MacBook Neo Troubleshooting Startup Issues

• If your Mac doesn’t start up all the way

• Start up your Mac in safe mode

• Use macOS Recovery on a Mac with Apple silicon

• If your Mac starts up to an exclamation point in a circle

• If your Mac starts up to Options with a gear icon

• If you can’t start up from macOS Recovery

• How to identify the DFU port on Mac

1. Inspect the computer for liquid damage. Contact with liquid can short internal circuits and cause the computer to malfunction.

2. If the battery is drained on the computer, connect it to a compatible Apple USB-C power adapter and charge cable. Charge the computer for at least 10 minutes to verify that the computer’s battery can charge. If the computer doesn’t turn on with a power adapter after charging, refer to Troubleshooting No Power.

3. Attempt to start up in safe mode to verify that the computer can start up completely without any issues.

If the issue wasn’t resolved by following a support article or trying the quick troubleshooting steps, run these manual and diagnostic tests to help isolate the cause of the issue:

1. Determine if the computer has power by confirming any of the following:

   • The computer indicates when a charge cable is connected (for example, with a sound)

   • The built-in display functions

   • Note: MacBook Neo uses a mechanical trackpad that always clicks whether power is on or off. Don't rely on trackpad clicking to verify power in this model.

2. If the computer shows no indications of power, refer to Troubleshooting No Power.

3. Attempt to start up the computer in diagnostics mode, if possible.

4. Run the Mac Resource Inspector (MRI) diagnostic suite while connected to a compatible Apple USB-C power adapter and charge cable, if possible.

   • Note: This test will gather diagnostic information about the battery and verify that thermal sensor readings are within limits. Check diagnostic test results for any battery, power, or thermal warnings or failures.

5. Important: Always attempt to revive or restore the computer by following steps in How to revive or restore Mac firmware before attempting any hardware service.

If the issue wasn’t resolved or isolated by following support articles or running diagnostics tests, refer to the computer’s repair manual to open and inspect the computer. A damaged or out-of-place part may be causing one of the issues.

1. Follow repair manual procedures to remove the bottom case and disconnect the battery from the logic board.

2. Inspect internal parts and the enclosure for indications of physical or liquid damage, contamination, or burned or darkened areas. Inspect all relevant internal flex cables and connectors for damage or tampering, such as a film or foreign material blocking a connector.

3. Locate the USB-C boards flex cable connector and verify the flex cable is present and connected. If the flex cable is missing, it may be under the logic board. Remove the logic board to locate the flex cable. Disconnect and reseat the USB-C boards flex cable to the logic board to verify its connection.

4. If the issue is resolved or inspection reveals no issues, complete the reassembly. If diagnostic results or inspection identified a faulty part, continue to the next section. If the issue persists without identifying a specific part, continue to the next section for logic board replacement.

Note: This section requires ordering parts and tools. Replacing a part may not resolve the device’s issue. You can find other service options at support.apple.com/repair.

If the issue wasn’t resolved or isolated by following the previous steps, replace the following parts for each relevant issue:

Important: Always attempt to revive or restore the computer by following steps in How to revive or restore Mac firmware before attempting any hardware service.

• If diagnostic results report any USB-C port failures, or if you find damage in the charging ports, replace the USB-C boards.

• If diagnostic results report any battery errors or failures, replace the battery.

• If no specific faulty part was identified above, replace the logic board.

Repair completion

Depending on the part replaced, Repair Assistant may be available on the device to finish the repair. Learn how to initiate Repair Assistant.

Post-repair verification

Run the following diagnostic suite after the repair:

• Mac Resource Inspector (MRI) (to test overall functionality)

After the repair is completed, turn on the computer and verify that the computer can now complete the startup process over multiple trials.

Note: This section requires ordering parts and tools. Replacing a part may not resolve the device’s issue. You can find other service options at support.apple.com/repair.