When a Mac won’t start, run power checks, isolate accessories, and use Recovery or Safe Mode to get macOS booting again.
Screen stays dark, fans sit quiet, and work stalls. When a Mac won’t start, you don’t need guesswork or random key combos. You need a steady path. This guide gives you a clear order of operations that catches quick wins first, then moves into Recovery tools, Safe Mode, and data-safe options. Follow along, try a boot after each step, and you’ll know exactly where the hangup lives.
Mac Won’t Start: Quick Checks Before Panic
Start with the basics. Power and peripherals derail more starts than you’d think. Laptops may also need a short charge before they wake. Work through these steps in order, then press the power or Touch ID button once to test.
Step-By-Step First Aid
- Confirm wall power and adapter. Test a second outlet. Reseat the plug at both ends. If you have a spare USB-C or MagSafe adapter, swap it in. For a laptop, leave it on power for ten minutes to wake a flat battery.
- Force a shutoff, then try a normal start. Press and hold the power or Touch ID button for ten seconds. Wait a few seconds, then press it once.
- Unplug accessories. Pull docks, hubs, drives, printers, SD readers, and extra displays. Boot with only power connected.
- Check the display path. For desktops and clamshell setups, switch the monitor input and raise brightness. Try a direct cable with no adapter.
- Note any signs of life. Chime, fan spin, keyboard backlight, or a brief logo flash show that power is present even if macOS is not loading.
Early Triage Table
Match what you see to a likely area and the next move. This avoids blind guessing and saves time.
| What You See | Likely Area | Next Move |
|---|---|---|
| No lights, no sound | Power source or adapter | Swap outlet/adapter; hold power for 10 seconds; retry |
| Screen stays black but fans spin | Display path or GPU | Boot bare; test external display; try Safe Mode |
| Flashing question mark | Startup disk not found | Use Recovery → Disk Utility; pick a valid startup disk |
| Prohibitory symbol | macOS on disk | Use Recovery to reinstall or restore from backup |
| Progress bar stalls | Login items or extensions | Start in Safe Mode, then clean up login items |
| Battery icon with low charge | Depleted battery | Charge longer; try a known-good charger and cable |
| Spinning globe | Internet Recovery | Keep stable power and network during install |
Rule Out Power And Accessory Problems
Power faults are fast to confirm. Reseat the cord at the wall and at the Mac. Try a second outlet. With USB-C gear, swap the cable since weak cables cause brownouts. On a laptop, give it a few minutes on power; a deeply drained battery can pause start until cells cross a safe level.
Next, strip the setup to a bare state. Remove docks, storage, card readers, and extra displays. A flaky hub can hang early boot. With only power attached, hold the power button for ten seconds, wait a moment, then press it once. Apple’s own playbook starts with these exact checks and a ten-second hold before a fresh try. See If your Mac doesn’t turn on for the same sequence with pictures.
Start In Safe Mode To Bypass Startup Clutter
Safe Mode loads only core items and checks the startup disk. If you reach the desktop here, the culprit is often a login item, an old driver, or a font. Steps differ by chip type.
Safe Mode On Apple Silicon
- Shut down fully until the screen is black and any lights are off.
- Press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears.
- Select your disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode.
Safe Mode On Intel-Based Macs
- Turn the Mac on and hold Shift until the login window appears.
- Log in. If asked, log in again. “Safe Boot” shows in the menu bar.
Once in, open System Settings → Login Items and remove anything you do not need. Update apps and macOS, then restart normally to test.
Use macOS Recovery For Disk Repair Or Reinstall
macOS Recovery brings tools that fix a broken startup disk, lay down a clean system, or restore from Time Machine. Reaching Recovery also proves the Mac can power on and reach firmware menus.
Apple Silicon Path
- Shut down. Hold the power button until startup options appear.
- Pick Options → Continue.
- Choose a user, enter the password, and wait for the utilities screen.
Intel Path
- Press power, then hold Command-R to start from built-in Recovery.
- If that fails, try Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R for internet Recovery.
What To Do Inside Recovery
- Disk Utility: Select the startup volume group and run First Aid. Repeat for any external disks you plan to use.
- Reinstall macOS: Install over the top to refresh system files while keeping your data. Keep the Mac on power and on a steady network.
- Restore From Time Machine: If First Aid keeps finding faults or the system feels unstable, restore a known-good snapshot.
