You press the power button and nothing happens. This article answers three questions — what a repair is likely to cost, whether you should open the machine yourself, and what to do right now.
The short version first.
1. Five minutes first. Cable, then detach everything attached, then charge, then a long press on the power button. None of this costs anything.
2. If it does go to service, the logic board is still covered two years from purchase under Samsung's Korean warranty terms (12 months on the computer, 24 months on the logic board).
3. Do not open it. Neither Apple's nor Microsoft's procedure contains a single step involving disassembly or parts replacement.
Each of the three, worked through below.
Five minutes first — most cases end here
Read Apple's and Microsoft's “won't turn on” documents side by side and neither begins with a repair. Both begin by establishing whether the machine really is off. Taking only the steps the two procedures share:
| Step | What to do | What it rules out |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power cable and outlet — Apple asks you to confirm the cable is undamaged and “securely plugged into your Mac and a working power outlet,” then try a different cable | Adapter or outlet |
| 2 | Detach everything — Microsoft opens with “disconnect everything connected to your Surface, such as USB drives, SD cards, USB accessories, external monitors, and a Type Cover” | A peripheral blocking startup |
| 3 | Charge at least 15 minutes — the waiting time Microsoft puts in step one. Judge after the wait, not the moment you plug in | A flat battery |
| 4 | Hold the power button — Apple says about 10 seconds, Microsoft says until the logo screen appears, about 20 seconds | A hung machine |
| 5 | Look at the screen — anything on it means the machine is on (see below). A charger LED that blinks or stays off points at the power supply | This is where the paths split |
| The steps are carried from the two documents; merging them into one list is ours. The devices differ, so the detailed procedures are not interchangeable. | ||
Apple has one step more: resetting the SMC, which applies to Intel-based Macs only — the document states Apple silicon models do not need it. Windows PCs have no equivalent.
What a repair costs — the logic board is covered for two years
If five minutes changes nothing, the machine goes to service. What decides the bill is which part failed and whether that part is still under warranty. The terms a Korean manufacturer publishes:
| Item | Warranty | Within the period |
|---|---|---|
| Computer | 12 months | Performance or function failures in normal use are free |
| Logic board | 24 months — core component | Free for two years from purchase |
| All-in-one PC LCD/LED panel | 24 months — core component | Free |
| Laptop display | 12 months | Free |
| Battery and adapter | Consumables | End of service life is chargeable |
| Samsung's published warranty terms for Korea. Terms differ by manufacturer — check the page for your own device. | ||
The point where money actually diverges is whether “won't turn on” comes from the battery and adapter or from the logic board. Distinguishing those two is exactly what the five-minute procedure does — if a different cable starts it, the adapter; if 15 minutes of charging starts it, the battery — and if neither does, the board becomes the suspect. Consumables are chargeable regardless of warranty but their part prices are comparatively clear; for the board, whether two years have passed changes the number substantially.
The manufacturer also spells out what falls to the customer: products past the warranty period, failures from not following the cautions in the manual, damage from impact or a drop, consumables at the end of their service life, and failures caused by consumables the manufacturer did not specify.
Apple's terms point the same way. The limited warranty runs one year from the purchase date, and the page states that “our warranty doesn't cover accidental damage or batteries that wear down from normal use.” Service and replacement parts are guaranteed for 90 days or the remaining term of the warranty, whichever is longer.
Should you open it — neither procedure contains disassembly
This is the clearest thing this article can say. Across Apple's six steps and Microsoft's three, not one involves disassembly or parts replacement. The final step in both documents is manufacturer service.
| Action | What you accept by doing it |
|---|---|
| Holding the power button | A procedure the manufacturers wrote themselves, so it is not hard on the machine. But unsaved work is lost. |
| Opening the case | Absent from both procedures. If it reads as handling outside normal use, it becomes grounds for a chargeable repair. |
| Using a different adapter | Apple suggests trying another cable, but failures caused by non-specified consumables are chargeable. Use genuine or correctly rated parts only. |
| Opening a machine with no power at all | Outside this article's procedure. Don't. |
If the screen shows anything, this is the wrong article
One sentence in Apple's document does a lot of work.
“If your screen shows a flashing question mark, circle with a line through it, or anything else, your Mac is turned on but isn't starting up.”
— Apple Support, “If your Mac doesn't turn on”
“Won't turn on” and “won't start up” are different problems, and they cost different amounts. The first points at power — adapter, battery, board. The second points at software or storage, and can end without a part being replaced at all. That is why looking at the screen is the last step of the five-minute procedure.
