What to do if MacBook won't boot past Apple logo

urgent! Mac stuck in Apple Logo interface? Solve the problem within 10 minutes and catch up with important meetings!

I have experienced this dilemma: an important Zoom meeting is about to begin, but my MacBook Pro is stuck in the Apple logo interface and can only anxiously ask the team for help on Slack. Fortunately, the problem was finally resolved in less than 10 minutes and I successfully caught up with the meeting. Hope this article helps you avoid similar hassles. Let's get started!

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Reasons why iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro gets stuck in Apple Logo

It is easy to panic when a Mac fails to boot. After all, if the screen is pitch black, how can I fix the MacBook stuck in the Apple Logo? Don't worry, there are always more ways than difficulties. Before giving a solution, let's first understand the common causes of the problem:

• Third-party peripherals: When encountering startup problems, you should first disconnect all peripherals except the power supply and network. Printer, mouse, USB-C adapter – any of which may cause the Mac to get stuck in the Apple Logo interface.
• Post-update problem: If you restart your Mac after a major macOS update, the problem is most likely in the update. Some applications or drivers may be incompatible with the new system, preventing the Mac from booting properly.
• Insufficient memory or storage: Your Mac may be warning – it’s time to clean it up. We will explain how to do it later.
• Power button problem: Usually the option "Shut down" or "Restart" should be selected through the Apple menu. Some people are used to pressing the power button directly, which is wrong! The power button is mainly used for forced restart. If it is frequently misused, it may cause startup problems.

Source: apple.com

Gradually fix MacBook stuck in Apple logo

While it's hard to accurately determine the reason why the Mac is frozen when booting, there are some ways to try to fix it. Here are some troubleshooting methods, please try one by one. There is always one for you to get your Mac to boot up smoothly.

Tip: You don't need to read all the steps after fixing the problem, but be sure to read Step 8 to learn how to protect your data in case of similar issues in the future.

1. Wait patiently

Sometimes it takes seconds, minutes, or even hours to boot up. For example, when installing macOS upgrade, it takes some time for the Mac to restart after the installation is completed. That's why Apple recommends making major updates after finishing work at night. In this case, there is no need to worry about the Mac being stuck in the Apple logo - it is not stuck, it just takes some time.

2. Force restart of Mac

If you wait for a while and still have no response - the progress bar doesn't seem to move - you need to force restart your Mac. Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds until the Mac is turned off. Wait for a few seconds, then press the power button again to restart your Mac.

3. Safe mode startup

Safe Mode boot can help resolve the issue if there is a file system problem or insufficient disk space for Mac. If Safe Mode is effective, be sure to investigate these issues after restarting your Mac.

Make sure the disk has at least 10GB of free storage space - you can check with iStat Menus with one-click. If there is insufficient space, run Smart Care scan with CleanMyMac and your Mac will immediately return to normal.

Safe mode startup method:

1. Press and hold the power button to turn off the Mac
2. Wait for a few seconds, then hold the power button and hold the Shift key at the same time
3. After seeing the login screen, release the Shift key.

Note: It may take some time for a Mac to restart in safe mode (usually a little longer than a regular restart).

4. Reset PRAM/NVRAM

PRAM and NVRAM are memory-related. It includes volume, display resolution, time zone, etc. If there is a problem with the memory settings of the Mac, it may cause the Mac to fail to load into the Apple Logo interface. How to reset PRAM/NVRAM settings:

1. Turn off Mac
2. Press and hold the Command Option PR key until you hear the startup sound
3. Release the button and try restarting the Mac
4. If your Mac restarts successfully, remember to adjust the sound and display preferences after resetting to the default.

5. Reset SMC

Check if your problem is related to SMC – the system management controller is responsible for power, fan and battery.

For Macs with non-removable batteries (MacBook Air/Pro released in 2009 or later):

1. Press and hold the power button to turn off the Mac
2. Press and hold the Command Shift Control key for about 10 seconds
3. Press and hold the Command Shift Control power button for another 10 seconds
4. After a few seconds, turn on your Mac.

For Macs with removable batteries (iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Air/Pro released before 2009):

1. If the Mac Mini or iMac fails to boot into the Apple Logo interface, turn it off and remove the battery
2. Press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds and reinstall the battery
3. Press the power button to turn on the Mac.

6. Run Disk Utility on disk in recovery mode

So far, we've found that you're likely to have hardware problems. Your disk permissions may be corrupted, or there are other problems with the disk. Let's try to fix it:

1. Press the power button and press the Command R key at the same time to enter recovery mode
2. Apple logo will pop up, followed by the macOS utility window
3. Click Disk Utility and select your main drive
4. Then click "First Aid" and confirm your operation in the new dialog window.

7. Run Apple Diagnostics

If your Mac still doesn't boot properly, you should use the Apple Diagnostics tool to scan for other hardware issues. The method is as follows:

1. Disconnect all connections to your Mac (except power and network)
2. Press and hold the power button to turn off the Mac
3. Restart, then hold down the D key until you see the Select Language Screen
4. Then you will see a progress bar that says "Checking Your Mac"
5. Once done, you will see a list of issues with error codes
6. Take a photo to investigate these issues later and restart your computer.

8. Recover lost data and take measures to prevent this from happening in the future

Hopefully freezing on Mac boot won't corrupt any files stored on your Mac. But even if this happens, there is no need to worry. Disk Drill can help you get all your data back.

Disk Drill is an excellent Mac utility that can recover any files that have been accidentally deleted or lost due to software or hardware issues. Not only that! It can also clean your drive, find duplicates, extract data from Time Machine backups, and more.

How to recover deleted or lost data using Disk Drill:

1. Open the application and click "Storage Device" under "Data Recovery" on the left sidebar
2. Select your drive > Search for lost data
3. Once the scan is complete, click "Restore All" or "View Found items" (if you want to view them before restoring).

To prevent future data loss, use the Get Backup Pro application to back up the files you really care about. Unlike Time Machine, it doesn't require you to back up the entire drive and does not take up a lot of storage space by creating backup copies.

If you are worried about insufficient disk space (because you already have insufficient space), use CleanMyMac. In fact, use CleanMyMac anyway. It is a smart and easy Mac maintenance app for any Mac situation: it can delete all junk files, system files, and duplicate files from the drive, ultimately helping you avoid issues like "MacBook Pro gets stuck in Apple Logo and Rotating Wheel".

in conclusion

Mac boot problems can be caused by a variety of reasons. So if you say "My Mac Mini can't boot to the Apple Logo interface", "My MacBook Air is stuck on the startup screen", or "My iMac can't boot to the Apple Logo interface", honestly, no one can tell you why. That being said, Apple computers are very stable, and even if these problems arise, you are likely to solve them yourself.

CleanMyMac, Disk Drill, iStat Menus, and Get Backup Pro can help you make sure that as few such problems occur as possible—if they do. All of these apps are available in Setapp subscriptions and are free to try during the 7-day trial period, so you can try all the apps and experience them yourself.

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