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Are you experiencing difficulty charging your MacBook Pro? No need to worry; this issue is prevalent with Apple’s high-end laptops. Stay tuned for solutions to resolve the problem.
Although Apple’s premium laptops are definitely a coveted gadget for many, they are not immune to technical issues like any other device. Among users’ most frequently reported problems is the inability to power on the MacBook Pro, despite being charged correctly.
While the problem may differ from user to user, the reasons are few. The most common causes are power issues, hardware failure, software glitches, etc. In this guide, I will walk you through multiple solutions you can try to fix this issue with your MacBook.
We’ll cover the apparent solutions, such as inspecting the power connection, executing a power cycle, hardware check, verifying the file system, etc. In case your MacBook remains unresponsive, we’ll guide you on where to seek further assistance.
Why Won’t Your MacBook Pro Turn On?
Before delving into solutions, let’s examine several common factors that might be causing your MacBook’s failure to power on.
- MacBook is turning on, but the display is not working.
- MacBook may not turn on due to software issues such as contaminated files. Malware, viruses, or system-related errors.
- System Management Controller Issues.
- Your MacBook may be out of power.
- The battery is completely depleted or not able to charge.
- The power source may not be working correctly.
That’s How You Fix the Issue
Try these easy solutions in the same order until you get your MacBook Pro up and running:
1. Check the Battery
If you hit the power button and your MacBook doesn’t turn on, there is a high chance your battery is dead. To check the battery status, turn it on while the charging cable is connected. If it turns on in charging mode, the battery has an issue.
Your battery may be entirely depleted if you last used your MacBook long ago. In this case, give it at least 5-6 hours of charge. If you cannot charge the battery at all, probably, it’s the time to change the battery.
2. Check the Power Source and Cable
Remember to check the power source you use to charge the MacBook. Don’t leave any stone unturned. Check everything, including the power adapter, charging cable, switch, and socket. Try using different cables to ensure the problem is unrelated to any external source.
Also, quickly disconnect all the externals from your laptop, such as hard drives, keyboards, mice, USB drives, etc. The problem may be coming from one of these devices.
That’s where the standard attempts to wake your laptop end. If your MacBook still doesn’t turn on, move on to the next step.
3. Perform Power Cycle
The next option is called Power Cycle. Before performing it, you must know this is an emergency solution. It would be better not to jump to it every time your laptop doesn’t turn on. It may cause harm to your MacBook’s hard drive.
In this process, you basically force your laptop to turn on by killing the power cycle. That’s how you do it:
- Unplug the power cable and remove any possible power source connected to the MacBook.
- Press and hold the power key for 10-15 seconds until you hear a beep or squeak sound.
- For M1 and M2 series MacBooks, the same action would bring the startup options to the screen. (If the laptop is working fine).
Performing the power cycle will kill the power to the laptop and give it a fresh start. If this doesn’t work, it’s time to check the display.
4. Check the Display
Almost 50% of the dead laptop issues are related to display errors. Sometimes everything works fine, but the screen fails to show the content, making us think there is something wrong with the laptop.
There can be a couple of reasons behind this. First, your system is unable to access the display, and second, the display connector is loose.
It’s not easy to diagnose and resolve any of these issues at home, but you can still go through the Apple support guide to confirm whether there is an issue with your MacBook’s display.
Turn on your MacBook usually and try to listen to any sound it’s making. The new generation MacBooks are incredibly silent, so it may be tricky to hear anything, but you will get the feeling if the system is on. If you can listen to even a tiny bit of noise, you must take your MacBook to Apple care and get your display checked.
5. Try Safe Mode
Safe mode allows you to turn on your MacBook or any other laptop with limited functionalities, where you can do some diagnostics and tests to discover the root cause of the problem.
To turn on your MacBook in safe mode, take the following steps:
- If your MacBook is powered by Intel CPU, press and hold the Shift key for at least 15 seconds to start the system in safe mode.
- Press and hold the power button for MacBooks with M1 or M2 processors until the startup options appear on the screen. Select the disk you want to boot from and press and hold the shift key. Click on Continue and release the shift key. Select Safe mode from the menu on the screen’s top-right.
You can update software, download new firmware, or reinstall the macOS in safe mode. If software-related issues cause the boot problem, you can fix it through safe mode.
Remember that the visual experience in safe mode is totally different. You won’t be able to see many animations, colors, themes, etc. It’s just the minimal representation of the OS.
Now, while you are in safe mode, let’s see what other checks and modifications we can do to solve the problem.
6. Reset System Management Controller
This is the penultimate option before turning toward factory reset, which will make you lose all your data and personal files. Resetting SMC is a good option, as it helps restore some hardware functions that may help with the boot problem in your MacBook.
Here are the steps you can take to reset SMC:
- Turn off the MacBook and reconnect the power cable.
- Press and release Ctrl+Shift+Options/Alt keys and power button simultaneously.
- When you see the power cable light flashing, restart your MacBook.
7. Contact AppleCare
If any of the steps above don’t help, you must call Apple support or visit the nearest service center.
Here is a detailed video guide explaining all the steps you can take to fix the MaxBook power issue.
