Power Tip #7: Troubleshooting Startup Problems

Although I've found macs to be notoriously reliable, every once in a while you're bound to run into trouble, and most of this trouble occurs at startup, or soon after.

Thankfully, Apple has provided a couple ways to deal with most problems.

If your computer can't get past startup, the first thing to do is reset the PRAM, or perimeter random access memory. This stores things like the current date and time, and the default boot disk. This can be done by holding down "Command" "Option" "P" and "R." You can also check which boot disk your computer is trying to startup from by holding "Option" as the computer turns on. I know I've had problems after booting from external drives, then trying to start up without the previous drive connected.

If your computer still won't get past the white startup screen, now would be the time to try booting from another source. If you have your install disks that came with your computer, you can put disk number one in and boot by holding "C" as the computer starts up. Assuming this works, you should be able to use disk utility to take a look at the condition of your computer's internal hard disk and fix it if need be. Another thing you can try booting from is another mac that doesn't appear to be broken. This can be done with a firewire cable, and target disk mode. Target Disk Mode turns your computer into a big external drive. With this method, you'll want to connect the two computers with a firewire cable (while both are off), then start up the working one while holding "T"; if you do it right, a big icon should start bouncing around the screen. Next, start up your 'dead' computer while holding "Option" and when you're given the choice, choose to start from the other computer you're connected to. If you manage to start up successfully, try running disk utility to fix up your broken hard drive.

But what if you don't have another boot disk? Well, you can start up from the firmware/EFI (or memory that has rules for controlling fan speeds, etc.). If you have an Intel mac, this can be accessed by starting up while holding "Command" and "S." And for all you PowerPC users out there, hold down "Command" "Option" "O" and "F." From the command line interface you should meet yourself at, type the following, very carefully:

/sbin/fsck -f

And after that, type exit. Running fsck should fix up your hard disk nice and good.

But if your computer won't even turn on, just try unplugging your it, and leaving it for 15 minutes to a half hour. Then try turning it on. This problem stems from not using a functional power surge protector; your mac's internal circuit breaker (as I understand it) was tripped to prevent the excess electricity from burning out your RAM, processor, etc.

I can vouch for the effectiveness of this technique myself, and I can also vouch for the importance of a good surge protector.

And if none of these tips work, then head on down to your local Apple Store. Unless a part is physically broken, the people behind the Genius Bar will usually be happy to repair your mac for free.