Mac not turning on: How to troubleshoot a dead desktop Mac

There are many reasons why your Mac isn’t turning on. Apple Mac computers are powerful and advanced machines, but they will fall to hardware issues. In this guide we’ll be looking at how to fix a desktop Mac that isn’t turning on, this includes the iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro. Running a few checks on your system can help you find out what’s causing the problem and get the right solution.

Though, fixing an Apple iMac that is not turning on is difficult. If all of your attempts bear no fuit, seek professional repairs instead.

Why isn’t my Mac turning on?

When your Mac doesn’t turn on at all, you most likely have a hardware issue. For the computer to boot up properly, essential parts work together to deliver a smooth computing experience. Once one part starts acting up or dies completely, the entire process may be disrupted. The computer won’t be able to turn on at all, or may take a long time to power up.

These essential parts include the hard drive, logic board, video card, RAM, and power supply unit. Without even a single part, the computer may start having trouble turning on, or even stop working properly.

But is it really not turning on? Sometimes you simply can’t get your Mac to boot to MacOS, and assume that it’s not turning on. This means that it could also be a software issue. You might be able to get your Mac to turn on but it seems to be taking forever or gets stuck on a blank screen. If this is the case, you can try doing some software resets first. This would be either an SMC reset or PRAM reset. This can help fix software issues and reset certain boot up settings.

Our technical understanding of a “desktop Mac not turning on” is when the Mac appears to be completely dead and doesn’t respond to anything. It could be a sign of a serious hardware failure. This is only one of the few MacOS start up issues that you can run into. We’re talking about start up issues like the question mark folder or infinite loading bar. These would bring you to other diagnostic and repair solutions, so it’s important to know how to tell them apart.

How to test and repair a desktop Mac that won’t turn on

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can start with a few tests to find out what’s causing the problem. This involves testing the parts essential for starting up your Mac: the hard drive, logic board, video card, RAM, and PSU.

It seems like a lot of work, but when a Mac appears to be completely dead and doesn’t show any signs to which part is failing, it’s the only way to thoroughly diagnose the problem this way. As we’ve learnt from above, a single component failure can cause a total computer shutdown. So to bring your Mac back to life, we have to do a little digging to find the right repair solution.

Again, considering the scope of the Mac’s failure, there aren’t a lot of ways to test the system for errors. When you can’t power up your Mac, you’ll have to take out the specific parts to test on a different desktop Mac.

Of course, it would be easier to just use Apple Diagnostics or run diagnostic software on the Mac itself. If you can get your Mac to even fire up to a black screen, you can enter Apple Diagnostics by holding down the “D” key. This is a simple built-in diagnostic tool to help you find errors in components like the hard drive, RAM, or video card.

When we’re left with less options, all we can do is testing out the part on a different Mac, preferably a desktop as well. Let’s look at how to test different parts to diagnose the problem. If you’re keen on DIY, you might be able to fix them yourself.

Hard drive failure

A hard drive failure is a very common cause of various start up issues. As the boot drive, it contains boot files and the MacOS that is used to boot up your Mac and runs the whole show. So when a hard drive malfunctions, the necessary files cannot be accessed and could halt the entire boot up process.

It can be a surprise to some to learn that hard drive failure can happen to most computer users. Hard drives have a limited lifespan and are prone to damage from bad sectors. This can happen to all sorts of hard drives, including traditional hard disk drives, flash storage, or fusion drives.

Bad sectors caused by physical damage or software errors can cause permanent damage on small parts of the drive. This is an unavoidable thing that will happen to all storage drives, every new drive ships with a tiny amount of bad sectors. As you use the drive it will eventually accumulate more and more bad sectors. The drive will work as long as they are limited to a small area of the drive.

When they do spread out and get to an intolerable amount, the drive will start to show signs of failure. You may notice that your computer is running slower than usual, or find that some files have been corrupted or completely lost. That is when you should look into replacing the drive.

How to repair a faulty hard drive

The only reliable and true fix for a hard drive failure is by replacing the drive itself. While some disk repair utilities can repair certain soft bad sectors, this solution may only buy you a little more time before the drive does ultimately fail. But first, we have to do a little testing to confirm the issue.

To test a hard drive for issues, take out the drive from the Mac and connect it to a different desktop Mac via a SATA to USB enclosure box. Then, test the drive with hard drive analysis software like WD Data Lifeguard. The drive is powered by the enclosure box instead of the computer, so it ensures isolation to thoroughly test the hard drive. Now for all-in-one desktop Macs like the iMac, it would take a little more disassembly to get to the hard drive, compared to Mac Pro or Mac Mini. You’ll need to start from the screen to get to the hard drive.

When your hard drive does in fact need replacing, you can replace it with an exact same drive, or upgrade to a better hard drive or flash storage. Just make sure that the drive is compatible with your Mac. Learn more about Apple hard drive repairs here.

