macOS is a robust and reliable operating system with unique features and performance improvements. With the new macOS Ventura slated to be released publicly, you must be interested to know how you can tackle everyday Mac problems yourself.
Some of the typical Mac problems most users complain about are:
- The spinning beach ball
- Mac running slowly
- Frozen or unresponsive apps
- Flickering screen
- Startup disk is full on MacBook
- Battery draining faster than usual
- The startup shows a blank screen
- The system is shutting down randomly, and more
Fix those mentioned above and other common Mac problems in the following ways.
Reboot
A reboot is often the simplest and most effective solution whenever you are facing a Mac issue. For example, it is beneficial when an individual app misbehaves, the screen is frozen, or you cannot connect to the Internet.
Boot into Safe Mode
Booting into Safe Mode is another straightforward way of fixing minor to major Mac problems. Restart your Mac and immediately hold the Shift key until you see a progress bar at the screen’s bottom. It indicates that your system is booting into Safe Mode, which will delete some additional caches. Your system will boot with only the necessary drives and programs. It will also scan your device to identify and repair problems.
When you need to get out of the Safe Mode, reboot normally without holding the Shift key.
Reset PRAM/NVRAM
Macs store specific settings in a particular memory area, even when turned off. On Intel-based systems, this is stored in memory known as NVRAM; on PowerPC-based Macs, it is stored in memory known as PRAM.
You can reset NVRAM/PRAM by turning off the computer, switching on the computer, pressing and holding the Command + Option + P + R keys, holding the keys until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time, and releasing the keys.
Reset the SMC
You can reset the SMC to solve many Mac problems relating to battery function, managing power consumption, thermal stats, fans, GPU, and LED lighting on the keyboard. In addition, it controls how your system deals with wake, sleep, and other things. There are different ways to reset the SMC.
Reset the SMC on a desktop by powering down the system > unplugging the power cord and waiting for fifteen seconds > plugging the power cord back in > waiting for five seconds, and pressing the power button to switch on your Mac.
If you’re using a Mac with a non-removable battery, reset the SMC by shutting down the Mac > unplugging the USB-C or MagSafe power adapter from the system > using the in-built keyboard > pressing Shift + Control + Option and pressing the power button simultaneously. It would be best if you held these keys and the power button for ten seconds. Then, release all the keys and reconnect the power adapter. To turn on your Mac, press the power button again.
Run Apple Diagnostics
You can run Apple Diagnostics to identify the problems ailing your system. To run this, boot up your device while holding down the D key. Then, keep pressing this key until asked to select a language. However, if this does not work, reboot your system while pressing the Option + D keys, and Apple Diagnostics will be carried out over the Internet.
The utility will check your system. The test will show you reference codes and recommend solutions if there are any problems.
The test is also called the Apple Hardware Test.
Run Disk Utility
If your system is not booting, it might be because there’s a disk issue.
To run Disk Utility, press the Command + R keys when booting your MacBook and select Disk Utility from the startup screen. Next, choose the hard drive and select Verify, then allow that to run.
If issues are detected, choose Repair Disk. If there are no problems, select Repair Permissions. Then, reboot the system again.
Force Quit Frozen or Unresponsive Apps
Have you ever encountered a situation when an application suddenly stopped functioning while you were working on your Mac? Unfortunately, it is a common problem. Apps might crash or freeze due to several reasons, including too many applications running simultaneously, the app being corrupt, or there’s not enough storage space.
Quitting the applications typically does the trick most of the time. If that does not work, force quitting can solve the problem. Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner and select Force Quit. Choose the frozen apps in the Force Quit Applications menu. Select Force Quit and then click it again in the pop-up dialog box to confirm your choice.
The Bottom Line
These are the common fixes you can apply to solve most Mac problems. If these don’t work, you must call your technician or go to the Apple service center nearest your location.
