You boot up your MacBook for an afternoon of work, but your MacBook won’t switch on. You immediately panic—has it died? What’s gone wrong?

If your MacBook won’t switch on, you know how incredibly stressful this can be. After all, we depend on computers for just about everything from work to Netflix!

However, if you can’t get your laptop or desktop to turn on, try not to panic—the solution might be simpler than you think. To learn more, keep reading to find a few common solutions for Macs that aren’t turning on.

Check Your Power Source

If you’re having MacBook problems, start by checking your power. First, plug your MacBook into the charger, just in case the issue is due to a dead battery.

After it’s been charging for a few minutes, try to power up again. If this fails, try plugging it into a different power outlet, in case there’s an issue with that outlet.

Then, check your power cable itself for any signs of fraying or damage. Often, the protective covering over your cables can split or fray, especially if you keep it tightly wound up when not in use.

If you can see any exposed wires on your charger, it’s not safe to use anymore, so it’s time for a replacement.

Not sure if the issue is caused by your charging cable or the device itself?

In that case, head into the Apple shop to test out a cord or borrow one from a friend—you don’t want to waste money replacing your cable if it’s not the source of the problem.

Remove Any Accessories

MacBook issues can also be caused by external accessories. Do you have anything extra plugged into your Apple MacBook, such as a keyboard, mouse, or printer?

If so, completely unplug them and try again, as occasionally these can affect your startup sequence and cause issues.

Press and Hold the Power Button

Still not having any luck? That’s ok, there’s plenty more you can try!

First, try something called a power cycle, which is a way of manually asking the computer to turn off and then restart again. This can sometimes fix any glitches and force your computer to power up.

To reset your power cycle, hold down your power key for about ten seconds. Then, let go of the power key and see if your Mac reboots, but note this is only for non-M1 Macs.

However, if you have an older Mac with a removable battery, this works in a slightly different way. For older models, unplug your computer, remove the battery from underneath the Mac, wait ten seconds, and then put the battery back in.

For the older models, you could be experiencing power problems due to the battery—they tend to expand and overheat when they need to be replaced. This can stop your laptop from turning on.

Hopefully, one of these options will get you up and running again.

Try Recovery Mode

If on the off chance, you can get your computer to power on but your operating system isn’t working properly, then you might want to try booting your Mac up in recovery mode.

To do this, power up your Mac and hold down the R and Command keys while the computer is starting. This will open in recovery mode, allowing you to repair or reset your software.

However, if you’re not confident in your computer abilities, you might not want to attempt this or the following option. You don’t want to accidentally delete anything important, so take care when going into your computer’s hardware.

Reset the SMC

If none of the above has worked so far, you might want to reset your SMC. SMC stands for System Management Controller, but should only be done as a last resort.

This process will reset your firmware. To do this, hold down the Shift+Control+Option keys, plus the power button. Then, release the keys but continue to hold down the power button until the computer starts.

Should this method not work, it’s probably time to consult the professionals.

Contact a Professional

If you can’t get your Mac to respond at all, then it’s probably time to speak to a computer repair expert. You can find out more here about the process, but essentially, an IT expert will examine your computer, diagnosing the problem.

Before making the repairs, the shop should let you know the estimated repair cost and time so that you can decide if it’s worth the effort. For example, for an old computer, you might prefer to put the money towards a new model, rather than to repair an old one.

However, for newer computers, they might still be under warranty. Apple generally offers a 12-month warranty on all of its products, but you can add on an extended warranty at the time of purchase.

If Your MacBook Won’t Switch On, These Tips Can Help

Computer problems can be incredibly frustrating! If your MacBook won’t switch on, we recommend trying to stay calm and using the tips above to troubleshoot.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to get it fixed on your own, but if not, there’s no shame in working with a repair shop! Just be sure to find one with competitive pricing and lots of experience.

You might want to consider taking your computer for yearly servicing as well so that any hardware or software issues can be found before they cause problems.

Did you find this article useful? If so, please keep reading to find out more.