Apple MacBook screen won't turn on or turn on and off? Everyone can face this question. Even despite the reliability of laptops, no one is immune from malfunction. Hundreds of people come to us every month with various problems and MacBooks not turning on is one of the most popular.
There can be many reasons. In this article, we will tell you how to conduct the initial diagnosis of a MacBook and what can be done at home, and in which cases it is better to contact the service.

Why won't my MacBook Air or Pro turn on?

To begin with, let's not confuse the concepts of "Mac OS won't boot" and "Macbook won't turn on", these are completely different things. In the case of "does not boot", the computer shows clear signs of life, but the operating system cannot boot for one reason or another.

When the Macbook does not turn on, it shows no signs of life at all, or they are minimal. Despite the fact that there are many reasons, they can be grouped into groups, which we will do. Let's conditionally divide the problems with turning on the MacBook:

• Defective battery, charger or charging connector, as well as peripherals;
• Problems with the motherboard, moisture ingress;
• Display, keyboard, touchpad, or hard drive not working;
• Does not turn on after updating from the button.

Malfunctions caused by battery, charging or peripheral.

To rule out a problem with peripheral devices, try disconnecting all Thunderbolt, USB, Mini Display Port, hdmi devices and removing the flash card if they are connected, and try turning your MacBook on again.
If the charger or the charging connector is faulty, the poppy may be discharged and not charge or turn on. It is easy to diagnose it - if you connect the charger, the indicator on the plug will turn green or orange. If this does not happen, then either the charging or the connector is faulty. Try to find a known working charger and charge your MacBook.

Often the macbook won't turn on due to battery failure. If the MacBook is older than 2-3 years, then the battery could wear out and the controller was blocked, in this case, only the battery can be replaced. In this case, the Mac must be powered by a power adapter. After connecting the charger to the laptop, a green light on the plug will turn on and the MacBook will automatically turn on. It is advisable to use the original charger. As a last resort, you can try with a copy of the same power. You can read more about battery malfunction in the separate article, replacing the macbook battery.

MacBook motherboard malfunctions.

Not infrequently, the cause of a breakdown is a faulty motherboard. It is, in fact, the computer, the most important component. The motherboard fails for the following reasons:

• Overheat;
• Mechanical damage;
• Damage to elements due to voltage surges;
• Ingress of moisture.

In case of overheating, the video chip (video card) of the MacBook may burn out. It is exposed to the greatest temperature effects. In this case, it is possible to replace the video chip with a new one, or replace the entire motherboard, it all depends on the specific case. According to statistics, 80% of Macbook Pro 15 do not turn on precisely because of a broken video chip. This applies to the a1286 and a1297 2010-2011 models. If your MacBook gets too hot, then there is a reason to think about cleaning.

Mechanical impacts such as falls can damage the components on the motherboard. Such damage could short-circuit the power circuits, and your Macbook pro or air will stop turning on. This will require a thorough diagnostics and repair of the motherboard elements. The same applies to the consequences of voltage surges, due to which any element of the power circuit can easily burn out, most often goes to the multicontroller.

If you spill liquid on the poppy, we recommend that you contact the service center as soon as possible. There is no difference the MacBook does not turn on or is still working. If you can, immediately disconnect the battery and flip the laptop open with the keyboard facing down. The liquid will cause extensive and severe damage to the motherboard and other components. "It will pass by itself" is not the case. You can only fully clean it by going through the Mac completely. You shouldn't risk a laptop for tens of thousands of rubles, believe me.

You can read more about moisture ingress in the article Filled the MacBook. By and large, you will not be able to do any manipulations with the motherboard yourself, so we recommend that you contact a specialized service.

Faulty keyboard, touchpad or screen.

MacBook may not turn on even due to a faulty keyboard or touchpad. The fact is that if the keyboard fails, the power button may not work correctly, or not work at all, which will prevent the Mac from turning on. This applies to all MacBook Pro 13 and Air models.

Separately, it should be said about the Macbook Air. In it, the keyboard, unlike the Macbook Pro 13 or 15, is not connected directly to the board, but first to the touchpad. And he, in turn, is connected with a special loop to the motherboard. Therefore, it may well be that the Macbook Air does not turn on due to a faulty cable or touchpad, and the keyboard has nothing to do with it. In this case, you can try disabling the keyboard and trying to turn on the MacBook by connecting to a charger.