Apple’s Recovery guide lists the key combos and network tips in one place: How to start up from macOS Recovery.
Common Startup Screens And What They Mean
Question mark folder: no valid system folder found. Use Recovery, pick Startup Disk, or reinstall macOS.
Prohibitory symbol: macOS can’t load from the selected system. Use Recovery to repair or reinstall.
Stuck progress bar: startup items or extensions may be blocking. Try Safe Mode, remove culprits, then update and retest.
| Mode | Apple Silicon | Intel |
|---|---|---|
| macOS Recovery | Hold power → Options | Command-R (internet keys if needed) |
| Safe Mode | Hold power → pick disk → hold Shift | Hold Shift at power-on |
| Diagnostics | Hold power → Options → Command-D | D at power-on (Option-D for network) |
| Target Disk Mode | Use Share Disk in Recovery | T at power-on |
| Verbose Mode | Not used | Command-V on older releases |
| NVRAM Reset | Not needed | Option-Command-P-R |
Fixes For Startup Disk And System File Trouble
When Recovery opens, run First Aid first. If it repairs items and the Mac boots once, run it again to confirm the fix holds. If errors return or the bar still stalls, install macOS over the top. This refresh keeps your home folder and apps intact. If the stall returns, back up and perform a clean erase, then restore your data from Time Machine. Keep installs and restores on wall power and a stable network to avoid mid-process failures.
When NVRAM Or SMC Resets Help (Intel)
On Intel models, NVRAM stores settings like startup disk and display info; SMC handles thermal and power behavior. If you see odd boot states, no chime, or sleep wake loops, a reset can clear the latch. Hold Option-Command-P-R for NVRAM. SMC steps vary by model; for many laptops, shut down, connect power, hold the left Shift-Control-Option with power for a short count, then release and press power. On Apple silicon, these resets do not apply since those roles re-initialize on each boot.
Data-Safe Ways To Pull Files Off A Mac That Won’t Boot
Your files can still be fine even when the system won’t load. Copy them out before a wipe using one of these paths.
Share Disk In Recovery (Apple Silicon)
Boot to Recovery, open the Utilities menu, and choose Share Disk. Connect the Mac to another Mac with USB-C or Thunderbolt. The internal volume mounts on the helper Mac so you can drag files in Finder.
Target Disk Mode (Intel)
Hold T at power-on and attach a cable to another Mac. The troubled Mac mounts as an external drive. If this screen never appears, use Recovery with an external drive for a Time Machine backup instead.
When A Firmware Revive Or Restore Makes Sense
Some no-start cases sit below macOS. With Apple silicon, a revive repairs firmware without erasing the disk; a restore reloads firmware and macOS and wipes the disk. You’ll need a second Mac, Apple Configurator, and a capable cable. Enter DFU, run the revive first, and if it completes, try a normal boot and reinstall macOS from Recovery. If revive fails, run a restore. This procedure also helps when an update breaks the boot firmware or Recovery menus will not show.
Stop The Next No-Start Scare
Set a weekly Time Machine schedule on a desk setup and a travel routine for a laptop. Leave background updates on, but let backups finish before a major version install. Avoid cheap hubs for storage and displays. Keep one spare USB-C cable in your bag. For desktops, use a surge protector so brownouts don’t flip the Mac into a bad power state. A tiny external SSD with a bootable installer can save a trip to the shop.
Common Stalls And Fast Fix Paths
Mac Powers On, Screen Stays Black
Boot with one display and one cable. Try Safe Mode. If the desktop loads there, clean login items, update the display vendor tool if you use one, and retest.
Mac Shows A Question Mark
Boot to Recovery. If your internal volume appears, pick it in Startup Disk and restart. If no valid system appears, run First Aid, then reinstall macOS or restore from backup.
Mac Reboots In A Loop
Unplug accessories and try Safe Mode. If the loop stops, remove anything that starts at login. If it continues, repair the disk and run a clean install over the top.
What To Bring And Say At The Genius Bar
Bring the charger and a recent backup. Jot down the exact model, chip type, and last change before the failure. List the steps you tried. Ask about warranty status or any repair program tied to no-power symptoms. A clear intake story speeds diagnosis and avoids repeated wipes.
Credits: Power checks, accessory isolation, Safe Mode, Recovery, and key combos follow Apple’s documented flows. This playbook mirrors those steps in a reader-first order.