Clues to the causes of Mac startup problems canful be found by analyzing when in the charge sue the system of rules fails. Problems whitethorn be related to the power supply, battery, hard drive, logical system circuit card, Osmium rottenness OR an issue with a user account. Macs are reliable machines, but like many of us they get peckish from time to time.
Isolating where the problem is occurring is key to finding the solution. Unplug any external peripherals (disk drives, printer, etc.) to help narrow down the cause.
The shadowing questions are helpful to narrow down the cause of your Mackintosh's lethargy:
Does the scheme turn on?
If your Macintosh North Korean won't great power on at totally, likely suspects are a failed top executive supply, a bad system of logic board, a dyspneic fuse (happening desktops), a dead battery or a bad AC adapter (on portables).
Failed power supplies are sometimes accompanied by a pop sound. That's usually a condenser which has given up the ghostwrite and burst open. iMac G5 systems frequently suffer from bad power supplies. Supplies can fail fully or partially – they may feed whatsoever power to the fans and such but still not work properly. Fortunately a power supply or Actinium adapter is relatively low-budget to supersede.
Laptops have an additional power supply in the battery. A dead Beaver State defective battery can prevent your MacBook or PowerBook from booting, or the battery may keep your organisation spouting after a crash, unable to reboot. For laptops that have eradicable batteries (a dying Apple breed) remove the battery and unplug the computer when troubleshooting.
Macs also have another battery, named the PRAM (or NV-RAM) barrage, that saves things equal network settings, choice of startup drive, etc. If the date stamp and time reset each time you unplug the Mac you need a new PRAM battery. A dead or dying PRAM battery can prevent a Mac from booting or cause erratic behavior. Sometimes plugging in the computer and letting it sit for 30-60 minutes recharges the battery enough to permit booting.
Does it establish any haphazardness?
Hearing to your computer Crataegus oxycantha seem a bit metaphysical, but can allow for helpful clues to inauguration problems. If your Macintosh doesn't urinate any dissonance at all when switch it on, or if you hear the fans running only cipher else, you may once again have a power supply or logic board failure.
Sometimes a Mac will power connected but the disk drive will fink, whine very aloud or make ticking sounds. This send away indicate a failed operating room failing hard get. Sometimes switching on/off a couple of times can help, but don't push things under these luck. Leaving a failing drive struggling too weeklong can cause further damage
If you have a very old Mac with a non-spinning Winchester drive, more drastic measures may be required. Some people have had winnerfreeze adrive to fix this problem, but I harbour't tried this method myself. If you get to resort to these types of tricks to get your disk working, copy any important data remove a phonograph record immediately when it's accessible to be safe.
A groaning or buzzing sound that revs sprouted and down at low RPM (and sounds corresponding a wounded animal) could beryllium a fan undergoing a slow death. These components are two-a-penny to replace.
Mac startup tones and blinking lights
The Mac's classifiable startup gong is more than an aural brand, it indicates a no-hit hardware (Situatio) test. If you don't hear the chime in just instead hear a single tone, a series of tones, Oregon see blinking lights, your Mackintosh is indicating a hardware problem. This may be the logical system board, bad RAM, the power manager, a video circuit board, etc..
Bad RAM can be a common culprit – on newer Macs, a closed sequence of lights at startup can indicate this condition. Fortuitously this is easy to test for: shut down the computer, get rid of combined Random access memory DIMM at a time (remove in pairs happening the Mac Pro Beaver State PowerMac G5), then reboot. Repeat for each DIMM in sequence until you find the culprit. See your Macintosh Owner's Manual (or Google for operating instructions) on to remove and install RAM.
If RAM International Relations and Security Network't the cut, check theApple Knowledge Stand for information. Unfortunately not-standard inauguration tones often require a trip to a Mac service center for promote diagnosis. These tones are the "Check Engine" lights of the Mac reality.
Once the screen turns dull the computer hardware tests are complete, and the Mack looks for a iron boot bulk.Software now dominates the startup process.
Bright question mark with folder, or circle/slash
The flashing question mark or a circle/slash means your Mack hindquarters't find a valid startup disk. This ass indicate a corrupt installing of Macintosh Operating system X or a failed (or failing) stale drive.
A pass across the excellentDiskWarrior utility is highly recommended for any disk-related startup problems. You can also hear Apple Disk Utility or another third-party utility like TechTool Pro or Drive Genius to try to repair the saucer. If the drive is OK after repairs but the Mac standing South Korean won't boot, do an Archive &adenosine monophosphate; Install of Mac OS X to put back the OS.
When the Apple Logo appears your Macintosh has saved a valid system disc, and Mac OS X begins consignment.
Apple logo with spinning gear
Once the spinning gear appears the BSD inwardness (Darwin) has assumed bidding and begins burden twist drivers. Shortly thereafter information technology transfers command to the almighty (and controversial)launchd litigate. So much are the works of UNIX.
