If your MacBook refuses to power on—stuck on a black screen or showing no signs of life—it can be a frustrating experience, especially considering how expensive these machines are. But before you panic or head straight to the Apple Store, there are several fixes you can try yourself.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you troubleshoot and (hopefully) get your MacBook up and running again.
1. Make Sure It’s Actually Getting Power
Start with the basics:
- Plug your MacBook into a known working power outlet.
- Check for signs of life like the sound of the fan, keyboard backlight, or screen light bleeding around the edges.
- If nothing happens, try a different power cable or adapter.
- If possible, test your charger with another MacBook or test your MacBook with a different charger.
Tip: Leave it plugged in for at least 10–15 minutes—if the battery is completely drained, it might take a while before anything shows on screen.
2. Disconnect All Accessories
Sometimes external devices can interfere with the startup process:
- Unplug everything from your MacBook—USB drives, external monitors, hubs, keyboards, etc.
- If you recently installed new RAM or swapped the hard drive, revert back to the original parts if possible.
After disconnecting everything, try turning it on again.
3. Force a Restart or Power Cycle
Your Mac might just be frozen on a black screen. Here’s how to reset it:
For all MacBooks (no removable battery):
- Hold the power button for about 10 seconds, then release.
- Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to see if it turns on.
For older MacBooks with removable batteries:
- Unplug the MacBook and remove the battery.
- Wait for 10 seconds.
- Reinsert the battery and plug it back in.
- Press the power button to start it up.
4. Boot Into Recovery Mode and Run Disk Utility
If your Mac powers on but the screen stays black or it doesn’t fully boot, it might be a disk issue.
- Hold Command (⌘) + R immediately after pressing the power button.
- Keep holding the keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- Once in macOS Utilities, select Disk Utility.
- Choose your startup disk (usually “Macintosh HD”) and click First Aid.
This will check for and try to fix any disk errors that might be preventing your Mac from booting properly.
5. Reset the SMC (System Management Controller)
The SMC controls low-level functions like power and battery management. Resetting it can fix issues where the MacBook won’t power on at all.
For MacBooks with non-removable batteries (most models after 2009):
- Plug in your charger.
- On the left side of the keyboard, press and hold Shift + Control + Option + Power for 10 seconds.
- Release all keys at the same time.
- Press the power button again.
For MacBooks with removable batteries:
- Unplug the charger and remove the battery.
- Hold the power button for 5 seconds.
- Reinsert the battery and plug it in.
- Press the power button to turn it on.
6. Check for macOS Updates (If It Turns On)
If your Mac finally boots up, it’s a good idea to update macOS to avoid future issues:
- Click the Apple menu > System Settings or System Preferences.
- Go to Software Update.
- Install any available updates.
You can also go to App Store > Updates to check if any of your apps or system components need updating.
To automate this in the future:
- Go to System Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates, and toggle on all available options.
Still Not Turning On? Time for Repair
If none of these steps work, you might be dealing with a hardware failure—like a faulty logic board, damaged battery, or broken connector. In that case, it’s best to:
- Visit an Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider
- Contact Apple Support online for help or to schedule a repair