If the screen alone is dark, go to no sound and no display. If it starts and then dies, shutting down suddenly; if it starts but crawls, a slow computer. How batteries wear down is covered from manufacturer documents in phone battery life.
Questions that come up
It's been plugged in and still won't start
This is why Microsoft puts at least 15 minutes of charging in step one — judge after the wait, not the moment you plug in. If that changes nothing, look at the charger LED: blinking or off points at the power supply. Apple also suggests trying a different cable. If it starts at that point, an adapter replacement ends the matter.
The warranty has expired — how much will it be?
It depends heavily on the part. Consumables like batteries and adapters are chargeable regardless, but comparatively modest; for the logic board, whether two years have passed is decisive. An exact figure requires a diagnosis at a service centre, so no specific amount is quoted here.
Does holding the power button damage anything?
Both manufacturers wrote the step themselves — about 10 seconds for Apple, about 20 for Microsoft, until the logo appears. Both place it after the earlier steps, and unsaved work is lost.
Should I reset the SMC?
Intel-based Macs only. Apple's document states Apple silicon models do not need it. Windows PCs have no equivalent.
What about a desktop?
The documents opened here are for Mac and Surface. The skeleton — cable, detach, long press — looks the same, but power supply and motherboard procedures for a built desktop were not checked. The warranty terms above apply to finished products from a manufacturer; a built desktop is covered part by part.
What we read into it
Side by side, the order differs. Apple starts with the cable, Microsoft with detaching accessories and charging, and the long press is 10 seconds against 20. Accessories are step three for Apple and step one for Microsoft.
The skeleton, though, is the same — cable, detach what's attached, long press, check whether it's alive, service. That summary is ours, drawn from reading the two documents against each other; neither writes it that way.
One more thing stands out: Microsoft's step two, Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B. That combination restarts the graphics driver and is also step two of the black-screen document. Its presence in the “won't turn on” document reads as Microsoft treating the two symptoms as overlapping.
Sources
- Apple Support (tier 3, manufacturer document) — If your Mac doesn't turn on (checked August 2026). Source for the six steps and their order, “securely plugged into your Mac and a working power outlet,” “press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds,” disconnecting accessories and repeating, “if your screen shows a flashing question mark, circle with a line through it, or anything else, your Mac is turned on but isn't starting up,” and the SMC reset applying to Intel-based Macs only.
- Apple Support (tier 3, manufacturer document) — Apple service and repair for Mac laptops (checked August 2026). Source for the one-year limited warranty, “our warranty doesn't cover accidental damage or batteries that wear down from normal use,” and the 90-days-or-remaining-term guarantee on service parts. The repair pricing table on that page failed to load at the time of access, so no amounts are carried here.
- Microsoft Support (tier 3, manufacturer document) — Surface won't turn on or start (checked August 2026). Source for the three steps and their order, “disconnect everything connected to your Surface, such as USB drives, SD cards, USB accessories, external monitors, and a Type Cover” and “charge for at least 15 minutes,” Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B, “press and hold the power button until the logo screen appears (about 20 seconds),” and the charger LED guidance.
- Microsoft Support (tier 3, manufacturer document) — Troubleshooting blank screens in Windows (checked August 2026). Source for the same key combination restarting the graphics driver and appearing as step two of the black-screen list.
- Samsung Electronics (tier 3, manufacturer document) — Warranty information (checked August 2026). Source for the 12-month computer warranty, the 24-month core-component warranty on the logic board, 24 months on all-in-one panels, 12 months on laptop displays, and the list of chargeable cases.
Where to check further
- Warranty and repair pricing for your own device — terms differ by manufacturer. Samsung publishes them under warranty information; Apple lets you pick a model under Mac laptop service and repair.
- Built desktops — the documents opened here cover Mac and Surface. Power supply, motherboard and front-panel switch procedures belong to the component manufacturers' manuals.
- When it starts up but stops — the branch Apple marks as “turned on but isn't starting up” continues on Apple's support pages under that symptom.
Written as of August 2026. Mac steps come from Apple Support, Surface steps and the key combination from Microsoft Support, and the Korean warranty terms from Samsung's warranty page; the shared skeleton drawn from the two documents is marked as ours. Do not open a machine that shows no sign of power — the final step in both documents is manufacturer service.