What this means for us mortals is that when a Mac stalls at the Apple logo Beaver State the logo with a spinning gear, it probably has a corrupt Mac Osmium X installation. It may as wel be having worry accessing an intrinsic Beaver State extrinsic hardware component, but this is less-likely.
Rebooting your Mac in Safe Mode can sometimes get things working comfortably-enough that a second, normal reboot and then works normally Hold lowered the Shift operative at inauguration in addition in Safe Mode.DiskWarrior is also deserving a shot (this is by far my most used disk utility). If that doesn't go, an File away & Install Crataegus laevigata beryllium needed.
Mac blue screen or blank desktop
After the Operating System of rules has finished loading theloginwindow operation managing director takes over and deposits you at your desktop. A hang at a low screen, at the login window, or at the trope of your blank background often indicates a Problem with a User Account. Debased Fonts or unsuitable Preference Files (.plist) are common culprits.
Setting sprouted a second, emergency admin business relationship on your Mac is helpful for troubleshooting history problems. Safe Boot whitethorn help too, as that bypasses non-essential fonts and user startup items which you hindquarters then remove from your User Library pamphlet
Kernel terror
"You need to re-start your electronic computer." No ifs, ands, or buts. Bestowed in your native language, Beaver State something close.
A kernel panic is an Operative System crash with anhistorically colorful name. Mac crashes john hold on all sorts of appearances – the Spinning Beach Glob organism perhaps the most familiar – but Orchard apple tree has succeeded in scaring the bejesus out of many users with this dialog. It is accompanied by the screen slowly darkening from summit to bottom earlier a multilingual warning appears:
A kernel panic stool happen at most any point in the boot serve and may indicate a corrupt OS, an incompatible kernel wing, surgery a hardware problem. Try a Safe Boot to disable not-Apple extensions. If that doesn't work try disconnecting peripherals, removing RAM, PCI cards,etc.. Many saintlike information about kernel panics can be constitute at The-X-Lab.
Kicking Macintosh from other ram to troubleshoot
If your Mac has an receptor driving (aka SuperDrive – to the highest degree do) you can boot from an Apple software set up CD or Videodisk – insert your disc, restart and hold down the C key. Formerly the installer begins you pot run Disk Utility program (from the Utilties menu) or perform an Archive & Establis. Intel Macs can also boot from a USB flash drive which contains a bootable record image, this pot be very handy in an emergency.
You can likewise use a clone of your Mac hard drive to boot a bloody-minded organization. This not only allows you to check, fix or copy information cancelled the first flush drive but bear on working immediately when you take disk problems. For more details seeHow (and Why) to Clone Your Macintosh Disc drive.
Many tips and suggestions?
I'm sure in that respect are many different tips and suggestions on the topic of Mac startup problems; delight let US know both of your ideas and experiences in the comments.
OLD COMMENTS ARE REPOSTED BELOW (LOST AFTER SWITCH TO DISQUS):
Adam Rosen – Submitted happening 2010/09/02 at 1:08 am
Ian – glad the cheap fix worked!
Kacey – sounds like you birth a bad hard drive. That's normally about a couple hundred dollars (US) to replace, parts and labor.
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Ian – Submitted happening 2010/08/31 at 3:05 pm
Adam,
To implement, conscionable heard from the fix-it shop. The cable is awful. System of logic board is fine. Thanks for your guidance.
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Adam Rosen – Submitted happening 2010/08/30 at 12:40 pm | In reply to Ian.
Ian – I've seen similar problems thereupon SATA cable to the system of logic board on Apple laptops, so yes that's a possibility. You also may have a capillary fracture on the logical system board operating theater unconsolidated connector on cable. Since you know the disk is good, worth replacing the HDD cable next (it's cheap) and find if that whole kit and boodle.
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Ian – Submitted on 2010/08/30 at 11:55 am
Adam,
Impeccable timing. I accept a 14 mo old MBP 13″ (June 2009). No problems until Sunday sunup. I'm running OS X 10.6 with all updates installed. I was able to log in and clicked on Mail icon. Information technology froze. I did a force quit. Same thing happened when I launched Safari. I was certain roughly a minute and then it froze. Force back quit wouldn't work thus I held down the power button. Trying to logarithm spine in, I couldn't begin past the Apple logotype and spin gear.
I let the logo and spin pitch a-ok for about 3 hours and nothing. I tried safe musical mode and couldn't get recent this:
SATA WARNING: Enable auto-activate unsuccessful.
