shift (right) – Control – Option (left) and then the power button. You need to press and hold the keys for 5 seconds. After this reset, try restarting your MacBook.

5. Check the software and restore macOS again

Is your MacBook still not turning on? There are roughly 2 options left:

Is your MacBook not booting but is giving signals of life? If so, chances are there is a problem with the software. You can try reinstalling macOS. Basically, you don’t lose any data because of this. However, this may cause you to find out that data had already been lost.

You reinstall macOS by holding down the Command + R keys. You release these two keys when the Apple logo appears on the screen. Then click “Reinstall macOS (OS X)” and then press “continue. After this, all you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions and your macOS is reinstalled.

6. Motherboard problems

If all the previous steps were checked and did not provide a solution, chances are that it is a motherboard problem. The motherboard of your MacBook can be thought of as the brain. All components such as your screen, battery, keyboard, trackpad, etc. are connected to this. The motherboard itself consists of thousands and thousands of chips, resistors and other components that can fail for a variety of reasons. Moisture damage is the most common cause.

Unlike Apple itself, we do not replace the entire motherboard but can also perform repairs at the component level. So don’t replace your motherboard, fix it. Because MacBooks have a very thin and light design, many components are integrated into the motherboard, including the memory. So chances are you will need a motherboard repair to get back to your data.

The cost of MacBook motherboard repairs varies. In particular, this depends on the cause (for example, water damage), the type of MacBook and the severity of the problem. Still, with starting prices starting at €249, they are often significantly cheaper than a new MacBook.

Update: MacBook with Apple Silicon does not boot up

Are you using a MacBook with Apple Silicon (such as M1, M2 or M3)? Then macOS recovery works differently from older Intel MacBooks. Instead of Command + R, use the following method:

1. Turn off the MacBook completely.
2. Press and hold the power button until “Load Boot Options” appears.
3. Click “Options” and then “Continue” to open macOS recovery.

Your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air still won’t boot up?

Unfortunately, did the above steps not help you and would you like advice from a real specialist? Stop by ThePhoneLab- look here for a branch near yout.

At ThePhoneLab, we always do a free diagnostic first. Sometimes we can help you quickly and directly at no charge. Is it a more complicated problem to solve? Then we always tell you in advance what the exact costs will be.

Make your appointment here: