Macbook only turns on when plugged in

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Macbook only turns on when plugged in

I have a 2015 13inch Macbook Air. Recently, my notebook will not operate unless it is plugged into the power source. According to my Mac's system report the battery condition is normal, and it is fully charged, however as soon as I unplug my device it turns off due to insufficient power. Has this happened to anyone else? And how did you fix it? I would really appreciate any help or tips as my nearest Apple store is a 6 hour drive away and taking it in to get fixed is really an absolute last resort.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 23, 2020 11:11 PM

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Answer 1

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John Galt

Level 10

141,634 points

Jun 24, 2020 8:20 AM in response to nialewis2

Please refer to If your Mac battery status is "Not Charging" - Apple Support and read all the links under "See also."

They don't provide much more than instructions to reset the SMC which you already tried, but sometimes multiple persistent attempts are required. If you decide additional attempts are futile, follow the instructions under Find how to service or repair your Mac.

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

141,634 points

Jun 24, 2020 5:29 AM in response to nialewis2

nialewis2 wrote:

Do you know why an SMC reset is supposed to fix the problem?

About the SMC

The system management controller is responsible for managing behaviors related to these features:

Power, including the power button and power to the USB ports
Battery and charging
...

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Answer 3

nialewis2 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 24, 2020 5:25 AM in response to John Galt

Hi John,

thank you for your comment. Unfortunately I have just tried this and my laptop still shuts down almost immediately after powering on unless I connect it to power. Do you know why an SMC reset is supposed to fix the problem?

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Answer 4

nialewis2 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 24, 2020 5:31 AM in response to John Galt

Hi John,

thanks for helping me to understand This component of the computer. It is unfortunate that this solution didn’t work for me. If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear, otherwise thanks very much for your time and willingness to help :)

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Answer 5

John Galt

Level 10

141,634 points

Jun 24, 2020 5:18 AM in response to nialewis2

An SMC Reset is justified for that problem: How to reset the SMC of your Mac

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Macbook only turns on when plugged in

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