A Mac that won’t start up is stressful enough without wondering whether your photos, documents and work are still there. On Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4 and later), the way data is stored also changes what is and isn’t possible when things go wrong. Here’s what you can safely try, what to avoid, and how the data is recovered.
Safe things to try first
- Check the power. Try a different cable, charger and socket. A laptop with a completely flat battery may need half an hour on charge before it shows any sign of life.
- Look for signs of life: a chime, the keyboard backlight, the Apple logo, or a progress bar. Write down exactly what you see. It helps with the diagnosis.
- Startup Options: on an Apple Silicon Mac, shut down, then press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears. From there you can try Safe Mode by holding Shift while clicking Continue.
What to avoid
Don’t erase the disk or reinstall macOS from Recovery unless you already have a complete backup. Disk Utility’s “Erase” and some reinstall options permanently wipe the data, and on encrypted Apple storage it cannot be undone.
- Don’t run First Aid repeatedly on a disk that is reporting errors. Each pass writes to the disk.
- Don’t use DFU restore (Apple Configurator) on a Mac whose data you need. A “restore” erases the internal storage. A “revive” is designed to keep data, but it’s easy to choose the wrong option.
- If the Mac has been dropped or got wet, don’t keep trying to start it.
Why Apple Silicon Macs are different
On Apple Silicon Macs (and Intel Macs with the T2 chip), the storage is soldered to the logic board and every file is encrypted with keys held in the Mac’s own Secure Enclave. Even if the memory chips are removed, the data on them can’t be read anywhere else.
So recovering data from a modern Mac means getting the original logic board working, at least far enough to start up and copy the data off. If the fault is in the power circuitry, a failed component or liquid damage, it can often be repaired at component level. That’s why a Mac with dead internal storage should go to a lab that does board-level work, not just one that reads drives.
FileVault adds another layer. You’ll need your login password or recovery key to unlock the data once the Mac is running, so find it before you send the Mac in.
Older Macs
Older Intel MacBooks, iMacs and Mac minis with a removable hard drive or SSD can usually be recovered in the traditional way: the drive is removed and read directly. If you have an older Mac that won’t start, there’s a good chance the data is fine.
Getting your files back
We recover data from every type of Mac, from the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models to iMacs and Mac minis. Read more about Mac data recovery, or call 020 7394 2529 for a free consultation before you try anything that might erase the disk.