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Apple Hardware Diagnostics Not Loading

Hey everyone,


I've been trying to use Apple Hardware Test to diagnose my fan not turning on/ overheating on my mbp (I have macs fan control that's how I know it's not turning on but the fan will turn on manually) and AHT seems to not be working.


When the computer shuts off after holding cmd-d I see the apple logo and a boot status bar like it's booting up normally. After the bar finishes on the right side of the screen, the screen goes black for a few seconds, and the computer boots up and doesn't run any diagnostics.


I've already tried an SMC reset and that didn't help. Does anyone know how to fix this issue?


Device info:

MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020)

8GB Memory

256GB

Posted on Sep 20, 2022 8:32 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 20, 2022 9:57 PM

To start, let's clarify a few things to make sure we are on the "same page."


  • Apple Diagnostics, not the Apple Hardware Test, is used with Macs since mid-2013. Not a biggie, but an important distinction yet. Regardless, <cmd><D> is still used to invoke it.
  • The M1 Macs do not have an SMC, nor NVRAM, so there is no method to reset them.
  • According to Macs Fan Control, their latest version of their app works with the 2021 MacBook Pro models. I couldn't verify that it works with your 2020 model.


Ref:

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2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 20, 2022 9:57 PM in response to jkoliha21

To start, let's clarify a few things to make sure we are on the "same page."


  • Apple Diagnostics, not the Apple Hardware Test, is used with Macs since mid-2013. Not a biggie, but an important distinction yet. Regardless, <cmd><D> is still used to invoke it.
  • The M1 Macs do not have an SMC, nor NVRAM, so there is no method to reset them.
  • According to Macs Fan Control, their latest version of their app works with the 2021 MacBook Pro models. I couldn't verify that it works with your 2020 model.


Ref:

Sep 21, 2022 5:44 PM in response to jkoliha21

Also, you must boot the M1 Mac by holding the power button down until you get the menu. Then at the menu hold Command + D until it begins to boot (or reboot) to the Apple Diagnostics (no idea why it cannot have its own menu option or why they have to stray from the Intel keys). You do need a good Internet connection for the Apple Diagnostics.


FYI, some Apple Silicon Macs may not have a fan (I forget which model does not have a fan, but I think the Pros do have a fan). Also it would not surprise me that a macOS update may have broken a third party app like MacsFanControl even if the laptop is nomally supported. I'm not sure whether it is possible to adjust the fan speed of Apple Silicon Macs. I don't believe I have tried MacsFanControl on a Silicon Mac yet.


Is the Mac being managed by a school or business? If so, then maybe the Mac is configured to to restrict special boot options.


It is possible you may need to "Revive" the firmware or perhaps even "Restore" the firmware (the latter is data destructive). I would make sure to have a good backup before even attempting the "Revive" option. The Apple documentation doesn't mention anything about the Apple Diagnostics, but the diagnostics are similar to recovery mode as it leverages the same framework and it is sort of a boot issue. This is one thing Apple will likely do themselves if they examine the laptop. I've seen a lot of odd quirky behaviour with all of the Apple USB-C Macs.

Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator - Apple Support


You can always take the laptop to an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to be examined so they can run their service diagnostics.


Apple Hardware Diagnostics Not Loading

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