Security Technology

If you are using your Mac every day with no issues, then that’s great. However, sometimes, like all computers, the Mac also does not respond to pressing the power button. If this happens, and you have no idea what to do, then it can lead to a lot of frustration.

There could be several reasons why your Mac does not turn on by pressing the power button. This article discusses the top seven (7) troubleshooting tips to solve these kinds of issues.

1. Ensure that your Mac is plugged into a power source

When you press the power button, you usually hear a noise from the fan or the CD drive. If you do not hear such a noise, or there is no image or video on the screen, then that means your Mac is not turning on.

If this happens, then the first thing you should do is to ensure that the power cable and the adapter are securely connected and plugged in to the power outlet.

If all the plugs are properly inserted and the issue still persists, the problem may lie with the power cable or adapter. Try changing the power cable and/or adapter to see if the problem is resolved. Sometimes the third-party power cables or adapters (that are not manufactured by Apple) can become faulty due to heavy use or even a power surge from the main power supply.

2. Check the hardware and related accessories

If replacing the power cable and adapter does not solve the problem, check your other hardware. If there are any external devices or accessories (such as printers, external drives, mobile phones, or others) connected to your Mac, disconnect all of them, and try powering on again.

If you are using a desktop, it could be an issue with your display, which means it is necessary to check your display from the Apple Authorized Service Provider.

If you have recently installed a memory card or a drive in your Mac, make sure that it is compatible with the current model of your Mac and is installed correctly. If possible, reinstall the original memory or drive to see if the issue is resolved.

3. Perform a Power-Cycle

If your Mac is powered on, but it has stopped responding, and it does not even respond if you press the power button, try performing a “power-cycle.”

Power cycling is the process of turning the computer off and then turning it back on. The power cycle lets the electronic device reinitialize its set of configuration parameters and recover from an unresponsive state.

To forcefully turn the computer off, press the Power button and hold it down for ten seconds. Turn the computer on again to complete the power cycle.

4. Start the computer in Safe Boot mode

Running the computer in Safe Boot mode is most often used to diagnose issues with the Mac. Safe Boot can rebuild your Mac’s Launch database on your hard drive, and thus resolves many issues.

If your Mac turns on, but just seems stuck on the white (or gray) screen, it often indicates a problem with the computer hardware or the operating system (Mac OS X). In this kind of situation, starting the computer in Safe Boot mode allows you to start your Mac for further diagnosis.

To start your Mac in Safe Boot mode:

	Power down your Mac. Turn on your Mac by pressing the power button while holding down the Shift Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo. Restart your Mac.

5. Run Disk Utility

Disk Utility can fix certain disk problems such as corrupted files, abnormally working external devices, unexpected termination of certain apps, or your Mac is not booting up normally.

To use Disk Utility:

	Shut down your Mac. Turn on your Mac while pressing down the Command and R Select Disk Utility, click your Mac OS X hard drive and select verify/repair disk. Reset the SMC on your Mac

The System Management Controller (SMC) controls a lot of Mac’s core functions. The purpose of SMC is to free the Mac’s processor from having to actively take care of the rudimentary hardware functions. Therefore, resetting the SMC to its default state can fix many issues.

To reset SMC on your iMac Pro with a removable battery:

	Shut down your Mac. Remove the battery. If you need help on removing the battery, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple Retail Store. Press and hold the power button for five (5) seconds. Reinstall the battery. Press the power button again to turn on your Mac.

To reset SMC on your iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro with a non-removable battery:

	Shut down your Mac. After your Mac completely shuts down, unplug the power cable. Wait for 15 seconds. Plug the power cable back in. Wait for five (5) seconds, then press the power button again to turn on your Mac.

To reset SMC on your iMac Pro:

	Shut down your Mac. After your iMac Pro shuts down, press and hold its power button for 8 seconds. Release the power button, then wait for a few seconds. Press the power button again to turn on your iMac Pro. Reset your NVRAM

Nonvolatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM) is a small piece of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and accesses these settings quickly whenever required. Settings that can be stored in NVRAM include sound volume, display resolution, startup-disk selection, time zone, and recent kernel panic information. The settings stored in NVRAM depend on your Mac and the devices you are using with your Mac.

Resetting NVRAM usually resolves many booting problems.

To reset NVRAM:

Power down your Mac.
Turn it on and immediately press and hold the following four keys together for 20 seconds:

When your Mac appears to restart, release the keys.

If none of the above tips work, you may have to take your Mac to Apple Genius Bar to have it repaired.

However, if one or more of these suggestions works and your computer comes back to life, I would like to congratulate you for all the troubleshooting work that has paid off. As you can imagine, too much workload or too many cache files can make your Mac run slow and become heated, affecting the proper operation of your Mac’s hardware. So, let’s talk a little bit more about how to keep your Mac always optimized.

Always Keep Your Mac Optimized

There are a lot of reliable applications on the Mac App Store that can keep your Mac clean and healthy. Here I would like to introduce you to the most trusted application available: Dr. Cleaner. Dr. Cleaner shows you lots of information about your Mac that can be accessed from the menu bar dropdown window.

Dr. Cleaner is an all-in-one Mac cleaner that offers a memory cleaner, disk cleaner, app manager, residue cleaner, and other very useful features for you Mac. It can significantly improve your Mac’s performance with just one click. Most importantly, it is FREE! Just give it a try now and enjoy your clean and smooth Mac.