Does not start up

Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
My MacBook Pro doesn't start. I turn it on, it goes loads for a bit, then goes black after displaying a progress bar below the spinny loading thing(not the beachball, the other one) which goes to one pixel before giving up . Help please.how do i get it to start and run normally?
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
You need to let us know the following before we can help you further:

1. What exact MacBook Pro model do you have?

2. What exact Mac OS are you using?

3. For that Mac OS, how did you "get to it"? That is, did you just upgrade "in place"? And, what Mac OS were you previously using?

4. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs?

5. Are you making backups to an external device? And if so, what software are you using for that?

It "sounds" like the directory for you internal drive is somewhat "hosed", and that the necessary "pieces" for starting up your machine are somehow "hidden". That can be fixed by software, but it is still necessary for you to answer all those questions.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
1 i dont know, serial number c1mnckdfty3 if that helps

2 i dont know

3 i upgraded in my house. I dont know the precious one.

4 there was a hard drive problem which i took to get repaired.

5 i hace never backed it up ( i think)
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
1 i dont know, serial number c1mnckdfty3 if that helps

2 i dont know

3 i upgraded in my house. I dont know the precious one.

4 there was a hard drive problem which i took to get repaired.

5 i hace never backed it up ( i think)

For #1 and #2, click on black Apple icon in the upper left hand corner. YOu'll then be presented with a menu of items, the first one being "About This Mac". Click on it, and it will tell you what OS you are using. There is a also a Mac model "name" there, but that is not enough. So, on that screen, click on "System Report". On the next screen, you'll see an entry for "Model Identifier". That is what we need.

You can upgrade "at your house", whether you do an upgrade in place, ie, basically "lay the new OS over the old one", or do an Erase and Format of your internal drive, and then a clean, "Virgin" installation of the new OS. But, you need a backup to do that.

Even though you got the hard drive "repaired", I suspect it still needs a good "cleaning", ie, disk cleanup, maintenance, and repairs. But again, you'll need a backup before you do that.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
There is no button. I did an in place installation, and i meant replaced. Coincidentally, this problem cropped up shortly after the warranty ended.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
There is no button. I did an in place installation, and i meant replaced. Coincidentally, this problem cropped up shortly after the warranty ended.

What do mean, there is no button? I did not use that word at all in my reply above.

Do you see the black Apple icon/symbol in the extreme upper left hand corner of your screen? That is what you need to click ob first.

Also, is this the only OS upgrade you have done? If not, and all prior ones were done "in place", and without doing any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, such a series of events leads to disaster.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
The icon you speak of is not there. They have probably all been done in place. Does that mean i am fucked?
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
The icon you speak of is not there. They have probably all been done in place. Does that mean i am fucked?

What do you specifically see on the top row, left side, of your screen in the Finder? You should see the following standard "items", from left to right:

Black Apple icon/symbol
File
Edit
View
Go
Window
Help

For any application you use, there should always be that same black Apple icon/symbol in the extreme upper left hand corner. If that symbol os nowhere, then something is amiss.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
The problem is,i cant even get to finder. I cant even log on. I turn it on, it loads, then it stops. I dont even enter my password.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
The problem is,i cant even get to finder. I cant even log on. I turn it on, it loads, then it stops. I dont even enter my password.

Oops! Sorry about that, as you stated that earlier.

How are you making posts on these forums? Are you using another Mac? If so, what is its model number, OS you are using, etc.?

Also, there is another way of getting the model number for your MacBook Pro. With the machine turned off, flip it over. On the top center of the location near the "hinge", you'll see some small writing. You can get the model number designation from there. For example, doing that for my mid 2013 13" MacBook Air shows the model "numbers" A1466 and EMC 2632. You might want to try that.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
OK, as long as both machines have either a Thunderbolt port or Firewire 800 ports, you'll be able to boot your Mac in Target Disk Mode. This link describes what that is all about:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201462

What basically happens is that your machine's internal hard drive will appear on the desktop of the other Mac, and thus the software tools available on that other Mac can be used to perform disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs on your hard drive. While Disk Utility is OK for most of that, having a more robust disk maintenance program like TechTool Pro or Disk Warrior would be better.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
Given that you cannot get to the Finder on your machine, please understand that without any kind of backup, there is (possibly) good amount of risk in doing that stuff above. There is the possibility that once you boot your machine in Target Disk Mode, you could then first make a backup of your drive (on that other machine';s desktop) to an external drive.
 
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Im not worried too much about losing data as there was not much time to put anything on there before it broke.
 
Joined
Sep 17, 2014
Messages
4,854
Reaction score
241
OK, that's fine. Hope both of you know what to do regarding the analysis of what is on your internal drive, and how to repair it.
 
Joined
Feb 4, 2017
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
My MacBook Pro doesn't start. I turn it on, it goes loads for a bit, then goes black after displaying a progress bar below the spinny loading thing(not the beachball, the other one) which goes to one pixel before giving up . Help please.how do i get it to start and run normally?

Try a Power Cycle

Performing a power cycle could be the solution you're looking for if you're Mac is frozen. By pulling the plug, you'll force it to restart, and the solution could be as easy as that. If you have a modern Mac that doesn't come with a removable battery, press the power button for ten seconds.

This will cut the power if you Mac has power. If your Mac does have a removable battery, turn it off and take out the battery. Leave the battery out for about 10 seconds or so.

Reset The PRAM & SMC
SMC stands for System Management Controller. It's what manages your Mac's power, lights, fans, display and more. If you Have a Mac without a removable battery you can try the following steps:

  1. Turn off your Mac
  2. Plug in the MagSafe to a power source of also making sure it's connected to your Mac as well.
  3. Using the built-in keyboard, press the Shift + Control +option keys and the power button simultaneously.
  4. Let go of all the buttons at the same time
  5. Turn on your Mac as usual
If your Mac does have a removable battery then try:

  1. Unplug the MagSafe power adapter from your computer and remove the battery
  2. Long-press the power button for five seconds and let go
  3. Reconnect the MagSafe power adapter and the battery
  4. Turn on your Mac as usual
To reset the PRAM, turn on your Mac and as soon as you hear the chime at startup hold down the Command + Option + P + R keys. Keep pressing these keys until your Mac restarts a second time. If you have a modern Mac, you could also reset the NVRAM, which is done the same way as PRAM. https://howtosimply.com/mac-wont-start-try-useful-tips-1932/
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Top