What’s Wrong With My Mac? 10 Tips for Troubleshooting Your Mac Problem
It’s hard to imagine life without computers. In the last few decades, they’ve become as commonplace in the average home as a toaster and television.
Anyone that owns a personal computer has likely experienced technical issues from time to time. It’s enough to drive you nuts. This is true of every brand of computer, including Macs. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place for help.
This article takes a look at time-saving tips for troubleshooting Macs. Keep reading to get the inside scoop on Mac basics that will turn a major nightmare into a minor headache.
- Startup Screen is Blank
Have you ever turned up your Mac but it won’t start up correctly? This can be super frustrating.
Most of the time, this issue is due to a failed MacBook startup. It’s a sure sign that your computer is frozen.
The best solution is to attempt to restart your Mac by pressing the power button. Hold the hold button down for 6 seconds so that it will reboot. If this doesn’t do the trick, try booting in Safe mode.
Once it’s up and running, it might be a good deal to remove any apps that could be causing the problem.
- Macbook Keeps Dying
If you own a MacBook you might notice that it occasionally shuts down for no apparent reason. The first thing you should do is make sure the battery is fully charged. Next, test the battery to see if it’s able to charge properly.
Once you’ve confirmed that the battery is healthy, you can begin troubleshooting other things.
The best thing to do is to test the SMC or System Management Controller. This is the system that’s responsible for controlling several important processes on the machine, including battery life and sleep mode.
So go ahead and reset the SMC to see if this resolves the issue. You should also check your MacBook Air users guide.
- Intermittent Screen Flickering
When your Mac screen keeps flickering, you might have physical screen damage, but not necessarily.
The first thing you should do is reset the PRAM/NVRAM. Next, check for any MacOS updates. You might also consider switching to a different browser or enter Safe Mode to isolate any app that could be causing the screen flickering.
- Mac is Running Extremely Slow
There are few things more aggravating than a slow computer. Unfortunately, most machines will eventually become slower and slower over time. When your Mac starts running a bit slower than normal, here are a few things to check.
First, the speed of your computer can be impacted by things eating away at your RAM or a hard drive that’s full. This is because when your hard drive is completely full, it will begin to struggle to read and write data optimally.
When your machine is slow, restart it. Sometimes the solution is that simple. Next, delete as many old files as possible. It’s also a good idea to open Activity Monitor to see what is hogging so much processing power.
You can also scan for viruses to make sure the machine isn’t infected with malware.
Check out what to do when your Mac keeps restarting.
- Bluetooth Won’t Turn On Or Off
Many people enjoying using a variety of Bluetooth devices with their Mac. Thus you might encounter issues where your device won’t properly pair with your computer or you are unable to detach from the computer.
To remedy this, go to the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Bluetooth and try to turn it on or off. If this doesn’t work, turn off your device and try again.
Another possible solution is to open Terminal and type the command “sudo rm -R /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist” and then hit Enter. This will probably require entering your password and pressing Enter again, then restart your Mac.
- Your Mac Won’t Shut Down
Another issue you might run into is when your Mac freezes and won’t shut down, or it freezes up during the shutdown process. This is obviously a headache.
If you’re working on a desktop Mac, unplug the machine from the wall and reboot in Safe Mode.
On a MacBook, try resetting the NVRAM and SMC. If this doesn’t remedy the issue, run Apple Diagnostics to try to isolate the issue, and then reboot in Safe Mode.
If the problem persists, you might need to visit your local Apple repair shop.
- Sound Cuts Out Suddenly
Have you noticed the sound on your Mac cutting out intermittently for no reason? This could be due to several things.
First, you need to make sure that the problem isn’t being caused by any of the apps currently running on your machine. Close the apps one at a time to see if the problem stops.
If it continues, try resetting PRAM/NVRAM and SMC.
The issue could also be related to a problem volume key on your keyboard or due to a liquid spill. If you’ve recently spilled any type of liquid on your keyboard, you’ll probably need to replace the keyboard or have your MacBook serviced immediately.
- External Devices Won’t Connect
When a USB device isn’t working properly, it’s typically due to a bad connection. Thus the first step in troubleshooting is to simply unplug the device from the USB and then reseat it. The next step is to check to see if the cord is damaged in any way.
The problem could also be the device itself. But if the device and the USB ports are all in good working condition, you can try resetting the PRAM/NVRAM and SMC.
- Spinning Beach Ball
When it comes to owning a Mac, few things are more annoying than the familiar spinning beach ball. This can be caused by a number of things, including a full hard drive or a slow processor.
The key to solving the problem is to delete as many large files as possible, and then close any apps that are using up your processing power.
- Safari Keeps Crashing
Safari is the most popular browser on Apple computers. The best way to keep it from crashing is to open Safari, go into preferences and Advanced, select “Show Develop menu in menu bar”, and then Empty Caches. Now you’ll be ready to restart Safari.
The Complete Guide to Troubleshooting Mac Computers at Home Or Work
There’s no denying that Apple makes machines. Fortunately, this guide to troubleshooting Mac computers will help keep your machine running smoothly.
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