MacBook crashes during startup
Does your MacBook get stuck at startup? Or does the startup process seem to take forever? You’re not the only one. at ThePhoneLab, we regularly get customers with this problem. Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can try before stopping by the store. Here’s how to get your MacBook working again often.
MacBook crashes during startup: here’s how to fix it
1. Restart your MacBook and check the boot disk
If your MacBook doesn’t get beyond a black screen or a flashing question mark, then there’s probably a problem with the boot disk.
What you can do:
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Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to forcefully turn off your MacBook.
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Restart and immediately hold the Option key (on Intel Macs), or hold the power button longer (on Apple Silicon/M1/M2 Macs) until you see boot options.
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Choose your boot disk and click “Continue.
Once booted up:
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Go to the Apple menu () > System Settings (or System Preferences).
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Click on General > Boot Disk.
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Select the appropriate drive and reboot your MacBook.
This may solve the problem permanently, especially if your Mac did not recognize the boot disk properly.
2. Disconnect external devices
Sometimes a connected device is the cause of the problem. Think USB sticks, printers or other peripherals.
What you can do:
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Disconnect all external devices, including hubs, card readers and monitors.
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Try rebooting.
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Then reconnect the devices one at a time to test which device is causing the problem.
3. Boot up in safe mode (Safe Mode).
Safe mode is specifically designed to boot with only the necessary system software and drivers. This allows you to bypass faulty software or plug-ins.
Here’s how you do it:
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For Intel Macs: reboot and hold down the Shift key until you see the login window.
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For Apple Silicon (M1/M2): hold power button > choose your boot disk > hold Shift and choose ‘Proceed in safe mode’.
Does your MacBook boot up now? Then the culprit was probably a recently installed program or extension. Remove it through System Settings > Login > Login components or with a reliable cleanup tool.
Progress bar during startup? Please wait
Does your MacBook look alive, but stuck on a progress bar below the Apple logo? Don’t panic: this usually means the hard drive or system is being checked. Let the MacBook run its course for a while – this may take some time, especially after updates or crashes.
Tips from ThePhoneLab
Is your MacBook still not booting properly even after trying the tips above? You can further investigate a possible problem in our Knowledge Base. For example, read the articles ‘ Restart MacBook’ or ‘MacBook is running ‘fixed’ for more information. Really can’t figure it out? If so, please feel free to contact us! Through our website, you can in contact get in touch with a specialist, but they are also always available for you in one of our stores.
