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Dealing with Mac Booting to Black or Blank Screen

Issue Description 

Mac powers on but shows a black or blank screen. 

Common Causes 

  • Display settings corruption 
  • External display conflicts 
  • Firmware glitches 

Step-by-Step Solution 

Step 1: Check Brightness and External Displays 

  • Increase brightness 
  • Disconnect all external monitors 

 

Step 2: Reset NVRAM (Intel Macs) 

  • Shut down 
  • Power on → hold Option + Command + P + R for 20 seconds 

 

Step 3: Boot into Safe Mode 

  • Test if display loads correctly 

 

Step 4: Reinstall macOS (If Needed) 

  • Use Recovery → Reinstall macOS 

Explore Further 

  • Run Apple Diagnostics 

Prevention & Best Practices 

Update graphics drivers via macOS updates.