Mac not powering on?

Why is my Mac not powering on? – Updated 2023

• Power Surge on your Mac
• Lightning has struck your Mac
• Load shedding damaging your Mac
• Faulty Apple charger connected to your Mac
• 3rd party non-Apple charger charging the Mac with the incorrect amount of power.

An Apple Mac that doesn’t power on could be a result of several different factors. It is often difficult to identify the exact root cause, in which case you’ll need to speak to an Apple specialist. 

What are the common signs of a Mac that’s not turning on?

1. Mac doesn’t turn on.
2. Mac turns on but the screen remains black.
3. Mac starts then halfway through the booting up process turns off.
4. Mac stops charging.
5. You can hear parts moving inside the Mac but the screen remains off.

What should you do if your Mac is not turning on?

If you have a MacBookPro, MacBook Air or MacBook that’s not turning on try:

1. Disconnect your charger cable and check whether the charging indicator is showing a green or orange sign. If the sign is green and the Mac doesn’t turn on then it might be a charger issue. Try another charger.
2. If the next charger doesn’t work try another power adaptor and test with both chargers this time to make sure there is power going to both.
3. Try and reset the SMC and PRAM. Check out ZA Support’s simple SMC and PRAM reset guide on YouTube how to reset the PRAM and SMC on your Mac.
4. If this still doesn’t work and you have a Mac where the Apple RAM can be removed try and remove it and see whether the Mac turns on. WARNING removing RAM can cause damage to the Mac if not done properly. If you are not an Apple professional please be careful.
5. At this point, there could be multiple factors causing the Mac to not power on.

If the light is orange and the Mac doesn’t turn on it might be a battery issue in which case you’ll need to book it in with us. 

If you have an iMac or Mac Pro:

1. Unplug the iMac or Mac Pro from the main power source.
2. Leave the iMac or Mac Pro unplugged for 5 seconds.
3. After that, the iMac or Mac Pro should have reset its own SMC controller.
4. If you need to reset the PRAM on your iMac or Mac Pro you will follow the same steps as if you had a MacBook.

What to do if your Mac is still not powering on:

As you can see there are a lot of factors that can cause your Mac to not power on. If you have tried our Mac not powering on expert guide it might be a consideration to bring the Mac in for a diagnostic. If you need to book your Mac in for an Apple diagnostic click here.