My Macbook won't turn on (HELP please)

It doesn't turn on? Or it doesn't boot up to the desktop?

When you plug the power adapter into your laptop it should power right up even if the battery is too low. Just push the power button and that should do it when its plugged in.

I can suggest that maybe you need to hold the power button down for 5-10 seconds continuously because it sounds like its in that low power sleep mode, and that sometimes solves it. Then all you need to do is push it once normally to turn it back on.

Otherwise click on the link here to and follow the instruction on how to reset the SMC, and after doing that see if you fixed it.

How to reset the SMC: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964

This sounds possibly like a case of "dead battery" that happens on older macbooks when left in sleep mode for a few days. If this is true, the battery is basically scrap at this point and will not charge. The MacBook should still turn on however if plugged in to the wall charger. Press and hold the power button 5 seconds to force-power off the machine (you should hear a small click as the machine powers off). Then turn on as normal. Hopefully this works!

Is this a Macbook Pro that has a removable battery? Or a newer one with the built in battery?

If you can take the battery out from the bottom. Do that first, then plug in the mag safe, you can use the one from your newer Mac Book pro ( just in case the old one suddenly stopped working somehow). Then see if it powers on normally.

If that doesn't work, or it has the built in battery: Go to the link I put in my previous post and follow the directions to reset the SMC for your type of MacBook Pro. Or look at the two image attachments in this post and choose the one that applies to your model.

The OP says a new MacBook, so why not take it to the Apple Store to be checked ut. You are still under warranty for year.

leftindust said:

No, I have a new Macbook Pro that's fine, but my old Macbook (which is no longer under warranty) is not fine.

eljanitor, my new macbook pro has an unremovable battery, but my old macbook has a removable one. however if it doesn't power at all when plugged in, what difference will removing the battery do?

Click to expand...

Sometimes the battery can cause problems when it gets old, or if its defective. So what I've been taught is just remove the battery, and see if it starts. If it does, it could be something wrong with the battery, and possibly the battery needs to be replaced. So it doesn't hurt to do it.

Your laptop has several components that are involved in making the battery charge,when it's running from the power supply (when its plugged in). There's electronics in the external power supply itself, theres a circuit in your laptop called the DC board, which is sometimes built into the logic board, and sometimes not, and then theres the battery, the wires, and connectors that go in between.

I didn't design it , that was some team at Apple, I just fix em. If you can't get it to work by resetting the SMC (System Management Controller), and all the other steps that I gave you, then you may want to take it in somewhere and have it looked at. If you bought your new one from an Apple dealer, or an Apple store, they may look at it quickly for free, and tell you whats wrong, or even fix it if they can quickly. You won't know until you try.

Let me know if those steps do anything for you.