How to Fix Most Common Mac Problems

MT Four Most Common Problems Mac Users Face and How to Fix Them MD Ran into a macOS issue? In this post, we’ve described the most common Mac problems so you can learn their causes and how to address them

How to Fix Most Common Mac Problems

macOS is touted as the most reliable operating system out there, but many Mac users out there beg to differ. Fortunately, the most common Mac problems rarely pose a challenge for users to find a solution, given the vast Apple community. In this post, we’ve put together several typical Mac issues and ways to troubleshoot them.

The Rotating Beach Ball

A perpetually spinning beach ball is a sign that your Mac is busy struggling with an abundance of processes running simultaneously. Use Activity Monitor to get an idea of what processes load your Mac’s CPU, then end them. In the future, it’s best to keep your operating system and apps updated to their current versions to maintain a healthy load on the CPU. 

Another cause of the spinning Mac pointer can be a freezing app. If that’s the case, you should click on Command + Tab to end that process, and if the ball is still there, close the faulty app by clicking Command + Option + Escape. 

Your Mac Shuts Down 

Unexpected shutdowns can be frustrating. There are various reasons why your Mac is turning off too often, the most common being malware, as well as a manner of software and hardware issues. Below is a quick fix to the issue you can try: 

• Press and hold the power button to turn the Mac off;
• Wait for a few seconds and restart it;
• Press Command + Option + Esc to quit unresponsive apps, if any;
• Click on Sleep in the Apple menu;
• Restart your Mac again and click on Restart in the Apple menu after it boots up again;
• Click Shut Down in the Apple menu. 

If these steps didn’t fix the problem, you should roll up your sleeves and reset the System Management Controller (SMC) process, which is likely to resolve the issue. Steps depend on your Mac’s model, and you can check them in the official Apple guide. 

Your Mac won’t Start

Sometimes Macs fail to boot up no matter how many times you press the Power button. Here’s what you should do if your Mac fails to wake up. 

• Connect it to the power supply using different cables and outlets. Wait for a few minutes each time to let your Mac charge a little, as it may lack battery charge to boot at once;
• Unplug the peripherals from your Mac as they may not allow your Mac to start up;
• If your Mac still remains unresponsive, plug in the power cable and press Shift + Control + Option + Power button. Let go after giving it a proper hold and press Power again. This method works for Macs without a removable battery; 
• If your Mac comes with a removable battery, unplug your Mac and remove the battery. Then, press and hold Power for a few moments. Then return the battery in its place, plug it in and switch your Mac on.  

Your Mac is Slow

Macs tend to slow down over time. Many reasons are causing this problem, which means no universal fix exists. Yet, you can take the steps we’ve described below to try and speed up your Mac. 

• Check the status of your disk space. Does it have over 20% space open? If not, you should clean your device from old files, apps or move them to iCloud or an external hard drive;
• Update your operating system and applications to the recent versions;
• Organize the files you keep on your desktop into different folders;
• Clear the cache in all browsers you’re using; 
• Uninstall apps you no longer need;
• Clear items you keep in the Bin;
• Use Activity Monitor to stay on top of processes that may use a lot of memory;
• Switch to the Safari browser for utmost browsing speed. 

So, we’ve looked at the list of common Mac problems – hope our post has come in handy!