My old mac (the all white flat kind) will not turn on

[LaydeeBug]

Can anyone help me with that? I'd be most grateful.

I have already tried unplugging it and checking the power source. Thanks

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Do you have an Apple store near you?

When one of my Macs refused to turn on, the problem was either the power block giving out (has happened at least once with each of my Macs) or a hard drive failure in an old computer.

An Apple Store or an authorized Apple dealer can help you out. If it's just the power block, that's pricey, but not as bad as buying a new computer. Hard drive replacement is also pricey, and you may decide you want a new computer. If you have to either replace the hard drive or buy a new computer, have the repair/dealer people back up your Documents, your Mail Boxes, and as much else as they can retrieve.

[LaydeeBug]

4. there is one, and everything is already backed up, so no worries there...

I was just hoping I could trouble shoot it.

[Auggie]

7. Same thing with me ... likely either the power block or battery

The power block replacement for my old G5 a few years ago was estimated at a little over $300. I bought the Intel iMac I use now instead.

[cbayer]

2. I started to have so many problems with mine, that I had to replace it.

It would shut down completely for no reason, then be impossible to start back up.

I don't know what the problem was, but it just kept getting worse.

[Voice for Peace]

3. a few times I have had to remove the battery, then put it back in, in order to re-start

and I can't remember why but you might try that.

[LaydeeBug]

5. There's a battery in a desktop?

Oh dear, I may be in over my head.

[Voice for Peace]

6. d'oh!! no I am reading too early for my brain.. I read laptop

utterly useless here, sorry.. I haven't had a desktop for a while.

[RoccoR5955]

8. How old is this Mac in years?

Perhaps that would give us better insight as to what may be wrong.

[LaydeeBug]

9. It looks like this...

http://www.americanlisted.com/ohio_35/computers_34/mac_desktop_computer_tons_of_software_500_toledo_or_detroit_12505560.html

[RoccoR5955]

10. That being the case

It could be anything from a bad power supply to a bad CMOS battery. Generally if the battery is too old, it will not hold a charge any more, and will not even turn on sometimes.
The power supply seems more likely to me though, as the capacitors in it get old and weak, and when this one was made, there was a big fiasco with defective and counterfeit capacitors. It was a big thing for the PCs, not sure if any Macs were effected by it though.

[opiate69]

11. If you haven`t already, call the genius bar...

I just had to take mine in yesterday for a no-charge hard drive replacement. Seems there`s a known hardware issue with some 1TB hard drives in the desktops manufactured between Oct 2011 and Feb 2012.