Macbook will no longer boot up

Unless you previously configured this laptop to allow booting from USB, it is too late now since it does require Recovery Mode and being able to authenticate with a valid admin user account with the T2 security chip.

Try booting into Internet Recovery Mode using Command + Option + R which will bypass the local recovery mode on the internal SSD. Does it still boot loop while attempting Internet Recovery Mode or does it have some other issue or error code/message?

Try an SMC Reset...if you already have tried it.......did you follow the proper procedure? The procedure for the SMC Reset for the 2018-2020 T2 Macs has changed, so make sure to carefully read the SMC Reset instructions here.....follow the T2 chip instructions:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

If nothing else has worked, then you will need to try a DFU Firmware Revive which resets the T2 security chip & system firmware. Perhaps after this it may allow you to access Internet Recovery Mode or even boot the system normally. If not, then you will need to perform a DFU Firmware Restore which does everything the Revive does, but also resets the internal SSD as well which destroys all data on the internal SSD. After a DFU Firmware Restore you will need to boot into Internet Recovery Mode to reinstall macOS (no other option since USB booting is disabled until you have macOS installed on the internal SSD).

Unfortunately the DFU Firmware Revive & Restore requires access to another Mac currently running macOS 26.x Tahoe or possibly macOS 15.x Sequoia (not sure about the latter). You need to follow the instructions exactly since it can be tricky to put a Mac into DFU Mode.....timing is everything....so is making sure the Mac is completely powered down first before making the attempt.

How to revive or restore Mac firmware - Apple Support

FYI, I hope you always have frequent & regular backups of your computer and recovering the data here was only to get the most recent changes that may not have yet been backed up due to this failure occurring being backup schedules. You got lucky being able to access your data....that rarely occurs. There are a lot more new ways to permanently lose access to the data stored on the internal SSD of the recent Macs due to all of the hardware, software, & security changes.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

I don't have high hopes for this laptop because this particular model tends to have a high rate of Logic Board failures. If the laptop does need to be repaired, then I highly recommend you decline the repairs & put that money towards a new laptop.

cratica wrote:

Hello, thank you for the reply. Yes, it loops with the internet recovery option. It will boot into a screen that asks "choose network" and I can select my wifi, then it proceeds to download. It usually takes 10-20 minutes to download then it reboots. And goes back to the same screen asking for network. I've done this about 5x now. A couple of times it would flash grey on the reboot and go back into the endless boot cycle as described but usually it reboots back to the choose network screen.

Yeah, that is usually not a good sign.

Yes, tried the SMC reset a few times. Doesn't do anything different.

Just wanted to make sure you were using the instructions for a T2 Mac.

Using my other macbook pro exact same model and year with Sequoia 15 OS, I tried the instructions for DFU mode about 20x and it will not work. So incredibly frustrating.

"It will not work" means nothing to us.

Are you saying you could not put the laptop into DFU Mode at all? That can be very tricky to do. The first few times it took me 20 tries.....even today, it can sometimes still take me a few tries. Best thing is if you have Apple Configurator open on the host Mac since it can give you some clues to the current state of the "broken" Mac. I don't recall if the Finder provides the same level of information....make sure the Finder window is open.

Or, you were able to put it into DFU Mode, but were unable to initiate a Revive/Restore process?

Or, were you able to initiate the Revive/Restore, but it errored out during the Revive/Restore and if so, what step failed with the exact error message (there are four stages IIRC)? If you are failing at this point, then it may be due to the version of macOS on the host Mac. The only version of macOS on the host Mac I know for sure is compatible with this procedure at this time is macOS 26.x Tahoe. I have no idea if macOS 15.x Sequoia will work for this procedure since I haven't tried it since Tahoe was released, but in years past once the new OS was released, the older versions of macOS would no longer work to perform the DFU Firmware Revive/Restore. The saving grace is that Apple Configurator version does not appear to have changed at the launch of Tahoe so using the most recent version of Apple Configurator on macOS 15.x Sequoia has a chance of working, but when it doesn't work, the system won't tell you it is due to an incompatible version of Apple Configurator or macOS.....it will just fail making you think it is due to the "broken" Mac.

Keep in mind the cable used must NOT be a Thunderbolt rated cable (one with a lightning bolt on the connector). You must also make sure to use the proper USB-C port on the broken Mac which is DFU Mode.....for the Intel laptop it is the front left USB-C port that must be used on the "broken" Mac in DFU Mode.

It's a freaking brick at this point. So disappointing.

That does not surprise me, it will be a miracle if anything is able to restore this laptop which doesn't involve a hardware repair which I strongly advise against.

cratica wrote:

I've tried this now probably 35-40 times. There is no indication that its trying to boot any differently than if I weren't trying to boot into DFU mode. (again, black then either grey screen or apple logo for a couple of seconds, then back to black. Rinse, repeat).

Before giving up completely, you could try having an Apple agent or tech (Apple Store, Apple Authorized Service Provider, or just a tech with more experience performing this process) attempt to perform the DFU Firmware Revive & Restore procedure just to make sure since they may have more experience with the process (hard to say though). I know some of my other IT HelpDesk type co-workers have trouble with the procedure and I've had to help/show them, or confirm the system is bad. While I have personally done this multiple times, I still find it difficult to perform it correctly even with a known good & healthy device. All bets are off when the device may be having problems.....even if the procedure can actually fix the problem. Apple has made this process way too difficult for the average user since even IT personnel can have trouble with it. I am frustrated by the process all the time (even with iPhones & iPads). At least it would give you peace of mind for trying.

Unless I do T bootup in which case that works and it shows two icons and can then connect to my good mac and see my hard drive. I've copied everything I need from it at this point. I guess it will go up on Ebay for parts soon.

If you do sell or recycle the broken laptop, make sure you first erase the laptop's internal SSD which you should be able to do through Target Disk Mode. Follow the instructions in this older Apple article archived on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine since I think Apple's current version of this article is more confusing since it no longer includes a picture showing the critical steps:

https://web.archive.org/web/20250909095655/https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/erase-and-reformat-a-storage-device-dskutl14079/mac

FYI, erasing the whole physical SSD with a simple erase using Disk Utility will destroy all data on that SSD due to how SSDs work.

Edit: Oh, and thanks for confirming everything. I hope I didn't annoy you too much with all my harping & nitpicking on the process & every little detail. I know how difficult this is since I have had my own difficulties & confusion regarding this process. I was really hoping that you could reset this laptop since you were still able to access the laptop's internal SSD through Target Disk Mode. I find all of these 2018+ Macs (T2 & M-series) to be very difficult & frustrating devices.