I press the power button, and nothing happens. My Mac won't start.
More than we want to admit, the problem is something simple. Make sure the computer’s power cable is plugged in, your keyboard and monitor are plugged in, your power strip or UPS is switched on, and the circuit breaker isn’t blown. If your computer’s battery was completely drained, let it charge for 15 minutes. An old tech support joke ends with the punch line, “Of course I can’t read the manual—there’s a blackout.” Macintosh portables may go into “deep sleep” mode and appear completely dead. Wake them up by momentarily pressing the power button (only press briefly, don’t keep it held down).
If you have a portable, reset the System Management Controller/Power Manager (see How do I reset the System Management Controller?) If you have an old G4 Tower you may need to use the “Cuda” reset button on the logic board (to the right of the battery), particularly after a power loss.
If you are sure the outlet is good, the computer’s power supply or logic board may have died. Bring in your Mac for an evaluation.
Published March 24, 2009 12:00 PM
Last modified on November 25, 2011 10:46 AM
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