Solved: MacBook Pro Booting Stuck Halfway
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Written By Vishal
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Approved By Tanushree Chatterjee
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Updated on 22 Aug, 2023 -
Min Reading 4 Min - Share
Summary: The blog speaks about the MacBook Pro booting process, getting stuck halfway and also shares various ways to troubleshoot the Mac and recover data from it. Before you set out, don’t forget to download and install the free trial of Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac, which is only a click away.
Note: Create Recovery Drive feature is only available in Stellar Data Recovery Version 10 & earlier! The latest version has eliminated the need of any other Mac or external device. User can directly use Stellar Data Recovery through an activated link.
MacBook Pro users seldom need to troubleshoot their system as the probability of encountering any issue in Mac is minimal. But there are instances when users experience specific problems, and MacBook Pro booting stuck halfway or not booting is one of them.
Fortunately, several start-up options can help get your MacBook Pro up and running again. Also, some of the steps mentioned in this guide may erase all your data. So, before you proceed, back up your files, else a MacBook Pro data recovery software will be the last resort.
In the next section, we’ll describe various troubleshooting methods to resolve the MacBook Pro booting stuck halfway issue and recover data from it.
1. Listen to Your MacBook Pro’s Start-Up Tones
The sound when your MacBook Pro starts tells a lot about its condition. Try to listen to the sound your MacBook Pro makes when it boots. Here’s what your MacBook Pro’s start-up tones mean:
Note: Models earlier than 2016 make a chime sound. Good news, the upcoming macOS Big Sur will bring back the start-up chime.
2. Start your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode
Restarting your MacBook in Safe Mode might resolve the Mac issues as it prevents applications from loading automatically and repairs directory issues and deleted system cache files. To start up your MacBook Pro in Safe Mode, perform the following steps:
- Restart your MacBook Pro and immediately press and hold the SHIFT key.
- Release the key when the login window appears. Enter the correct credentials to log in.
- Reboot your MacBook Pro and resolve the MacBook Pro not booting issue.
When your MacBook Pro shuts down, hangs, or restarts in Safe Mode, then repair the Mac storage drive using Disk Utility.
3. Repair Mac Storage Drive Using Disk Utility
Disk Utility enables or disables journaling, verifies disk integrity, and repairs your Mac disk if it’s damaged. To run Disk Utility, follow these steps:
- Restart MacBook Pro and press-hold Command + R keys until the Apple logo appears.
- In the macOS Utilities windows, select Disk Utility, then click Continue to launch the app.
- In the right-panel, select the Mac drive and click the First Aid tab to repair it.
Note: If Disk Utility reports that your Mac hard drive is about to fail, immediately back it up.
4. Reset Your MacBook Pro’s NVRAM/PRAM
Sometimes your MacBook Pro’s Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) or Parameter RAM (PRAM) experiences glitches that can cause booting issues. Both RAMs store information that your MacBook Pro needs to load the macOS. To reset your NVRAM/PRAM, follow these steps:
- Restart your MacBook Pro and immediately press Command + Option + P + R keys.
- Hold this key combination until your MacBook Pro boots up again. The RAMs get reset.
If resetting of the NVRAM/PRARM doesn’t fix the booting issue, try reinstalling your macOS.
5. Reinstall macOS Using macOS Recovery Mode
As a last resort, back up your Mac then reinstall macOS to fix MacBook Pro booting issues. Steps are as follows:
- Restart the MacBook Pro and press-hold Command + R keys until the Apple logo appears.
- From the macOS Utilities window, select Reinstall macOS, and press Continue.
- Follow the onscreen instructions and reinstall a new version of macOS.
Note: You can restore your system from a Time Machine Backup of your MacBook Pro or an external hard drive.
6. Create a Recovery Drive for MacBook Pro & Recover Data
Professional data recovery software for Mac and MacBook Pro comes handy when you don’t have a backup to restore your lost data. So, it is always good to have an updated backup of your files; else, a Mac data recovery software is your last resort.
Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac is one such software that you can count on to bring back your lost data. This software supports the latest and the older MacBook Pro models and various file types, external hard drives, and SSDs. Download the trial software from here.
Watch the following video to learn how to create a bootable media by using the software:
Note: This solution won’t fix the “MacBook Pro not booting” issue, but is beneficial to retrieve your lost data in the absence of backup.
Conclusion
To get your MacBook Pro up and running, implement the solutions mentioned above but make sure that you have a valid backup file. If the problem persists, consult an expert or visit the nearest Apple Store.
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NO About The Author
Vishal is a data recovery expert @Stellar. He addresses data loss scenarios on a Mac. He intends to help people solve their macOS problems. Besides, Vishal prefers to read about astronomy and autobiography, and his favorite is Steve Jobs - The man who thought different written by Karen Bluementhal.
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Been stuck in this loop for couple of days now, My macbook pro running MacOS Monterey can not be repaired, I have tried everything from Shift+CMD+R. alt booting from a created external copy of Monterey install, CMD+R after repairing the Hard Drive, but it will only start the process and half way through stuck with the Apple logo and status bar halfway.
Silly i didn’t do a backup, but is there a way of recovering my data
Please help
Command + R is one of the troubleshooting shortcuts on Macs that usually allow users to boot their mac into Recovery Mode, which further allows you to reinstall macOS, reset the admin password, erase the hard drive, reset Mac, and so much more. Further, in case you are unable to boot your macOS into recovery mode due to Command + R not working issue, check this link & follow the shared methods.
Hope it helps!
Hey there! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the excellent work!
Appreciate your kind words, Henry!
failure. can’t get past the stuck boot screen…for all your solutions.
Hello Shbalir,
I would like to inform you that we have software to recover data, however, it cannot boot the mac.
We have Stellar Data Recovery Professional for Mac which is a powerful DIY software to recover permanently deleted files. It retrieves the data emptied from Trash, can locate lost or deleted volumes on Mac, and also detects unmounted hard drives for data recovery on Mac. Try this data recovery Mac software to recover your documents, photos, videos, audio, emails, etc. like a pro.
In this case, if the mac if not booting up then you can remove the hard drive and connect it with other mac system and use our software to recover data from the drive.
You can download the software from the below link:
Download Link
Please try it and let us know the outcome. Thanks
Macbook booting is really a headache for me. It really waste good amount of productive time. Its wiser to backup your important data regularly, if daily not possibly make a weekly habit, else as informed in the blog Stellar mac data recovery is your last resort.
Thanks Donald for your views.
Being a proud MacBook user since 2015. I face booting problem couples of times. Being novice, I forget to take backup and face the situation of volume data lost. I remember at that time on the suggestion of my best friend I tried the Stellar mac data recovery software. Excellent Results.
Hello Alex,
Thanks for using Stellar Mac Data Recovery software
I solved the issue with the help of your blog. Problem occurred after updating. I follow Booting option Thanks for giving wonderful information!
Hello Jacob,
Thanks for your valuable feedback. Please read our other informative blogs also.
My MacBook Pro usually stuck halfway while booting, which really annoyed me. Unfortunately, it was told strictly by system technician person that taking backup data is a must. On one instance, when no backup is available to me, Mac data recovery from Stellar greatly helps me a lot in retrieving lost data.
Hello Gerard,
Thanks for using our software