MacBook Air Won't Boot Up

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MacBook Air Won't Boot Up

I have an original Mac Air and today is just locked up and shut down. On trying to start up again is starts as normal, with apple start up sound and apple icon comes up - then the spinning thinker comes up and it does not progress from that point, then shuts down. I have tryed PRAM reset - no response. If I hold down Option it brings up the start up disk and I can select it - but same result.

Anything further I can try - or is it time for a new one? I have backed up in recent weeks - but is remainder potentially lost?

Thanks for any help on offer!

MacAir 2007, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 8, 2011 1:07 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

(n_n)

Level 2

355 points

Jan 8, 2011 2:48 AM in response to AussiBrowny

Hi,

From the manual:

If your MacBook Air doesn’t turn on or start up
Try the following suggestions in order until your computer turns on:
Â Make sure the power adapter is plugged into the computer and into a functioning power outlet. Be sure to use the 45W MagSafe Power Adapter that came with your MacBook Air. If the power adapter stops charging and you don’t see the indicator light on the power adapter turn on when you plug in the power cord, try unplugging and replugging the power cord to reseat it.
Â Check whether the battery needs to be recharged. If the light on the power adapter glows amber, the battery is charging. See “Running Your MacBook Air on Battery Power” on page 34.
Â If the problem persists, return the computer to its factory settings by pressing the left Shift key, left Option (alt) key, left Control key, and the power (®) button simultaneously for five seconds.
Â Press and release the power (®) button and immediately hold down the Command (x), Option, P, and R keys simultaneously until you hear the startup sound a second time. This resets the parameter RAM (PRAM).

If the problem persists, run hardware test:

To use Apple Hardware Test on your MacBook Air:
Disconnect all external devices from your computer except the power adapter. Restart your MacBook Air while holding down the D key.
When the Apple Hardware Test chooser screen appears, select the language for your location.
Press the Return key or click the right arrow button.
When the Apple Hardware Test main screen appears (after about 45 seconds), follow the onscreen instructions.
If Apple Hardware Test detects a problem, it displays an error code. Make a note of the error code before pursuing support options. If Apple Hardware Test doesn’t detect a hardware failure, the problem may be software related.

If there is an error in your hardware test, I think it's time to contact apple.

Cheers.

P.S the user manual is under your HOME folder, user guide and information, MBA users guide.

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Answer 2

AussiBrowny Author

Level 1

0 points

Jan 8, 2011 2:27 PM in response to (n_n)

Thanks. Looks like it's off to the apple store!

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Answer 3

dtsteele

Level 1

12 points

Feb 4, 2011 5:18 PM in response to AussiBrowny

I'm having some similar problems with my new 11" MBA. It's been working fine but this morning when I opened the lid to wake it, I got an unexpected boot up and it gets to the Apple logo and then boots again over and over. I've run the hardware test with no issues, zapped the pram, held the power key for extended periods, all with the same results. I'll go to Apple Care in the morning but would appreciate any tips & suggestions meanwhile.

Thanks, Dale

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Answer 4

slyguy_28

Level 2

187 points

Feb 5, 2011 5:26 AM in response to dtsteele

Apple Care is expensive, but using it is much easier. Otherwise, it's straight to Apple I'd go...
Sly

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Answer 5

materolo

Level 1

0 points

Feb 6, 2011 9:02 AM in response to AussiBrowny

My dad has the same problem, but we live in Chile and it costs 30 dolars to take it to a revision at the resseler.

I belive that if all of us had this problem, it is a thing that apple made for us to update to Snow leopard, cause it is obvious that it is a software problem (maybe apple has an automatic restorage after X time for us to buy the update)

Greetings and please answer, cause we dont wanna spend that money in a checking.

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Answer 6

materolo

Level 1

0 points

Feb 10, 2011 8:52 AM in response to AussiBrowny

Hi again.

We went with to the store and they checked the MBA, and they gave an answer today saying that the motherboard died.

We started researching with my dad and we found on a forum that Apple programs their product to automatically fail in a time lapse of 2 years.

We are trying to make this have a low cost, cause if we repair de MBA it will cost 800 dollars.

Greetings from Chile.

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Answer 7

Mar 19, 2011 7:44 AM in response to (n_n)

I'm having the same problem, but none of the solutions offered by (n_n) work. Any other thoughts other than going to the Apple Store?

Thanks.

