Lightning during thunderstorms can be very damaging for electronics. (Photo: "phatman" on Flickr)
Question: Today, I tried to start up my Mac and it does nothing. When I press on the power button, it makes no noise, the screen or keyboard do not show any light. What is going on?
Answer: Usually, those are the symptoms of a power-related problem.
A dead PRAM battery can be the problem. Hopefully for you since it is inexpensive ($5 to $10) to replace. This very strategic battery helps the computer to “remember” information when shut down, such as the time. It also is involved in the startup process.
If your computer is 3 years old or more, this issue is the first you should tackle. Make sure to note which Mac model you have, open it if you are not afraid of messing with it, and locate the battery. Buy a replacement at the local store or online. If you are afraid of doing that, bring your Mac to a place where an Apple-authorized technician can check it out.
The second possibility is that your power supply may be dead. This happens if there were important fluctuations in voltage on the electricity grid – think of a thunderstorm – and that your computer was not protected by a quality surge protector.
In this case, the safe choice is to bring the computer to a technician for testing and potential power supply replacement. This normally costs around $200 to $300.
A third possibility is a fried logic board/motherboard inside. This is the ugliest of them all. In case of the lower end Macs, replacing the computer is cost-effective. For a high-end Mac Pro, getting a new logic board makes sense if available.
Prevention
If you never had such a power issue, we strongly recommend that you make sure that you are equipped with a surge protector. Good ones protect electronic devices against surges. They will not, however, prevent problems if your house receives a direct lightning strike!
In all cases, unplugging devices during a severe thunderstorm or while leaving for a few days may be the right thing to do. This simple measure can save you hundreds of dollars.
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Myrl Sovocool