Logic board, GPU, and RAM failures

Another thing that can kill your Mac is a logic board failure. The logic board is the circuit board that spans across your Mac. It is the communication channel where components receive signals from the CPU to work accordingly. Even a small failure on a part of the logic board can break up the communication channel between components. When this happens, components won’t know what to do even if they are fully intact and can work properly.

Overheating and liquid damage are one of the few causes of logic board failure. So it’s important to keep your system dust-free and can cool itself effectively. Similarly, the video card and RAM can also fall to overheating and liquid spills.

The GPU and RAM are also essential for the MacOS start up process. The video card generates the visual feed that puts images on the screen. Start up settings and boot information are also stored on the RAM for easy access to fire up the Mac. Without either, it could cause the Mac to be unresponsive when you turn it on.

How to repair a faulty logic board

The logic board is an intricate and complicated piece of computer hardware to navigate around. On top of this, there is no direct way to test and diagnose a logic board failure. This makes a logic board repair one of the most difficult computer repair jobs to perform.

To test a logic board for errors, we’ll have to diagnose it by eliminating other hardware errors to reach a conclusive result. This involves testing the hard drive, GPU, and RAM. Like a hard drive, we can test the video card and RAM by taking it out.

For the video card, plug it in a different desktop Mac and test it with GPU analysis software (we use Furmark). Then for the RAM, swap it out with a spare stick of RAM to see whether the issue persists. If both work fine, then you can conclude that you have a logic board issue.

To repair a logic board, the whole board will have to be replaced. The board is usually under everything else, so it will need some careful navigation to take everything out to reach it. This is why logic board repairs require quite experienced hands to make sure you don’t break other parts while you’re fixing the logic board. Learn more about repairing an Apple logic board here.

PSU failure

Sometimes a faulty power supply unit can be keeping your Mac from powering up. The PSU is the only power source to power up your Mac, so when it fails, the Mac may become unresponsive. This kind of failure can appear similarly as a logic board failure, but the problem is quite different.

Unlike laptops that can use a battery and don’t need to be plugged in to turn on, a desktop Mac solely depends on the PSU for power. The PSU converts power to a steady current that powers up components.

Like most computer hardware, the PSU can fail due to natural wear and tear, overheating, and accumulated dust. Power surges can also overload the unit and kill it. In some rare cases, bugs (yes, actual insects) get inside the unit and block the fans or damage the parts.

How to repair a faulty PSU

A sign of a faulty PSU might be the fans not firing up when you press the power button. Detecting a PSU does take some special tools. You can try using a multimeter or power supply tester to check on the PSU’s performance. Then replace the PSU entirely if you do find that it is malfunctioning.

Professional repair

Sometimes you might not have all the tools to repair your desktop Mac. After all, desktop Macs may need more tools to open up. Moreover, Apple computers may also contain proprietary screws that you might not have the right tools for. With that said, that’s where a professional repair can help you.

That’s where we can help you! At Safemode Computer Service, we can help you diagnose your dead desktop Mac. Save yourself the hassle of taking apart your Mac by bringing your desktop Mac to our store. We are conveniently located in the heart of Inner West Sydney. Our experienced technicians can help you find the right repair solution to bring your Mac back to life. Give us a call to make an appointment at our Enmore store today.

Why you should be thinking about your computer’s repairability

As a computer user, you’ve probably owned a fair few devices over the years. When your computer starts to fail, you may see this as a sign or opportunity to buy a new computer. Rather than repairing the part that may be causing you trouble, buying a new computer may be exciting and all, but a simple repair may actually get you a long time on the computer. You might be able to get upgrades to boost your laptop’s performance as well.

All this depends on the repairability of the computer. These days a lot of new models come with flashy features and are more travel-friendly. However, these features come at the cost of the computer’s repairability. This benefits the brand, but not the consumer when they can’t get their computers repaired early into the life of the device. In this guide we will be looking at what makes computers harder to repair and how you should go about choosing a more sustainable device.

What makes computers harder to repair

Using glue over screws

Screws were more commonly used for laptop and desktop computer assembly. This changed with the manufacturing process of gluing parts together instead of screws. Laptop screens are often glued together these days, which makes it impossible to replace only the display screen. With these glued together parts, it’s very easy to break the screen while replacing it.

Other parts that are assembled by glue would also take longer time to repair or replace. The repair technician would have to take the time to melt the glue to take out the faulty parts for repair.

For example, Apple iMac screens are mounted onto its frame using strong double sided tape which make repairs very difficult. This comes with a higher risk of damaging the screen as well. This is also the case for touch screen laptops with screwless designs. Generally “thin” spells out “difficult and expensive to fix”.

