In this article, we explain what to do if your Mac won’t turn on after macOS Ventura update. Find out why your MacBook isn’t turning on after macOS Ventura update and how to fix the problem.
Many Mac users complained about not being able to boot up their devices after installing macOS Ventura. Ending up with a bricked device after installing the latest OS updates is not fun. If you’re experiencing similar problems, make sure your Mac is fully powered. Unfortunately, resetting SMC and NVRAM, and booting into Safe Mode or Recovery Mode doesn’t work. To fix the problem of Mac not turning on after macOS Ventura update, check the steps below.
There are lots of reasons why you might find that your Mac won’t turn on after macOS Ventura update, or your MacBook won’t start up, but you probably just want to get it working again. We’ll run through the various checks and changes to make to get your Mac to boot up to you can start using it again.
Read on for some simple tips that should get your Mac working, from the obvious stuff like checking the power connection to reviving your device. And if your Mac really is dead, we’ll also tell you where to turn next.
First, let’s find out if the problem is that your Mac won’t start up, or that it won’t turn on – those might sound like the same thing, but there’s actually a big difference.
Press the Power button on your Mac. If you don’t hear a startup chime, you don’t hear any fan or drive noise, and there are no images, video, or visuals of any sort on your display, then your Mac isn’t turning on at all. You’re not even getting to the point where it refuses to start up.
What to Do if Your Mac Won’t Boot Up After Installing macOS Ventura
A Mac that doesn’t turn on calls for a different approach to one that doesn’t start up. If your MacBook or iMac doesn’t turn on after macOS Ventura update then you need to do the following:
Check your power connection
Don’t be the cliché: check that the power is on and the Mac is plugged in correctly. Or if it’s a laptop, be sure that the battery isn’t dead – and if it needs charging give it a while to attempt to charge before concluding that it isn’t going to work.
Try a different power cable or adapter
It may be that the fault resides with the power cable. If you’ve got a friend with a Mac power cable that fits your machine, try it to see if that solves the problem. If it does, it could be a simple fix that involves finding a secondhand power cable on eBay (although we advise against buying third-party power cables that aren’t made by Apple, as they are much more likely to be faulty and possibly dangerous).
If you recently had a power cut, that could be responsible: your power adaptor could have been damaged in a power surge and you may need a new one.
Finally, it’s possible that the cable is loose, and pulling it out and plugging it in again will solve the problem. But we doubt it will be that easy.
Disconnect all accessories
Unplug all the accessories (such as printers and USB hubs) attached to your Mac. It could be that one of your peripherals is causing problems with the startup sequence.
If you recently installed new RAM or a new hard drive, make sure they are correctly installed and compatible. (If possible, reinstall the old memory or hard drive and see if that helps.)
If none of those steps work then it’s time to move onto the next solution.
Perform a Power Cycle
If you aren’t hearing any signs of life, you could perform a power cycle, which involves forcing your Mac to restart after killing the power to it.
On a MacBook you need to hold down the power key for ten seconds. You’ll usually hear a squeak as the Mac’s power is forcibly cut. Hopefully after waiting ten seconds and restarting, all will be well.
If your Mac is a desktop you will need to unplug it and leave it unplugged for at least ten seconds before plugging it back in and attempting to restart.
For M1 Macs if you press and hold the Power button you would eventually see Loading startup options – assuming the Mac was working properly. If pressing and holding the power button does allow you to access the startup options then you can run through those options below to get your Mac up and running. We discuss this below. We also discuss how to revive your M1 Mac using a second Mac and the Configurator app below.
If performing a power cycle on your Mac doesn’t help, or if pressing the Power button on the M1 Mac doesn’t open the start up options, there are a few other simple things to try out before moving on to the more complicated steps.
Check your display
If you’re using a desktop Mac such as a Mac Pro or Mac mini this could apply to you. If you don’t have a separate display plugged in you can skip this step.
You could have a problem with the display you have plugged in, rather than the Mac itself. Have a listen to your Mac to see if it’s making any sounds during boot-up.
It is possible that your Mac does turn on, but doesn’t boot up because it can’t access the display – if that’s the case you are most likely having trouble with the display hardware (rather than a broader startup issue).
If your display isn’t working the advice is to:
- Check the power supply to the Mac (and the power to the display if using a separate unit).
- Confirm that all cables are connected securely.
- Remove all display extenders and switches, and any other devices between the Mac and monitor.
- Unplug the video cable (if using a separate monitor) and plug it back in.
- If using more than one monitor in a ‘daisy chain’, unplug all monitors and test using just one.
- If possible, try to use a different display, or a different adapter (use DVI instead of VGA, for example).
- Apple also advises adjusting the screen resolution in System Preferences.
Revive Your Mac
Check if you can revive your Mac. Basically, you need to update the firmware on the Apple T2 Security Chip. Rest assured, data stored on the startup volume or any other volumes won’t be affected.
To revive your Mac, you need:
- Internet access
- The latest Apple Configurator 2 version installed on a second MacBook running macOS 10.15.6 (macOS Catalina) or later
- An original USB-C to USB-C charge cable
If you don’t have a second machine running macOS Catalina or newer, go to an Apple Store and have Apple’s experts revive the chip for you.
How to Revive Your Mac
- Use a USB-C cable to connect the two macOS computers.
- Go to the Applications folder and launch Apple Configurator 2.
- Then restart the bricked Mac using a special key sequence: press and hold down the Power button for one second, then press and hold down the right Shift key, left Control key, and left Option key. Hold all four keys down for ten seconds. Note: The Apple logo should briefly appear on the screen while you’re holding down the four keys.
- The DFU Mode window should pop up on the screen of the functional Mac.
- Right-click on DFU Mode, and select Advanced.
- Select Revive device to bring the dead Mac back to life.
- Wait until the Apple Configurator downloads and install the chip firmware (bridgeOS) from Apple’s servers.
The process shouldn’t take more than five minutes to complete. If the revive method doesn’t work, select the Restore option when prompted. This will reinstall bridgeOS and erase your drive. Select this option only if the revive process doesn’t work and your Mac is still dead.
Make a Genius Bar appointment
If you’ve made it this far and your Mac still doesn’t turn on, you’ll need to take it to an Apple Genius Bar to see if they can help you fix it (or arrange for a repair under warranty). Hopefully you have got enough data from your Mac so as to be able to back up, or continue working on a new Mac.
Conclusion
If your MacBook won’t turn on after installing macOS Ventura, revive your chip using the Apple Configurator. Use a USB-C cable to connect the bricked device to a fully functional macOS device. Then, enter DFU Mode and select the “Revive device” option.
Have you ever experienced similar issues after upgrading to the latest macOS version? Did you manage to solve the problem by yourself or did you have to visit your local Apple Store? Let us know in the comments below.
See also: Common Problems with macOS Ventura: Here’s How to Fix Them
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