Screen damage is usually visible to the naked eye, but sometimes the screen may simply not turn on. In this case, the computer will work. You can understand whether the display is working properly by pressing the power button, after which you can perform several manipulations:

• Listen if there is a turn-on sound;
• Listen to if the coolers (cooling fans) are working;
• After pressing the power button, wait a little until the system boots, then try pressing the Caps Lock key, if the computer is working, then a green light will light up on this button.
• On models a1278, a1286, a1297, there is a white LED on the front end on the right side, if the computer is turned on, it lights up or blinks white.

But even if one or more conditions are positive, the problem may not necessarily be in the display, these are also symptoms of a failure of the video chip or its power circuit.

Macbook air, pro and retina repair in Fix-me.

If you have any of the listed problems and there is no way to fix them yourself, we will be happy to help and restore your MacBook. Remember, if your Macbook won't turn on, that's not a cause for concern, you can count on us. In 95% of cases, this is repaired and the MacBook is fully operational. If there is important information on the laptop, we will copy it to your carrier, or we will give you a hard drive or SSD for the time of repair. The warranty for works and spare parts ranges from 3 to 6 months, depending on the MacBook model and the specific malfunction.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call us. We will be happy to advise you on any issue. Good luck with the repair!

Now let's talk about boot problems. Let me remind you of the differences between Macbook won't turn on and won't boot:
If the Mac does not turn on, then it shows no signs of life, or they are minimal, for example, you can hear the sound of coolers, but there is no image and sound of loading. When the MacBook does not boot, its screen turns on and works, but the Mac OS does not boot to the desktop. We will consider this case today.

How do you know if your MacBook Pro or Air has stopped loading? It is not difficult, here is a small list of symptoms:

• The eternal apple of loading (hung on the apple) - in this case, the MacBook screen is gray or black in the center is the Apple logo, and a chamomile is spinning under it. The loading does not take place further than the apple;
• The screen is gray or black, a folder with a question mark or a crossed-out circle is flashing;
• White, gray or blue screen without logos and loading bars;
• MacBook does not boot after update.

Why won't my Macbook boot and what should I do?

There are more reasons for this than meets the eye. Let's divide them into software faults and hardware faults.

Software problems.

Macbook often fails to boot due to Mac OS crash after updating or takes an extremely long time to do so. This happens both by itself and through the fault of the user. A good example is a full disk. The Mac does not boot until the end if the space runs out almost completely, literally up to several tens of megabytes. Typically, this problem is addressed by the owners of laptops with a small amount of memory - 64 or 128 GB. Therefore, when the space is critically small and the system warns about this, then do not neglect this warning.
Another example is deleting system files. Not infrequently, out of inexperience, in order to free up space on the Macbook, users delete the files necessary for the operating system to work. After restarting the Mac, most likely it will not boot further than the apple.
There are also software failures caused by the system itself, there is nothing you can do about it. By themselves, such errors usually occur after updating the Mac OS.
What to do? - In such cases, reinstalling MacOS should help. We recommend that you periodically make backup copies of your files, unfortunately no one is insured against their loss.

Hardware malfunctions.

Hardware issues include:

• Failure of the hard disk (HDD) or ssd;
• HDD loop failure (for models a1278, 1286 and 1297)
• Macbook motherboard malfunction.

There are mechanical parts inside the hard drive that are subject to wear and tear. Over time, the resource is depleted and the macbook pro or air may take a long time to load, not load at all, or freeze when working.

An SSD, unlike an HDD, has no mechanical parts inside, but the memory cells used to store data also wear out over time. SSDs are installed from the factory:

1. MacBook Pro Retina - Models a1425, a1502, a1398
2. MacBook Air - models A1370, A1465, A1369, A1466;
3. As an upgrade for Macbook Pro a1278, 1286 and 1297.

In 90% of cases, with such breakdowns, data from a faulty storage medium can be saved.

When the ssd breaks down, the laptop will most likely show a black, white or gray screen, depending on the version of Mac OS. Sometimes the Mac starts to slow down a lot when the SSD wears out. Unlike a hard drive with an SSD, data is much more difficult and expensive to get.

What to do? - Replacing the SSD or HDD and installing a new macOS in these cases solves the problem. If you are well versed in computers, then at home you can diagnose a breakdown using a bootable USB flash drive, reading SMART information.

Failure of the HDD loop is a harmless breakdown, if I may say so. In this case, the data remains in place and nothing needs to be reinstalled. Symptoms are usually the same as with discs. In practice, we have often encountered cases when both broke down.

