Introduction
Thanks to the excellent performance and security features, Mac devices, including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac series are given high credits all the time. Unfortunately, Mac computers are not immune to vulnerability. Whether you are doing some research before actually buying a Mac, or already encountering Mac issues, this post will list five common Mac issues along with feasible solutions to troubleshoot them. Read on to see what Mac problems you may experience.
Mac fails to boot up
Normally, a Mac device does not need to be manually turned off. Users mainly close the lid to lock the screen. However, when you try to launch the system again, you find it unresponsive. There are multiple scenarios in which a Mac fails to boot up. Possibly, you can see a black or white screen of death, or, your computer gets stuck at the login progress bar, etc.
To quickly troubleshoot Mac boot-up failure, you can do the following.
- Make sure the computer is fully charged by checking the power adapter and cable. Your Mac may be just running out of power.
- Press and hold the power button till the Mac is turned off for good. Then release the keys and hit the power button again to turn on your Mac.
- Turn off your Mac. Then reset the NVRAM by pressing and holding Command + Option + P + R keys together for about 20 seconds. Adjust the settings that are reset before to get things in order.
Besides, other methods such as rebooting your Mac into Safe Mode, running a disk repair in macOS Recovery mode, and reinstalling macOS can all do the trick, depending on your specific situation.
Unresponsive apps freeze your screen
This can happen a lot when you are in the middle of using an application. Perhaps you are working on a Word document, and all of a sudden, you see your cursor turn into a spinning beach ball and you can’t perform any tasks on the current panel. Long story short, your Mac gets frozen. How to save your Mac from an unresponsive app? Try the quick fixes below to unfreeze the device.
- Force quit the frozen app to end the waiting process. Navigate to the Apple icon on the top-left corner of your screen and choose Force Quit from the drop-down context menu. Find the application you want to terminate and click Force Quit to finish.
- Quit the app from the Dock. This method is my favorite one to end unresponsive software. Simply locate the frozen app from the Dock and right-click on it. A short list of options should appear, including the force quit one. Click on it and the macOS will terminate the app by force.
- Restart your Mac device by force. If unfortunately, your whole Mac stops responding instead of a single program, force restarting your Mac might help. Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds and release the key. Hit it again to start over again.
Mac screen flickers
This scenario may look horrible to you – all your Mac screen somehow flickers with green lines on it. It looks like the system is being attacked or infected by a virus. Be it a retina or a non-retina Mac display, the possible reasons lie in incompatibilities between macOS and the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
To troubleshoot Mac screen flickering, try the fixes mentioned below.
- Trying restarting your Mac. In most system-related errors, giving your Mac a restart can solve the issue. Go to the Apple icon and choose Restart to see if it works.
- Update your current macOS version. Since this error may be caused by system incompatibility, users can fix this issue by updating the macOS. Click on the Apple icon and click on About This Mac > Overview. Check the Software Update information and upgrade your macOS.
- Turn off the automatic graphics switching feature. Your Mac automatically switches between the dedicated graphics and integrated graphics. To avoid anything misbehaving when switching, you can disable the automatic switching function. Go to System Preference > Battery > Automatic graphics switching. Untick the box to complete.
Mac keyboard not working
It can be a big headache when the Mac keyboard stops working, be it the built-in one or the external Bluetooth one. You’ll find it impossible to use the shortcuts to perform multiple tasks when your keyboard becomes unresponsive. Sometimes, it’s not the whole keyboard but particular keys that are not functioning, for example, the left Shift key is not working. How can I save myself from this type of dilemma? Try the fixes below to make your Mac keyboard work again.
- Make sure your external USB keyboard is well connected. Try another USB port or another USB cable to test if it’s the connection.
- For those who use a wireless keyboard, you can check the Bluetooth setting to see if it’s disconnected from your Mac. Simply go to Apple icon > System Preference > Bluetooth and check if the wireless keyboard is joined or not. Also, you can disconnect the keyboard first and then pair it again with the Mac.
- Clear up your Mac keyboard. It’s possible your keyboard is covered with dust and dirt due to lack of use and that’s why it’s not working. For maximum cleaning, use a professional keyboard cleaning tool to clear up your Mac keyboard.
Mac trackpad not working
Mac trackpad is designed as a very convenient and versatile feature to replace the use of the mouse. Honestly speaking, I’m using the trackpad myself instead of an external mouse. Whether you are running the MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro, you can scroll up and down the web pages and right-click on Mac with ease. It’s definitely troubling if the trackpad is not working. Below are some quick fixes to get it to work.
- Update macOS to fix possible bugs. Although it looks like a hardware issue, checking for macOS updates can fix bugs that cause your Trackpad not to work.
- Reset Trackpad in the system settings. Since some of you may have changed the Trackpad settings once in a while, you can fix your Trackpad not clicking by resetting it. Navigate to System Preference > Trackpad. In the Point & Click window, find the option, Force Click and haptic feedback, and untick the box. In the Scroll & Zoom window, select Natural as the scroll direction.
