Mac mini keeps restarting or won’t start? Try these fixes

Picture this: you have a pressing deadline that you need to finish ASAP. You sit down, plug in your Mac mini®, and press the Power button. But it won’t start. Your heart sinks. Luckily, after a few minutes of trying to turn it on, it works—until it restarts. At this point, you're likely frustrated, frantically searching for something like “my Mac mini keeps restarting.” 

If your Mac mini won't start up and keeps restarting, there are several fixes you can try. At Asurion, we are available to help repair your home tech and provide you with tech support so that you can quickly solve tech issues, like a restarting Mac mini.

Follow these instructions

On rare occasions, you may experience a situation where your Mac mini won't start up and keeps restarting. This could happen because of the devices connected or the software installed on your device during the Mac mini setup process. 

You might think that the easiest fix to this problem is to reset your Mac mini. But it’s not—in fact, this action may delete all of your data, including your personal information, and might not even work. Here’s what you should do instead:

1. Check the power and cable connections 

If your Mac mini keeps restarting, it could be an issue with the power or the cable connecting it to the power. You can rule this out as a possibility by doing the following:

• Check if the power cable is securely connected. Make sure there’s no space between the cable's head and the outlet, as this could be causing the failed restart. 
• If you still can’t start the Mac mini, try another power cable. The cable you’re using might be faulty and unable to supply power to the Mac mini. 
• Try another power outlet if you suspect the current one isn't working correctly. 

2. Perform a power cycle 

A power cycle can help you clear any glitches, issues, or configurations that cause your Mac mini to keep restarting or prevent it from starting completely. To do this:

1. Unplug your Mac mini from the power outlet for about 30 seconds.
2. Plug the power cord back in, wait five seconds, and then press the Power button to turn it on. 

3. Reset the SMC (for Intel-based models only) 

The System Management Controller (SMC) manages or controls the power on your Mac mini. Resetting it can sometimes resolve failed startup and restarting issues. It's important to note that you should only use this fix if your Mac mini is Intel-based. Here’s what to do:

1. Turn off your Mac mini if it’s on.
2. Remove the power cord from the power outlet and wait for at least 30 seconds. 
3. Connect the power cable and wait for five seconds.
4. Turn on your Mac mini by pressing the Power button. 

4. Reset NVRAM or PRAM

If your Mac mini keeps restarting or fails to start entirely even after an SMC reset, you can try resetting Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM). Sometimes, resetting NVRAM/PRAM can help resolve booting issues by clearing corrupted settings that disrupt the startup disk selection process.

1. If you can, turn your Mac mini on and quickly press Option, Command, P, and R simultaneously.
2. Hold down these keys for at least 30 seconds, then release. 
3. If the reset is successful, you’ll see the Apple logo appear and disappear or hear the startup sound more than once. 
4. You may need to adjust any settings that the NVRAM reset removed after the Mac mini finishes starting up. 

5. Boot into Safe Mode 

Safe Mode in Mac helps reduce the number of programs and tasks that run when you start it. Using it can help you isolate the problem if your Mac mini keeps restarting. If you're able to run it properly, you can rule out hardware issues as the cause. 

1. Switch off your Mac mini if it isn’t already off.
2. Once completely off, press the Power button, then the Shift key and hold it down. The progress bar and Apple logo will appear just like during a normal boot. 
3. From the Sign in screen, the Safe Boot option will appear in the upper right corner of your display. Select it to log into Safe Mode, which allows you to troubleshoot any software issues that may be causing startup problems.