iMac Won't Turn on | Why and How to Fix

Your iMac won't turn on after pressing the power button. Are you musing about what to do now? Every Mac computer might have booting issues after a few years of use. For example, the iMac won't boot past the apple logo. It means you could notice iMac stuck on the apple logo with a spinning wheel or a loading bar; then it shuts down completely. Because of this issue, you can't access files preserved on the iMac.

On the other hand, your iMac may possess a severe hardware issue; therefore, you might require expert help to get rid of this asap. If you're worried about why your iMac isn't turning on, or iMac won't boot past the apple logo, it causes due to software incompatibility and file system corruption.

Several ways exist to solve this "iMac won't turn on" issue. Therefore, in today's article, we will discuss the top 5 methods to eliminate this issue and introduce the best data recovery software after iMac's sudden freezing. Let's get started!

Ways to Fix the iMac Won't Turn on

Are you looking for potential reasons for iMac won't turn on? The methods we will describe are based on your iMac's unresponsiveness level. However, those iMacs with zero power could be easily fixed, and the slightly responsive computers with fan spin noise might pose more challenging problems than the logic board.

As your iMac won't boot past apple logo and gets stuck on its loading screen, these are the below-mentioned fixes to solve this error without compromising your data security.

Method 1. Restart Your iMac

The simplest approach to restart an iMac may be to select a few options from the panels accessible from almost every display on an iMac. To reboot your iMac, adhere to the procedures listed below:

Step 1. Hit the Apple menu on the top left edge of your iMac screen. Once done, hit the "Restart" button.

Step 2. When signing back in, make sure the option next to Reopen windows needs to be checked if you want all of your applications and files to reopen after the reboot.

Step 3. To initiate the reboot, either choose Restart or wait for the countdown to end.

Method 2. Boot Mac into Safe Mode

Consider starting your iMac in Mac Safe Mode to more quickly determine what's incorrect when your iMac won't restart. A safe boot on a Mac will scan your initial drive and fix any file system issues.

A secure boot can deactivate all login items and shift pointless caches to the Trash bin. The iMac won't boot past the Apple logo issue and will be straightforward to resolve as a result of the separation of other relevant apps. However, follow the steps below to boot your iMac into safe mode:

Step 1. Keep pressing the power button of your iMac to shut the device down entirely.

Step 2. Restart your iMac by pressing the "Shift" key.

Step 3. Once you notice the loading bar, release that shift key.

Method 3. Force Quit Unresponsive Apps on iMac

Forcing your iMac to quit unresponsive applications might solve iMac won't turn on issue. You may force quit on Mac with the shortcuts, and the relevant steps are given below:

Step 1. You need to hold the "Command + Option + Esc" together on the iMac keyboard, and it will quickly introduce the "Force Quit Application" window.

Step 2. Opt for "Force Quit" after choosing the frozen app available in the dialogue box.

Method 4. Free up iMac's Disk Space

Emptying the Trash on an iMac is the best way to free up its disk space. Many folks start and finish their hard drive cleaning by discarding the trash. On an iMac, the file you right-click and drag to the Trash still needs to be removed.

Without software or configuration automatically emptying your trash regularly, its contents would accumulate over time and occupy a significant amount of space. Thankfully, getting extra hard drive space is no longer an issue because erasing all this stuff only requires a few clicks. Follow the steps below:

Step 1. You need to right-click on Trash on your iMac.

Step 2. Hit the "Empty Trash" option.

Method 5. Reinstall iMac in Recovery Mode

iMac recovery mode is a built-in retrieval system on your system. Whenever the issue of "iMac won't boot past apple logo" occurs, it lets you resolve this issue and make it start again. Follow the steps below to reinstall iMac into recovery mode:

Step 1. Shut down your iMac by long pressing its power button.

Step 2. Restart it, quickly press the Command + R keys together, and release them once you notice the Apple logo on the screen.

How to Recover Data After iMac Sudden Freezing

You may get shivers down their spines due to the iMac's unexpected stalling and unresponsiveness. You might immediately start to worry about losing important files. Certain data and files may be lost if the iMac is not responding. As consumers should safeguard the privacy of their information, a specific data recovery program may be useful for iMac users.