If the motherboard is to blame, then there can be a lot of reasons for the breakdown and repair options, starting with various sensors and ending with the south bridge, diagnostics will be required here.

IMac won't boot.

All of these issues apply to Apple desktops. According to statistics, if the iMac does not boot, then most often the problem is in the HDD.

The procedure for diagnosing and repairing a MacBook, a warranty for work.

Preliminary diagnostics are usually carried out immediately on the spot in your presence. When a macbook does not boot in 80% of cases, it is possible to immediately establish both the cause of the malfunction and ways to solve it, along with the cost. In the remaining 20% ​​of cases, you may need to leave the MacBook for diagnosis. This applies to breakdowns associated with the motherboard and such breakdowns require lengthy testing and literally a whole investigation :)

Reinstalling MacOS takes anywhere from forty minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the MacBook model. The guarantee for such works is two weeks.

Replacing disks and cables can take from 20 minutes to several hours, it all depends on the specific model and the availability of spare parts in the service warehouses. The warranty for them is from 3 to 6 months.

On average, repair and diagnostics of a board takes from 1 to 5 working days, depending on the complexity of a particular case. Come, we will solve any problem;)

Question: Hello macbook air 13
I decided to clean the hard drive, since it was full through CMD + R

I cleaned it and as a result, when the computer is turned on, it gives out a blinking question mark. I decided to try to restore it through the disk street, but it did not work
I decided to restart the operating system, it did not work (after I click "continue" nothing happens)

In the end, I decided through the boot disk - it did not work, it simply does not exist

And I noticed that my Machition HD disk was missing (it seems like it's called)

Instead, I now have 2 disks
APPLE SSD SM0128G Media
Apple disk image media

None of them can be unmounted (the "connect" button does not work

What to do? I have been tormented with a computer for two days! Without it, as without hands ((

Answer: Good afternoon! There may be several problems: the OS partition has fallen off, you will need to restore / reinstall the operating system. Either there is a problem with the HDD / SSD drive (out / out of order), or the HDD cable. To begin with, in any case, you need to diagnose. To understand what the problem is and troubleshoot. After that, it will already be possible to name the problem, the timing and amount of the repair. From a distance, unfortunately, without seeing the device, it is not possible to carry out diagnostics. You need an engineer to look at your device, in fact, in the SC. Bring it, we'll see. Diagnostics in our service center is free. Sincerely, MacPlus!

Question: Hello, tell me what you can do. I wanted to remove the pin code from the MacBook Air picked up and started to reboot the Windows system and it showed a black screen and it says there is no operating system? What to do?

Answer: Good afternoon! Perhaps the software of the device has flown. Reinstallation of the operating system will cost 1500r. You can also try to restore the software, we can say more accurately after the diagnosis. Device diagnostics are free.

Question: Hello! MacBook about retina at the end of 2013 stopped turning on 2 months ago, when turned on, a beep is heard, the cap-bow is lit when pressed, and the screen does not work. When you connect an external screen - the image is displayed on the external screen! A month later, when I was going to take it for diagnostics, I decided to turn on the MacBook - it turned on, the built-in screen worked !!! I worked on it all day, no problem. Then he turned it off in the evening - and it does not turn on again, the image is displayed on the external display! Tell me what could be the problem?

Answer: Hello.
Alternatively, with a matrix. But it is necessary to carry out free diagnostics.
It will help determine the cause of the breakdown, the type of work and their final cost.
We will be glad to help you! We work daily from 9:00 to 21:00.
Departure of the courier within the Moscow Ring Road is free.
We can deliver the device to the service center ourselves.

Question: Good afternoon! I have a problem with a MacBook: when it is turned on normally, an apple appears on a gray background, a white background, and freezes on a blue background. At the same time, in safe mode, it starts, but it works poorly, freezes when I go to YouTube, for example. Before it stopped turning on, it sometimes hung up, had to turn it off. What could be the problem? Help me please

Answer: Good afternoon! According to your description, there are many reasons, in order to figure it out exactly, it is necessary to carry out diagnostics, diagnostics are free on the day of contact. We will be happy to help

Question: Good day! You have useful and interesting articles and I would like to contact you with diagnostics, but I do not live in Moscow. I want to ask this question. I have a MacBook about 13 mid 12, last year I changed my hard drive to seagate, although it is more nimble (7200) than my native hitachi. It worked for me for 14 months and stopped loading. Thought he was dead and bought another hitachi. I put the old native hdd in place with it, the poppy worked fine, downloaded yosemite and connected a new disk via USB and installed the system. But stuck inside the poppy, he worked with glitches. And through yusb it worked fine. I gave this disc to the store and bought another siagate. The same problems, only inside the poppy it does not start at all, only yusb. Is the loop really the problem? It's just strange that the old hdd works with this cable, while the others don't, although the disk that caused this problem was also bought in the store and worked fine.

