The purpose of this article is to provide information on how long it takes for a MacBook Pro laptop to start up and become usable again after the battery has fully depleted or “died”. Knowing these start up time estimates can help MacBook Pro owners understand what to expect if their battery runs out of charge.
Normal Startup Time
The normal startup time for a MacBook Pro coming out of sleep mode is generally between 10-30 seconds. According to Apple Discussions, a MacBook Pro with a standard 5400 rpm hard drive will typically boot up within 30 seconds, even with a large storage capacity. Newer models with flash storage can startup even faster. For example, MacBook Pro models with an SSD can startup in as little as 10-15 seconds from sleep mode. The quick startup times are one of the major benefits of flash storage compared to traditional hard drives.
Start Up After Shut Down
After a full shut down, starting up a MacBook Pro can take a bit longer than a normal startup. This is because the Mac needs to go through a full reboot process, loading the operating system from scratch and re-initializing all of the hardware and software components.
According to Apple support, shutting down or restarting a MacBook Pro completely powers it off, which is different than just closing the lid and putting it to sleep. This means when starting up from a full shut down, the MacBook Pro needs to go through its whole startup sequence.
Exact startup times can vary depending on the specific model and year of the MacBook Pro, but in general you can expect a full start up from shut down to take between 30 seconds and 1 minute. Older MacBook Pro models with mechanical hard drives may be on the slower end, while newer models with SSD storage can start up more quickly.
The startup process includes loading the bootloader, starting up the operating system kernel, initializing hardware like the CPU and memory, loading frameworks and apps, and finally arriving at the login screen. So there are many steps involved compared to waking from sleep, which is why start up takes longer.
Start Up from Dead Battery
When the battery on a MacBook Pro is fully depleted or dead, start up takes considerably longer compared to when there is some charge left. This is because the MacBook needs to initially draw power solely from the charger in order to boot up when the battery itself has no charge left. One user reported their 2017 MacBook Pro taking 5 minutes to reach the login screen from a fully dead battery (Source). Another user with a 2011 MacBook Pro said start up took almost 10 minutes from a fully depleted battery, compared to 1-2 minutes normally (Source). So while startup usually takes 1-2 minutes on a MacBook Pro, it can take 5 minutes or longer when the battery is completely dead and needs to charge initially before the laptop will boot up.
Why Startup is Slower from Dead Battery
There are a few technical reasons why a MacBook Pro takes longer to startup after the battery has been fully depleted:
The main reason is that the MacBook requires a small reserve of power in the battery before it will boot up. According to experts on SuperUser, the battery needs at least 1% charge before a MacBook Pro will successfully boot. This initial charging process after being completely dead delays startup.
Another factor is that once the battery has been depleted to 0%, the MacBook’s power management system performs various diagnostics and checks on the battery and power systems during boot. These extra background processes contribute to a slower start.
Finally, lithium-ion batteries like those in MacBooks can experience reduced performance if they are repeatedly drained to 0%. This battery degradation over time can lead to slower charging and startup speeds.
In summary, the combination of needing a small battery reserve, extra system checks, and potential battery degradation explains why startup is slower when turning on a MacBook Pro from a dead battery state.
Exact Timings
The exact time it takes for a MacBook Pro to start up from a dead battery depends on several factors, but generally it can take between 5-15 minutes to start up once connected to power.
If the battery has been completely dead for hours or days, it may take up to 15 minutes before there is enough charge in the battery for the MacBook to boot up. This is because the battery needs to reach a minimum charge level of about 2-5% before the laptop will start up.
According to discussions on Reddit, most users report waiting between 5-10 minutes before their MacBook Pros will turn on after being connected to power from a dead battery state.
So in summary, you can expect a time frame of 5-15 minutes, with most MacBook Pros starting up within 10 minutes when powered on from a fully depleted battery.
Factors Affecting Time
There are several factors that can influence how long it takes for a MacBook Pro to start up from a dead battery:
The model year of the MacBook Pro can greatly affect startup time. Older models with mechanical hard disk drives take much longer to start up than newer models with SSDs. For example, a 2012 MacBook Pro with a 5400rpm hard drive may take around 30 seconds to start up [1]. In contrast, a 2020 MacBook Pro with an SSD can start up in just a few seconds.
The amount of storage space and RAM can also impact startup times. Models with more storage or RAM installed may take slightly longer as there is more data to load at startup. However, with SSDs, this difference is usually negligible.
Startup time can also be affected by the number of login items and applications set to open at startup. The more items loading in the background, the longer the startup process will take.
Issues like software corruption, disk errors, or misconfigured settings can dramatically slow down the startup process as well. Malware infections, faulty hardware, and an overcrowded startup disk may also contribute to longer startup times.
In summary, newer MacBook Pro models with SSD storage and efficient operating systems will have much faster startup times than older models or models with bloated startup configurations.
Solutions
There are a few things you can do to reduce the start up time of a MacBook Pro after a dead battery:
- Replace the battery if it is old. An older battery may not hold a charge as well, resulting in longer start up times. Apple recommends replacing MacBook batteries every 5 years.
- Reset the SMC (System Management Controller). This helps recalibrate the battery and can improve start up times. To reset the SMC, shut down your MacBook, press shift-control-option on the left side of the keyboard and the power button at the same time. Hold for 10 seconds and then turn your MacBook back on.
- Install macOS updates regularly. Apple sometimes includes battery performance improvements in OS updates.
- Close unused apps and browser windows/tabs before shutting down. This reduces the load time when starting back up.
- Only use the original Apple power adapter to charge your MacBook. Third party adapters may not provide enough power for an optimal charge and quick start up.
- Store your MacBook in a cool place while shut down. High temperatures can degrade battery performance over time.
Following these troubleshooting tips should help reduce the start up time of a MacBook Pro after a dead battery. Replacing an old battery and resetting the SMC tend to have the most dramatic effects for improving start up speed.
Preventing Dead Battery
To avoid having your MacBook Pro’s battery fully deplete, it’s important to take some preventative measures. Here are some tips to help prevent the battery from fully draining:
- Avoid letting the battery discharge below 20%. Keep it charged above this threshold as much as possible.
- Set your Mac to hibernate when the battery reaches 20% to avoid complete discharge. Go to System Preferences > Battery and check the box for “Put hard disks to sleep when the computer is on battery power” and set to 20%.
- Disable apps and features that drain battery rapidly like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and screen brightness when not needed.
- Close apps you aren’t using to conserve power.
- Avoid extreme temperatures or exposing MacBook to heat as high temperatures drain battery faster.
- Replace the battery if it can’t hold a charge. Apple recommends replacing battery every 5 years.
Following these tips will help avoid fully depleting the MacBook Pro’s battery and the longer start up time associated with booting from an empty battery.
Conclusion
In summary, when a MacBook Pro starts up from a dead battery it will take considerably longer than a normal startup. While an average startup from shut down takes around 20-45 seconds, starting up from a dead battery can take between 2-4 minutes. This slow startup is due to the Mac needing to reopen apps and windows and reload data from storage, since no power was available to keep anything saved in memory.
The best way to avoid excessively long startups is to prevent the battery from fully draining by charging regularly. But in the event of a dead battery, be patient and expect a longer wait before the MacBook Pro restart is complete.