Therefore, you can download a robust data recovery tool EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It was developed to help with data recovery after file system errors, system failures, and unintentional file deletions. The software's user-friendly UI makes it possible for even beginners to retrieve files rapidly.

• With the assistance of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, difficult data loss situations can be resolved, and pictures, video content, music tracks, documents, and emails are applicable file types.
• Data and files can be retrieved from Mac-based devices like SSD, HDD, fusion drives, memory cards, Time Machine backup drives, USB drives, cameras, and more.
• Despite not having a Time Machine backup, 79% of Apple users installed it to restore erased files on Macs.

Understandably, losing data is highly annoying if it occurs without a backup. If you accidentally lost all the data in your iMac, you can get those back through a professional data recovery platform, EaseUS. In the new version of EaseUS, you can obtain the following features:

• Enhanced retrieval quality of NTFS file system.
• Incorporated the Video Repair function: it can repair corrupted video on Mac.
• Added the capability of ignoring problematic areas, and recovering SD cards with bad sectors Mac.

So, download this professional data recovery software for Mac and try out the following steps now!

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Software in Recovery Mode

Select "Utilities > Terminal" from the top menu, and enter the command sh <(curl https://d3.easeus.com/mac/boot.sh). Hit "Return". Wait for the application to open, and it will take several minutes.

Note: If the Terminal displays either "No such file or directory" or "Could not resolve host," you should verify that the command line you entered is correctly spelled, ensure your Mac has a stable internet connection, and confirm that your macOS version is not lower than macOS 10.15.

Step 2. Select the Volume on Your Mac Hard Drive

Select the volume where your lost data is stored, and click "Search for lost files". The EaseUS software will quickly locate all the recoverable data on the selected volume.

Step 3. Choose the Lost Data You Want

EaseUS software categorizes the scanned recoverable data by file type and storage path. Find the data you want by clicking "Type" or "Path" in the left panel. Then, check the boxes in front of the data you want to recover.

Step 4. Recover and Save Data on an External Disk

Click the "Recover" button, and a pop-up window will show up saying, "Please select a target location to save". Choose the external disk as the new storage location of your recovered data.

Final Thoughts

In order to understand more about why the iMac won't turn on or the iMac won't boot past the apple logo, let's get into how the iMac starts. Whenever your iMac is restarting or rebooting, it verifies different hardware connections. After that, it crosschecks if the CPU, GPU, RAM, and hard disk are in working condition.

The iMac installs the starting hard disk and its system partition after ensuring these specifications are accurate. The Apple logo and a loading bar on the iMac screen may be seen when the starting hard disk is identified.

The Mac loads up if the macOS takes over all software and hardware components. The iMac will only boot past the Apple logo if the system can retrieve the necessary macOS data or if the macOS keeps track of some applications. Hence, the unresponsiveness of the iMac stems from file system damage and software mismatch.

If your iMac's files get deleted, it would be better to download a professional data retrieval software, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

iMac Won't Turn on FAQs

Follow the FAQs mentioned below to understand the iMac Won't Turn on issue better:

1. How do you force restart an unresponsive iMac?

You need to press and hold down the iMac's power button for approximately 10 seconds until you notice the startup options panel. It will include a gear icon labeled options. After that, you must opt for Options and hit the continue button.

2. How do I reset an unresponsive iMac?

• If your Mac keeps rebooting or is frozen on the screen, follow the steps below:
• Hold down the power button on your Mac for a maximum of ten seconds until it goes off.
• Reactivate your Mac.
• If the problem continues, hold the power button until your iMac shuts down.
• Restart your iMac.

3. How do I force my iMac to turn on?

Like FAQ 1, you must press and hold the iMac's power button for 10 seconds. After that, you must press and release the power button and quickly hit and hold the Command + R to notice an Apple logo.

4. Why is my iMac unresponsive?

Limited RAM or storage capacity is the most common cause of a sluggish Mac. Rarely, hardware failure occurs, but more often than not, it is caused by many things operating simultaneously. Another potential cause for Mac's slowness is clashing programs.