IT Skills

macOS Troubleshooting Guide




Having issues with your Mac? Don’t worry! Here’s a step-by-step troubleshooting guide for common macOS problems and how to fix them.


1. Mac Won’t Turn On

Problem: The Mac is unresponsive and won’t boot.
Solution:
Check power connections (Try a different outlet & charger).
Reset the System Management Controller (SMC):
- MacBooks (Intel, non-removable battery) Shut down Hold Shift + Control + Option + Power for 10 sec Release Turn on.
- Mac Desktops (Intel) Unplug for 15 sec Reconnect Wait 5 sec Turn on.
Reset NVRAM/PRAM (Intel Macs only): Turn off Hold Option + Command + P + R Power on and hold for 20 sec.
Try booting into Safe Mode (Press Shift at startup).


2. Mac is Running Slow

Problem: Apps take too long to open, and the system lags.
Solution:
Restart your Mac to clear temporary files (Apple Menu Restart).
Check Activity Monitor (Cmd + Space Type "Activity Monitor") for high CPU or memory usage.
Close unused apps (Cmd + Q) and disable startup apps (System Settings General Login Items).
Free up disk space (Apple Menu About This Mac Storage Manage).
Reset SMC & NVRAM (Intel Macs).


3. macOS Freezing or Apps Not Responding?

Problem: The system or an app stops responding.
Solution:
Force quit the app (Cmd + Option + Esc Select app Force Quit).
Restart Mac (Apple Menu Restart).
Update macOS & Apps (System Settings General Software Update).
Boot into Safe Mode (Press Shift while starting up) and check if the issue persists.


4. Mac Won’t Connect to Wi-Fi

Problem: Wi-Fi is not connecting or frequently disconnects.
Solution:
Turn Wi-Fi off & on (System Settings Wi-Fi).
Restart router & Mac.
Forget and reconnect to the network (System Settings Wi-Fi Click network Forget This Network).
Reset network settings:
1. Open Finder Go to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
2. Delete these files:
- com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
- com.apple.network.identification.plist
- NetworkInterfaces.plist
- preferences.plist
3. Restart your Mac.


5. Bluetooth Not Working

Problem: Can’t connect to Bluetooth devices.
Solution:
Turn Bluetooth off & on (System Settings Bluetooth).
Remove and re-add the device (System Settings Bluetooth Forget & Reconnect).
Reset Bluetooth Module (Intel Macs): Press Shift + Option Click Bluetooth icon Reset Module.
Restart Mac & the Bluetooth device.


6. External Drive or USB Not Recognized

Problem: macOS doesn’t detect an external hard drive, SSD, or USB.
Solution:
Check if the drive appears in Disk Utility (Cmd + Space Type "Disk Utility").
Try a different USB port & cable.
Restart Mac and reconnect the device.
Mount the drive manually (Disk Utility Select drive Mount).
Format the drive (if empty):
- Go to Disk Utility Select Drive Erase Format as APFS/macOS Extended (for Mac use) or ExFAT (for both Mac & Windows).


7. macOS Won’t Boot (Stuck on Apple Logo or Black Screen)

Problem: The Mac gets stuck during startup.
Solution:
Boot into Safe Mode (Hold Shift while starting up).
Reset SMC & NVRAM (Intel Macs).
Boot into macOS Recovery (Cmd + R at startup) and run Disk Utility First Aid.
Reinstall macOS (Cmd + R macOS Utilities Reinstall macOS).


8. Battery Drains Quickly

Problem: The Mac battery drains too fast.
Solution:
Check battery health (System Settings Battery Battery Health).
Reduce screen brightness & close unused apps.
Disable background apps (System Settings General Login Items).
Update macOS (System Settings Software Update).
Use "Low Power Mode" (System Settings Battery Enable Low Power Mode).


9. Printer Not Working?

Problem: macOS won’t print documents.
Solution:
Check if the printer is connected & powered on.
Remove & re-add the printer (System Settings Printers & Scanners Delete & Re-add).
Restart the printer & Mac.
Update printer drivers from the manufacturer’s website.


? macOS Showing "Startup Disk Full" Error

Problem: Not enough storage space.
Solution:
Delete large & unnecessary files (Finder Sort by Size).
Empty Trash (Cmd + Shift + Delete).
Use "Optimize Storage" (System Settings Storage Optimize Storage).
Move files to iCloud or external drive.


? Final macOS Troubleshooting Tips

Restart your Mac – Solves most issues!
Check macOS updates (System Settings Software Update).
Reset SMC & NVRAM (Intel Macs only).
Use Safe Mode to troubleshoot startup issues.
Run Disk Utility First Aid to fix disk errors.
Back up with Time Machine before making major changes.


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