Answer: Good afternoon! Yes, most likely the matter is in the HDD cable or in the sata controller, it is also possible that the problem is in the motherboard. We can say for sure only after the diagnosis, the diagnosis is free.

Apple technology is known for its reliability and the minimum amount of inconvenience delivered to the user. However, it may happen that after updating the OS on the MacBook, it stops loading. The reasons for the failure can be various errors, some of which can be completely eliminated by yourself. Let's consider what exactly can disable the MacBook and how to act in this situation.

Symptoms of the problem:

• loading is stuck on the apple logo - the entire screen is black, the Apple logo is displayed in the center. The boot icon is displayed under the logo, but the computer does not turn on;
• the screen is black, a crossed-out circle is highlighted, or a system folder appears with a question mark;
• the screen may be blue or black, loading bars are not displayed;
• the appearance of a Kernel error;
• After performing a system update, the computer shut down to restart and will no longer turn on. At the same time, the user can hear repetitive squeaking sounds.

There can be several reasons why the problem may arise. Let's conditionally divide them into hardware and software faults.

Solutions

If your MacBook does not boot after a system update, it is most likely a crash and the RAM is not authenticated. In this case, several options are possible. There is no 100% guarantee that they will be effective. However, it's worth a try, because for most users, these measures are effective.

The first way is to reset the SMC parameters. If your model has a non-removable battery (which many modern computers are equipped with), then follow the instructions:

If you own a model with a removable battery, then:

• turn off the device by holding down the power key;
• disconnect the power supply from the computer;
• take out the battery, press the power button again and hold it;
• we return the battery to its place and turn on the charging;
• press the power key in the usual way, without holding the button.

For iMac, mini and Mac Pro owners:

• turn off the device forcibly, as described earlier;
• disconnect the power cord;
• wait for a short pause of 15 seconds;
• turn on the charger again;
• wait another 15 seconds and turn on the computer in the standard way.

After carrying out these manipulations, the user should see the usual download window. This signals the success of the operation.

Could resetting the SMC cause problems?

If you are faced with this situation for the first time, then you may worry that you will damage important data or system settings. Don't panic, resetting the SMC won't cause any problems. The SMC system is responsible for basic functions that do not affect user data in any way:

• reaction of the device to switching on;
• the reaction of the device when opening and closing the display;
• temperature control;
• ambient light sensor;
• keyboard backlight;
• battery resource management and more.

Alternative measures

If your MacBook refuses to boot after a system update, you can try rearranging the RAM. However, this method will not be suitable for all computer models. Modern models have a special memory that is soldered on the motherboard. If the RAM can still be removed, then follow the instructions.

First, turn off the device and unplug it from the power supply. Then locate the RAM block and remove it from the device. Wait a short pause of 15 seconds and put the component back in place. Now you can assemble the computer and turn it on in the standard way.

If your device has a removable battery, then you can try to start it as follows:

• we turn off the computer forcibly;
• we take out the battery;
• press the Power key;
• hold it for a few seconds and release it;
• we return the battery to its place;
• use the Power button again, after which the download should begin in standard mode.

If you need iPhone Xs repair in St. Petersburg, then contact the service at 42 Kamennoostrovsky prospect.

The following way to solve the question:

1. we boot the device in safe mode - for this you need to press the power key while holding down Shift in parallel. Booting in Safe Mode is a time consuming option, so please be patient and wait. After booting, try restarting the device using the top menu of the system. If this fails, then follow the next step;
2. loading disk utility - turn on the computer in the usual way, while holding the combination: Command + R. The computer takes us to the appropriate menu, where we select the utility section. In the left menu, select the name of the hard drive and click on the check button. If malfunctions have been identified, the system will offer to automatically fix them, agree to this and try to restart the MacBook again;
3. security measures before reinstalling the system - entering the external disk mode. This is a unique option for Apple users that allows access to the hard drive without having to turn on the operating system. This step is necessary for those who are afraid of losing important data when reinstalling the system. To do this, you need to take another MacBook and connect the devices using a special cord. Now turn on your computer while holding down the T key. The second device now displays an additional hard drive from which you can transfer all the necessary information;
4. reinstallation - turn on the computer using the appropriate button and the Command + R command. Select the Reinstall option from the menu and follow the further instructions of the system.

