What to Do When Your Mac Won't Start

Your Mac failing to start can be a frustrating experience, but there are steps you can take to identify and fix the issue. This guide will walk you through troubleshooting your Mac boot-up issues so you can get back to work as quickly as possible.

Check the Power and Battery

The first thing to check when your Mac won't start is whether it has power and battery. Make sure it is properly plugged in and charging. If you are using a MacBook, try resetting the System Management Controller (SMC).

Reset SMC

If resetting the SMC doesn't work, try booting your Mac into safe mode. Safe mode loads only the essential system files and can help you identify any conflicts or issues that may be preventing your Mac from starting.

Boot in Safe Mode

Running Disk Utility can also help identify any issues with your system's hard drive or storage. Open Disk Utility and run First Aid to check for and repair any disk errors.

Run Disk Utility

If all else fails, you can try reinstalling macOS. This will erase all the data on your Mac, so be sure to back up your important files before proceeding. Follow the instructions to reinstall macOS using the Recovery Manager.

Reinstall macOS

By following these troubleshooting steps, you should be able to identify and fix the issue preventing your Mac from starting up. If you are still having problems, it may be time to contact Apple support or take your Mac to an authorized repair center.