Power Button Stuck on Brand New iMac

This is going to seem ridiculous but it worked for me. Unplug your desktop and turn it upside down (so the base is in the air). Try the power button now. When I took mine to Apple, they turned it over to get the serial number and then it worked fine. Brought it home, wouldn't work again so I turned it upside down and found that the power button would click again. Had to be gentle flipping it rightside up again. I'm guessing something slightly out of line in there.

Hope it helps.

I've had the same problem on a mid 2011 27" iMac. I never use the power switch, I just use "sleep" from the apple menu. However, the hard drive failed (6 months old) and the iMac was burning itself up trying to boot. Power switch was unresponsive. I had to unplug the machine. Apple replaced the hard drive (7 days!) and I get it home and the power switch does nothing. Dead machine. Back to Apple. To replace the power switch, they have to replace the rear casing, which means everything has to come out the front. 10 days for repair!

Contact Apple Service, iMac Service or Apple's Express Lane. Do note that if you have AppleCare's protection plan and you're within 50 miles (80 KM) of an Apple repair station, you're eligible for onsite repair since yours is a desktop machine. Should also apply to new machines.

ahh, had this the other day on one of my users iMacs,

basically, push the button in and twist it, it should pop out. if not put some sticky non-permanent tack (like blu tack) on your thumb and try it again.

looks like a minor issue with these newer ones.

if that fails, you'll have to lug it to Apple 😟

So in taking this discussion to a new level, don't turn your system off!! Let it sleep. One of the worst condidions for electronic equipment occurs during the power up phase. This draws more current because things are all "charging up" and the components are cold, the rapid temprature increase can fracture IC components. Sleep is much preferred

Had this problem this morning with my 6 month old iMac. I also never use the power button, but we had a power failure over night at work.

Button was stuck and unresponsive, but turning the computer upside down actually did the trick. It now depresses and works.

Thank you DesignerCow!

I can't take credit for that fix! Mine did not work no matter what I did. It really is very complex to repair. I had to take it back once again since the Bluetooth function did not work after reassembly.

That saved my friend's day too!!!!!!! He had a meeting at 9 and all his stuff was on his machine and not on the server. It seemed the spring behind the power button was somewhat off or crooked. We try to press and twist. after some (frustrating) twisting, the heard the lovely boot chime! Thank you Alsloginid. also thank you ALL for those wonderful tips.

Designercow,

it seems that the "standard" fix for Apple is to replace the hard drive (at much $$$). They did it for me and I still had the grey screen of death! So it wasn't the hard drive after all. B•%&*#@s. I lost $270 for nothing

I have this same problem with a 2012 27" imac - given that this is a result of shoddy workmanship and/or quality assurance, apple could at least offer to fix for free, given what the price on these models are.

Quite a pita to have to overcome crappy design/engineering implementation every time I want to power on the machine. Superior computer, my a** 😀

I have the Apple Care Protection Plan. They would only pick up my 27"iMac, told me they did not offer on site repairs (even though it does state in the handbook that this should be available). The power button on my Mac is stuck in/ permanently depressed, and they're trying to tell me that this won't be covered on the plan because it's deemed as 'cosmetic damage'. The computer won't turn on. It is unusable. It's 2 years old. I was also told that 'seeing as it's quite old, too, it could be deemed as wear and tear'. A 2 year old computer?! It seems this is a fairly common issue/ fault. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Typical - the button issue is clearly a manufacturing and/or design flaw. The power button on my 27" iMac didn't work right from day one. Just felt kinda off like it wasn't seating right. Sure enough, one year in and the fix is to either flip the imac upside-down, which correctly aligns the power button, but risks damage to the entire unit. Or use the sticky tape trick also posted in this thread.

Just unbelievable how apple refuses to take responsibility for what is clearly a manufacturing flaw. Or wait, maybe not that unbelievable . . . .

Try taking a piece of duct tape and sticking it to the button - fashion a little tab out of it so you can pull on it and wiggle it about. See if that works.

Mine failed within the 1 year warranty. Unfortunately the "fix" is to remove all the components from your unit and install in a new case since the switch is integral to the case.

Immediately upon pickup my Bluetooth did not work, so no mouse = useless computer. (they didn't assemble the antenna correctly nor check functionality before returning it). Back in and back out.

About two weeks later, none of the USB ports would respond - no keyboard = useless computer.

In their defense Apple did eventually replace the computer since I had three repair attempts (the first was a failed hard drive). Although my Apple store manager would not allow me to return and exchange at the store. I had to go through mailing it in and being here when FedEx shows up with the new one. Bummer is that I lost my iTunes 10.7 and got the hated iTunes 11.x

If they repair your unit, make sure to check, check, check every function you can.

Un-Friggin Believable!!! During update to 10.9.2 my iMac got stuck in the "Finishing Update" phase for an hour and i had to pull the plug, then it wouldnt turn back on, this was only literally the 3rd time i've ever powered it down in a year of owning it, and every time it seemed difficult to get the power button to respond, finally after After exhausting all options given from Apple, power cord, pulling memory, waiting hours with no power then trying, i got no where!!! so i started massaging the power button, up down sideways, swiping it, flicking it, tapping it, you name it, i worked that button so much dollar bills started coming out of it!!! And then Boom, it turned on. Jackpot, but wait, i got it booted up, and then powered down to fix cords and route them pretty and clean, and Gat-Dammit it wouldnt turn on!!! WELL i read this post and SHOW-Nuff i flipped it upside down, tapped on the case a little and Wha-La, like black magic, it powered up!!!! Seriously Apple, get it together. Switch is shotty, tech support either lacks knowledge on this problem or they are just too embarrased to tell a guy who spent $2500+ on your product to lay his iMac over his lap, upside down, and spank it while pushing the power button. LGS!!!!!

Having 'Start up automatically after power failure' selected in System Prefs/Energy Saver, has just saved me from having to unplug everything, turning my iMac upside down jiggling it about and praying for gravity to do it's thing.

At least if the button is stuck you can just pull the plug and it'll start up again.

A case of form over function taken a bit too far in this design.

Thank goodness I have Apple Care. My two year old, 27 inch iMac's power button became "unseated" as well. I took it in, they fixed it at no charge. I'm so glad because flipping it upside down and jiggling the button was damaging the desk because the iMac is so heavy.