Hardware faults

Before you sin on updating the system and the resulting problems, check if there are any other damages that prevent the computer from booting normally.

This primarily concerns damage to the monitor. In this case, the computer itself may be fine. If the display is damaged, then when you turn it on, you will hear the characteristic sounds of the start of the fans, the melody of turning on the device, you will see the backlight on the display sleep indicators. In this case, you will not be able to solve the problem on your own, you will have to contact the service center.

The second common cause is power problems. You can check this as follows:

• whether the device is plugged into an outlet and is working properly;
• whether the adapter fits snugly to the charger;
• whether the MacBook is discharged;
• whether the power cord is out of order or damaged;
• Are additional accessories connected to the device that may slow down the system boot. Try disabling them and trying to start again.

Ordinary forgetfulness should not be ruled out. You may have simply forgotten to charge the device, which explains why it didn't turn on on reboot. Try plugging in the power cord, the problem may be solved automatically.

The next reason is the failure of the hard disk. It contains mechanical parts that wear out over time. As a result, the device may not boot. Also, the HDD loop may fail. This breakdown is relatively safe and easy to repair, and all data left by the user will be saved. If your MacBook won't start due to a problem with the motherboard, then the causes of the problem can be varied, depending on the length and complexity of the repair.

If you are reading this article, then you probably have problems with Apple brand appliances. Do not be upset, perhaps the problem is not so serious and it is possible to solve it even on your own, without resorting to the help of specialists. We are often contacted with a question such as a problem with the MacBook. It would seem that the ideal quality of perfect technology - what problems can there be? Unfortunately, no manufacturer can give a lifetime warranty, and the reliability of Apple laptops is highly dependent on careful handling. Today we will talk about how to determine the cause of a MacBook problem on your own and when to contact a specialist.

MacBook won't turn on - what to do?

Before raising a panic about this and running to the service, give your device "first computer help". The algorithms described below will help to establish the cause, and, possibly, find a solution.

Charging problems

First of all, check the tightness of plugging the charger into the outlet, it may come off and the charging process is not carried out. If the outlet is working, inspect the cord and adapter; the computer may be malfunctioning due to their malfunction.

Is the display faulty?

To get an answer to this question, do the following:

• Turn on and listen: you hear the boot melody or the noise of the fans and disks - the screen is faulty;
• Activate the Caps Lock key - if the indicator light works, then again, there is a problem with the screen.

If it's not a display

We take a deep breath and calmly disconnect the power cord, freeing up all the connectors used by printers, scanners and other devices. Next, we even out breathing and calm the nervous system for a minute - it's not so scary, right? Next, we connect the charging. We include. Has the process started? Smile, and with a sense of pride, you can return to the original printer and so on. If nothing happened. This also happens.

System Management Controller Reset

The second step is to reset the system control controller (in addition, resetting this controller has a positive effect on the operation of the fan, which will become very quiet). This is because when the settings are not correct, the MacBook cannot recognize its battery. For this:

• Connect the MagSafe or USB-C power adapter to the power source and to your computer.
• Press the Shift-Control-Option keys (left) and the power button on the built-in keyboard at the same time.
• Release the keys and the power button at the same time.
• Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Works?

MacBook is flooded with liquid

An ambulance looks like this: very quickly disconnect the power cord, remove the battery, turn the device over and wait three days until it dries completely. Then we either carry it to the service, or turn it on, hoping for our luck. Remember: the composition of the spilled on the Mac determines the scale of the consequences - clean warm water is not as terrible as Pepsi with ice spilled on a hard drive that is pretty hot by the work.

The device constantly turns off during operation

This problem will certainly overtake those who like to sit at work in a dusty closet or in a company with their beloved cat. Dirt on the cooler impairs its performance and literally dooms this part and the computer as a whole to a slow and painful death.

MacBook is very slow

In such a situation, we certainly urge you to clean your device! A cluttered desktop, a bunch of useless but "cool" applications, lack of software updates - all this saddens your machine and it protests against such an attitude towards itself! Reinstall the system and organize the files, and your Mac will happily buzz with renewed vigor. Did not help? Faster your MacBook will work with a new ssd disk and more RAM.

If you are exhausted ...

If the above actions did not give a positive result, or if you have other problems, we strongly recommend that you seek qualified help.