You're going to turn on your laptop to do a little work and bang! You see that your MacBook doesn't charge or turn on. And although Apple devices, and MacBooks in particular, are known for their durability and reliability, they can fail like any other electronic equipment at some point in their lifespan.
To help you, throughout this post, we are going to deal with one of the most distressing problems for users is when their MacBook does not charge or turn on, so that you can understand what may be behind this fault and find a solution for it. fast.
The basic tests to find out why your MacBook does not charge or turn on
Here in my years as a technician what I have learned is that Ockham's razor exists, so the first step to solving any problem with your MacBook is to make sure it is not something simple. Sometimes the most obvious solution can be the right one.
Check the power connection
The first thing you should do is make sure your MacBook is properly connected to a power source.
This may seem basic (and it is), but it's surprisingly common for charging problems to be caused by a loose plug or damaged cable, or worse, the charging connector is simply dirty or has lint inside.
To make sure everything is OK, check that the power adapter is securely plugged into the socket and that the cable is firmly inserted into the charging port of your MacBook.
If possible, try to connect the charger to another socket to rule out a problem with it or if you have another charger on hand, try with the other one (even if it is borrowed) to rule out that the problem is in the power supply.
Inspect the cable and power adapter
The next step is to check the charging cable and power adapter for signs of damage. If the cable has cuts, sharp bends, or worn areas, it may not be transmitting power correctly to your MacBook . Similarly, check the power adapter. If you notice that it gets hotter than usual or that it makes strange beeps... it is likely that we have a culprit before us.
Check the status of the charging port
If the cable and adapter appear to be in good condition, the next point to check is your MacBook's charging port.
As we indicated before, with the passage of time and the use we make of our laptops, ports can collect dust, dirt, or other debris that interfere with the connection.
Use a flashlight to inspect the inside of the charging port and if you see dirt or debris, you can carefully clean it with a wooden toothpick or soft toothbrush, although compressed air would be ideal.
Yes, avoid using metal objects that could damage the internal connectors generating a short circuit that could fry your motherboard or ruin the battery.
Perform an SMC (System Management Controller) reset
If your MacBook still won't turn on or charge after you've checked the connections and cleaned the port, the problem may be related to the SMC (System Management Controller), which is responsible for managing power-related functions such as the battery, charge indicator and thermal management. By resetting it you will be able to restore the use of the equipment.
To do this, with your MacBook turned off, Press and hold the Shift + Control + Option (Alt) keys on the left side of the keyboard, along with the power button, for at least 10 secondss. Now release the keys and press the power button. This process will restart the SMC and if it turns on, you will have your MacBook not charging or turning on fixed.
Check battery status
If the above steps have not resolved the problem, the problem may be related to the battery of your MacBook.
Batteries have a limited lifespan and, over time, can degrade to the point of not being able to hold a charge or power the device.
Now, at this point, if the MacBook does not charge or turn on, We advise you to take it to the Apple Store to see if they will quote you a battery change. And if so, it is up to you to reject the quote and change it yourself, or let the official Apple technicians do it for you.
Try a secure boot: discarding the software
Safe Boot Mode is another useful tool for diagnosing problems with a MacBook that won't charge or turn on. This mode disables certain processes and extensions, allowing you to start the system with minimal resources. Simply turn on your MacBook and when it turns on, hold down the Shift key until you see the login screen.
If everything is fine this far, it is possible that a software or extension is causing the problem. So you will have to review the programs as we advise in this another post on virus removal.
None of this works… What can we do in this case?
If none of the above steps fix the problem, it could be a more serious hardware failure, such as a faulty logic board or a problem with the charging circuit.
These problems are more complex and They generally require the attention of a professional, so you'll have to contact Apple support or take your MacBook to an authorized service center.
There, technicians will be able to perform a complete diagnosis and offer you more advanced solutions for a small price. Of course, if your MacBook is still under warranty, it is possible that the repairs are covered and that you do not have to pay anything for its repair, so the only drama that there may be is with the information on your device, so We recommend that you periodically do copies with Time Machine to avoid these scares and mitigate data loss.