Soldering

Traditionally, computers were bulkier and heavier, and actually well made. These days they adopt more of a thinner design for convenience. Assembly of components has changed from “through-hole soldering” to “surface mount soldering” to accommodate for newer designs. This is so that manufacturers can squeeze more power into smaller computers.

With this type of assembly, the computer’s durability is sacrificed. This reduces its lifespan. Having said that, there are still some very durable computers out there in the market, like those that are built as business-grade laptops.

Thin parts and design

The thin designs of laptops and its components make them delicate and challenging to navigate through, when we’re taking out parts to repair. They require more experienced and careful hands to prevent breaking parts that are working normally while repairing the faulty parts.

Some models of laptops are also designed in a way that is very lightweight and convenient for travel. This kind of design then loses a great deal of repairability. Such models like the Surface Pro and Surface Book are often deemed impossible to fix. These models aren’t really made to be opened up, and require a lot of force that will inflict further damage to do so.

Replacement part accessibility across brands

Branded parts from Apple, Dell, and HP have universal part look-up systems with part numbers that you can refer to when ordering. There we can easily find the right part for the specific computer model that needs repairing. They can also be ordered directly from the brand manufacturer or from other suppliers as well.

Other brands might not be able to offer such convenience, namely Acer and Asus. Both brands don’t have universal part numbers for computer components. This way, you can’t readily search for the part that you need for your computer. It would take a little bit more digging around to find the right component. Without part numbers, you’ll have to inspect visually to make sure that you’ve got the right one.

Users of Acer and Asus laptops usually have less repair options than brands that offer more accessible replacement parts. However, it is common that technicians do not always look up parts by part number because searching by part number could limit your choices for parts in the market.

High cost replacement parts

The high cost of certain replacement parts can make the computer’s repair less accessible as well. The cost of these replacement parts can be from how much the brand marks them to be, or that the part is made more advanced and powerful than other alternatives.

Premium brands or models such as Apple, Dell XPS 13, Dell Latitude, Lenovo X1 are more expensive to purchase and more expensive to fix. Simply because they have more expensive components and higher specs parts. If you are prepared to fork out a few thousand dollars to buy a laptop, don’t expect a $100 bill to fix it.

Apple is known as a tech company that makes premium products that run on Apple’s specialised software and operating systems. With that said, replacement or upgrade parts that they make are also quite expensive.

Apple also makes their own proprietary parts and screws specific to only Apple devices. This makes things harder for a regular consumer who does not own the right screwdrivers or tools to fix their Apple laptops. The use of proprietary parts might also give the consumer less replacement or upgrade options for their Apple Mac laptops or desktop computers.

Laptops that come with higher capacity batteries that last more longer than regular ones will also cost more to replace. These batteries are often found in Apple MacBook Air, MacBook Pro laptops and Ultrabook laptops. If the laptop you’re looking at purchasing has a user-replaceable battery, this is a sign that it will be cheaper to replace the battery. This is because it’s simply a matter of sliding out the old battery in place of a new one, something that you can just do yourself.

How repairs are done and how the computer’s repairability affects this

Computer repairs usually go like this: We test to confirm a possible hardware failure, order replacement parts if needed, then repair and do final tests. This promises a thorough diagnosis and a sure solution to the problem detected. A computer’s repairability does play a large part in the process, as it determines how the repair should be tackled. With a lower repairability, more work might be needed to take out other parts of the computer to get to the part that needs fixing. Let’s see how the computer’s repairability affects each step in the repair process:

1. Initial testing

When a computer is not working properly and disrupts usual performance, this may be a sign of a hardware issue. You can then run diagnostics on the device to find out what’s causing these issues. Sometimes these tests involve taking out the part to test on a different desktop computer. If the laptop is not made to be easily opened by unscrewing bottom screws, the process will be more complicated.

Popular makes from Apple, Dell, HP, or Lenovo are often easier to diagnose for problems by yourself. Manufacturers provide built-in testing utilities, better part look-up systems and after-sales support. Replacement parts are also easily identified and sourced.

If it’s easier for you, it’ll be easier for a computer technician to do the testing too. Though we technicians have access to better tools, we still partially rely on support from manufacturers to test and order spare parts. While we at Safemode Computer Service provide free quick testing and free quotes, it is common that some repair shops don’t do the same. The more complicated the tests are, the more you’ll need to pay.

Learn how to test for common hardware failure such as your hard drive or motherboard in our guides.

2. Ordering parts

When parts are not easily found or identified, it makes finding a replacement a little more harder. Replacement parts that cannot be identified via a part number will need to be found by looking with our own eyes. It can be a real inconvenience if you miss something and receive the wrong part after ordering. In some situations, even the manufacturing brand cannot offer any part replacement solutions.

For brands that make their own proprietary parts or screws, it can also take time to source the right tools and parts needed. This is especially for some Apple Macbook laptops that use proprietary pentalobe screws and Apple-only components. You can’t use widely-owned screwdrivers or any other component for replacement repairs. Usually you’ll have to find the exact same component or other compatible alternatives.