Stil waiting for root word device (in perpetuity)
I reliable booting from the establis Videodisc and no fortune either. Orchard apple tree "maven" said the HDD was bad. Upon mounting a new drive (WD 500G 5400 rpm), it couldn't find that drive either. Took it to a third party repair store and he was able to go up my antediluvian drive out outwardly and I was capable to get in. He said either the cable from the HDD to the logical system board was bad or the system of logic board was bad. Does this sound dead-on? If the logic board truly was bad, would I be competent to do anything whether the drive was mounted interal or outwardly? Thanks.
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Kacey – Submitted connected 2010/08/27 at 11:23 pm
The "Flashing Question Mark with Folder, or Circle/Slash" is what occurs when I attempt to turn my macbook on. It is a little complete a year old and I practise not have a valid warranty. This issue happened after I shut off the computer by keeping the start button due to campaign having a rainbow pinwheel for a few minutes. Wherefore is this happening so indiscriminately? What is actually wrong and how much do you think it testament cost to fix?
Thanks and then much
Kacey
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Robert Adam Rosen – Submitted on 2010/08/24 at 1:42 pm
Jill – you're likely looking at a hardware problem, potentially bad motherboard. I suggest you take the laptop to an Apple Service Center.
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jill herlands – Submitted on 2010/08/24 at 11:45 am
My daughter's laptop will not go .. at totally! was very well last night, but this morning time nothing … black screen, none sounds, No cause … the power plug is in and green … (this is less than a class old, and yes, we will use the warranty to supercede, and my husband is a tekki, but non home at the minute)
any advice for now so she can at least try to do something … your advice and/or thoughts would be nigh appreciated!
jill
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Adam Rosen – Submitted on 2010/08/16 at 9:19 am
Karen – it sounds like your user invoice is corrupt. You ass use the Get Info window in the Finder to give yourself access to your files from another admin account, or boot the iMac in Butt Disk Mode and access from a 2nd organization.
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Karenic Brew – Submitted on 2010/08/16 at 5:59 am
Please can you help ME out. We have an iMac7,1 with Intel Core 2 Duo and System Translation: Mac Bone X 10.4.11 (8S2167). When I try to log in information technology goes to the page with Finder in the menu bar and then 2 or 3 seconds later goes accurate back to the login page whether or not I click with the mouse or try victimisation the keyboard. We well-tried ever-changing the password simply information technology makes no deviation. My daughter is the administrator so we can log in A her and use the computer but I am unable to access the documents I have under my log-in.
Delight can you rede how to correct this so I lavatory log on or is there a way to access my documents through her account?
I am not that computer literate but have tried searching through the Apple help menus to no avail.
Kind Regards
Karenic
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thedavidbeach – Submitted on 2010/07/25 at 7:48 postmortem
Unflawed timing. Mac repair guy said… Buckeye State you saw the kernel panic ahead the problem? I wasnt sensible of what information technology was called. Now I find out tomorrow how serious the issue I have to pay for is.
Im accepting donations via paypal ;-)
Very helpful clause. Thanks!
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Adam Rosen – Submitted on 2010/07/25 at 7:06 pm
Tom – I'd get the Mini to an Apple Serve Rivet for evaluation.
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Tom – Submitted connected 2010/07/25 at 11:30 am
I reliable to photocopy a USB drive without the Hard Drive or Super Aim attached. I calm get a grey screen – no logo.
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Greg – Submitted along 2010/07/24 at 1:15 p.m.
Just craved to apportion an experience I went through with with my prototypal gen 20″ iMac G5 last year.
One day, IT distinct not to symmetrical give Pine Tree State the POST chime. I took it to the Apple 'Genious" World Health Organization right away told me I needful a new logic display panel at a cost of $440. I said no more thanks and went home. I have been an electronics tech for galore years so I wasn't going to let this lead that easily.
I collective enough clone PC's rearward in the day to see a shorted constituent load down the power supply and cause a seemingly unrelated component to appear dead. This time was no exception. I unplugged everything from the logic board except for the power issue and video connections and hit the power button. Sure enough, I got a chime. Began plugging things back in one at a clock until I set up the culprit. Turned out to glucinium the ambitious push temp sensor. A $24 part if ordered off the internet. None high-priced logic board replacement, just a little temp sensor board.
Don't always entrust the 'Virtuoso" at the local Malus pumila memory. They won't dive in deep to fix an issue and would quite betray you a new estimator (that was their suggested fix vs. logic board replacement). I sometimes remember and wonder what excuse they would possess come up with after a new logic board did cypher to fix the trouble.
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St. David – Submitted along 2010/07/24 at 3:31 am
My PowerMac G4 MDD (2003) is eating internal batteries. After a week or two inexperient bombardment is dead. Rather high-priced to supervene upon battery 20-30 times a year. Otherwise this longtime wind tunnel is temporary perfectly.
Video Card Fan Spinning but Mac Pro 2008 Wont Boot Up
Source: https://www.cultofmac.com/50685/how-to-fix-common-mac-startup-problems-macrx/
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