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Answer 8

Mar 23, 2011 7:20 AM in response to pete.purvis

The hard dive had bit the dust. Found that out @ the Genius Bar.

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Answer 9

lemmich

Level 1

0 points

Aug 14, 2011 11:56 PM in response to AussiBrowny

I came across this thread because my 1st gen. Macbook Air went into a coma after an hour of heavy OS X Lion use...

After having tried all the recommended suggestions above, including PRAM and battery reset, my MBA still wasn't starting up, no matter how long I left it spinning with the grey background and Apple logo.

Eventually I booted with the Option-key (alt) down. In Lion, a part of the harddisk is reserved for recovery, so I was able to boot from that. This gave me a range of options, incl. re-installation of the OS, back-up from Time Machine, and Disk Repair.

Initially my old-school logic thought I needed the original MBA CD's to re-install, but after 30 attempts of re-booting, I clicked "re-install OS X Lion" in desperation... To my surprise, all Lion requires is a Wi-Fi connection, which it easily found. After a quick Apple-ID identification, I left the system to download and install overnight. This morning I woke up to Mac EXACTLY as I had left it when it went into a coma...

Greatful for the illogical simplicity of the solution, I thought I would share it here, in case others like me are struggling to find a straight answer to the same OS X Lion issue!

- lemmich

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Answer 10

lukisek

Level 1

0 points

Sep 11, 2011 9:27 AM in response to AussiBrowny

Hi All,

I have very similar problem with my MacBook Air,after it updated software it restarts but never start up and stuck on white screen, but no Apple logo appears. My MacBook Air is about 3 months old, so I´m very surprised to have such a problem so early. I tried to run Hardware Test, but it does not work, along with PRAM and other methods suggested by Apple. Please help

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Answer 11

Oct 10, 2011 7:13 PM in response to AussiBrowny

Sigh... I have the same problem with this and even tried to solve it with solution given in this discussion but still no luck😟

Have tried also the hardware test but so far it has no error...

Have tried the PRAM but i can only hear the startup sound then it will turn OFF and back with the same sound over and over again

What should I do?

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Answer 12

alx.

Level 1

8 points

Nov 21, 2011 2:10 AM in response to lemmich

Hey man! I read your answer and was like a ray of hope!

I have a Macbook (White model 2009) running Lion, and been using it heavyly with design programas all night long and it was abnormally slughish and slow. So I turned it off to let the fans rest a bit and when I turned it back on it wouldn't pass the white screen as everyone says here.

The only thing that worked was what you said. I am now re-installing Lion OS via Wi-Fi.

I tried Disk Utility and Repair Disk and said my Disk couldn't be fixed. And then I tried Re-Installing Lion OS X but it didn't let me pick Recovery HD (it said it was locked) and my Macintosh HD didn't even show up in the list. So I plugged my WD Passport HD and was able to choose it to re-install it. So far its doing the trick. (It says 5 hours to go now, it started at 99 hours lol).

The thing is I was working on a campaign I have to present today to a client and couldn't back-up any of my last and most important work. And you said that everything went back to normal when you re-install Lion and you had all of your files as you left them, but I am doing it with an external HD. Am I going to be able to retrieve files from my Macintosh HD or is that impossible? Am I totally screwed?

If you can help me it would be much apreciatted! Thanks!

PS. Worst day of my life so far!

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Answer 13

lemmich

Level 1

0 points

Nov 21, 2011 2:59 AM in response to alx.

Hey alx.

As I remember, everything went back to normal, but I installed Lion from the recovery HD. If you saved your files on your WD Passport I don't see why they shouldn't be ready and available when OS X is done re-installing? Lion may also have saved the temp files of what you were working on, but where and how that would work, I honestly don't know!

Sorry I can't extend the ray of hope more than that ;-) --- Good luck with the campaign!

- lemmich

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Answer 14

alx.

Level 1

8 points

Nov 21, 2011 3:21 AM in response to lemmich

Thanks for your reply. I didn't backed some of the files up, so thats why I'm so worried about the result. The installation is still on course. I will look up more about those temp files, maybe that would help.

I have the feeling I won't be seeing all of my files.

I don't know why I couldn't install on the HD Recovery, it was greyed out and said: Locked. 😟

Thank you very much, this was really helpful!

alx.

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Answer 15

Dec 2, 2012 4:12 AM in response to AussiBrowny

i got mine fixed by booting from the recofery hd and use disk utility

then repair premisions and repair

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