3. Repairing or replacing computer parts

Earlier we’ve learnt that a computer’s design can affect how the repairs are done. When a computer is hard to open up, or its parts are less accessible for repair, its repairability is brought down.

Parts of a computer usually aren’t assembled in the same way or position in different models. Some parts are fit in different places compared to other laptops. Parts like the screen, keyboard, and motherboard are unique to every laptop model, and its assembly would also require specific methods. Some easier repairs like RAM and hard drive replacements are pretty straightforward, but can also differ depending on how the part is fixed on the device.

Parts that are glued or soldered on to the laptop are more tricky to deal with. They take more effort to take out, compared to parts that are fixed with screws. Specific tools are needed for these processes, which regular consumers may not even own.

Thin and delicate parts in particular, are also quite challenging to repair. For less experienced hands, one slip could break other parts of the computer. Things like glass screens or thin keyboards could complicate the repair process.

What to buy if you want higher computer repairability

If you’re thinking about keeping your computer for longer, look out for ones that give you better repairability. That way, even when a small component fails, you can repair it easily and might not even need to break the bank. You can look out for this with a computer’s model and design. Popular tech repair site ifixit also offers reviews for popular computer models, which includes repairability ratings.

Screw adhesives

Components that are fixed with simple screws are great for repairability. You won’t need proprietary screwdrivers or tools to take things out. This makes things easier for the regular consumer to fix things. Without soldering or glue, these parts can be taken out quite easily.

Pick something that opens up

Before we get to the components, we also should make sure that the laptop can be opened up fairly easily. Screws will also benefit you in this case. A straightforward opening process will definitely make things easier. If the laptop requires stronger force to open up, there’s a chance that you might also break something inside.

Clever designs

Certain models have clear designs that allow better accessibility and ease when repairing things. Relatively modular and flat designs let you get to a single part effortlessly. You won’t need to take out other components to get to it.

For keyboard repairs, certain laptop models that have a tiny gap surrounding the keyboard also have better repairability. This small gap usually indicates that the keyboard can be taken out from the top. Usual keyboard repairs involve opening up the laptop’s back cover, then taking out everything else to get to the keyboard. By being able to take out the keyboard from the top, we don’t have to go through such a hassle.

What not to buy if you want higher computer repairability

Sleek computer designs that complicate things

As we’ve covered, newer sleeker models often contain flimsy parts that are glued or soldered on. These travel-friendly laptops may seem flashy and all, but having a low repairability may make things very frustrating when something does start to fail. It might not be worth it if you can’t fix things on such an advanced machine.

This also includes specific parts like Apple’s butterfly keyboard, an advanced and thinner keyboard design. Its design makes for a thinner keyboard, where less space is needed as the keys move less when pressed. While it does seem like an improvement, it also comes with a lot of issues like key jamming and failure. Its thin design makes it more delicate, and assembly could also hurt other components like the motherboard.

Touchscreen laptops

Many laptops now come with touchscreen. If the touch function is not a must-have for you, we suggest that you opt for a non-touchscreen laptop instead. A laptop touchscreen is made of two parts, the LED screen that displays images and a touch panel that is sensitive to your fingers’ touch. It is common nowadays that the LED screen and the touch panel are glued together and cannot be separated. This contributes to higher costs to replace either part because you will have to pay for both parts, not just one.

Laptops that aren’t made to be opened up

Models like Microsoft’s Surface Laptops aren’t made to be opened with simple tools. You can only open it up with a great deal of force that might inflict more damage to the laptop. There are usually no repair options for Surface Laptops. Macbooks that use proprietary pentalobe screws may also prevent you from getting inside without the right tools needed.

A final word

Green computing is something we certainly support, and repairing our electronics is a sustainable practice. Computers that are easier to repair or upgrade can give you a longer life on the device. You can keep up or improve your computer’s performance along the line. This means you can keep it for a long time.

When you don’t want the computer anymore, its high repairability can also be good for the environment. As long as it is simple enough to disassemble, recycling the computer will be easier.

Got a question for us?

Our technicians at Safemode Computer Service are always happy to help! We can assist with any repair problems and advise you with your repairs. With highly rated services across Sydney, we can offer check ups and quotes for free instore (Ts & Cs apply). Come on down to our Enmore store today for a chat!

5 steps that will help you repair an Apple hard drive

Considered one of the Big Four technology companies, Apple is a widely known tech developer and manufacturer. They are most known for their wide range of consumer electronics, software, and online services. These include Macs, iPods, and macOS, among many others.

For most Apple laptop and desktop computer users, a failing hard disk drive (HDD) is one of the most common and annoying issues to come across. It can cause the device’s performance to slow down, or even crashes that lead to data loss.