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.
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).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).
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).
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).
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.
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.
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.