What to do if your Mac freezes? Reboot and force shutdown your MacBook Hard reboot your Mac.
If your MacBook freezes, don’t be scared or panic. Almost every owner of an Apple laptop experiences a similar situation at least once in their life. It manifests itself in the fact that the software does not respond, and instead of a cursor, a spinning wheel is displayed. In this case, the laptop does not respond to key presses.
All these troubles are corrected by rebooting. How to perform this operation without harming files and the operating system - read this instruction.
1 The procedure is implemented using an analogue of the “Start” element. It pops up when you click on the Apple symbol in the top left. If you don’t find one, most likely the full screen mode is active. Place the courses at the very top of the display - a menu bar will appear. At the top left you will see the Apple company's logo. As soon as the cursor is removed from the menu line, the line itself will be removed - only the window will be saved. 2 If you find this method unsuitable for yourself, exit full screen mode. Place the cursor at the top of the display and click on the 2nd arrow at the top. The open window will curl up and become smaller. A line with Apple symbols will again appear at the top. 3 Next, place the cursor on the Apple company icon and click on the left mouse element. If you use a touchpad, a single click anywhere will be enough. A menu will pop up with sections for sleep mode, reboot and other elements. Of course, select reboot and click on the left mouse element. The device will reboot. Keep in mind that not all files will be lost - the corresponding window will notify you about this. 4 Do not rush to reboot if any software is frozen. Wait a while for the cursor to turn into a spinning ball. This usually happens within 2-3 minutes. If the software still does not respond in any way, use the Finder’s force termination option (it is also activated in the menu at the top). A window will appear where you can select the “frozen” software and close it with the appropriate element. 5 It happens that the device itself freezes. At the same time, he does not react in any way to any actions of his “master”. The cursor does not move, keyboard shortcuts do not help. Here, the only way out of the situation is to perform the operation forcibly. To do this, you need to click on the MacBook's power button and hold it for several seconds until the display goes dark. After this, you can turn on the device again.
As you can see, rebooting a MacBook if it freezes is quite simple. You can restart your MacBook in the usual way or force it. The operation is performed forcibly if the keyboard keys of a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or any other device model do not respond to touch. In any case, a forced system restart is performed only in extreme cases.
If your MacBook is not functioning well: other reasons
When developing laptops, Apple undoubtedly tried to create a device that was comfortable to use. The company was concerned not only with broad functionality, but also with consumer convenience. When purchasing a new Mac Air (or any other line), you can rest assured that it will serve you for at least 3 years without any problems. But even if the load on the system is high and something goes wrong in the operation of the gadget, the problem can always be corrected.
If your MacBook freezes when running several types of software at the same time, there is probably a lack of RAM. Whether this is true or not is easily determined through the “System Monitoring” application (look for it in the memory item). The latter displays a message about the RAM used. And if there is almost no empty space, the trouble lies precisely in this.
To free up space for other software, close all unnecessary applications. This applies to browsers, instant messengers and the like. Restart the software you are using. The largest amount of RAM is stolen by browsers, as well as software for video and graphics. But if the device “slows down” precisely due to a lack of RAM, it is better to install larger RAM elements.
The performance of the MacBook may also be reduced due to problems with the hard drive or its slow functions. If the laptop freezes when opening files on a specific location on the hard drive or when copying, you need to check the status of the drive in the disk element (built-in). Here you can also perform disk recovery if the cause is a software problem.
The functioning of the device is successfully accelerated by clearing free space on the drive. Statistics show that even when it is 50% full, problems begin. The device begins to slowly freeze.
If the hard drive fails, it is better to replace it as quickly as possible. The best performance will be ensured during installation solid state drive as main or backup storage. This will not only remove any lag, but will also improve overall productivity.
If the MacBook is “buggy” after updating the operating system or the system performance has noticeably decreased after this operation, the source of the trouble may lie in Spotlight indexing. Because the disk search process is time-consuming, Spotlight indexes files to quickly identify them. But the indexing operation, as noted earlier, is very lengthy. And it will inevitably lead to decreased productivity. During the operation, a window with information about the current stage will pop up.
The loss of performance during indexing is most typical for hard drives, and the period of operation depends 100% on the amount of free space. When using an SSD, Spotlight indexing does not impact performance.
If it is not possible to wait for the operation to complete or you need to work on your laptop right now, you can disable Spotlight for a while and then resume its operation. To do this, you need to enter the characters “sudo mdutil -a -i off” in the terminal. Enabling is done with the symbols “sudo mdutil -a -i on”.
The presence of a huge number of files on the desktop can also cause a loss of performance. Since the MacBook operating system loads previews for all desktop elements from the very beginning and stores this information in memory, to prevent freezes, it is necessary to clear the desktop of “garbage” - unused documentation, pictures, and the like.
The most common cause of freezes is the accumulation of dust and small debris in the cooling system. If the laptop operates slowly and overheats greatly under normal loads, and it has not been cleaned for a long time, the problem definitely lies there. Accordingly, it will be easy to resolve - you only need to thoroughly clean the device from dust.
If the problem is still not resolved, go to a repair shop for diagnostics. Since the reason for the decrease in performance may be hardware problems, this can lead to even more dramatic problems. Few people can fix such breakdowns on their own; this requires the help of a specialist, because you will have to hide the MacBook case.
And if you know that nothing serious happened to your MacBook, and it just decided to freeze due to lack of free disk space, just try restarting it. Most likely, the problem will be resolved.
Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.
If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.
Warranty and responsibility
A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.
Half the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works with suppliers directly, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts for current models, so you don’t have to waste extra time.
Free diagnostics
This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for service center. Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you don't have to pay a penny for it, even if you don't repair the device based on its results.
Service repairs and delivery
A good service values your time, so it offers free delivery. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.
Convenient schedule
If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00
The reputation of professionals consists of several points
Company age and experience
Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.
How many masters in areas
If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give your Macbook for repair to an expert in the field of Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices
Technical literacy
If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.
Computers on operating system Mac OS is famous for its reliability. But this does not mean that they are completely protected from force majeure situations. Problems may arise with your computer, most often of a software nature. If you see an endless boot process when you turn on your Macbook or iMac, you can solve this problem using the tips from our article.
Table of contents:Why does Macbook freeze on boot?
The reasons that lead to a computer freezing on Mac OS when loading are quite commonplace:
- Malfunction of an “iron” nature. For example, malfunctions may occur hard drive(ssd) or failure of memory, processor and other components;
- Software malfunction. The most common reason for a Mac OS computer to freeze at boot is a failed update. In this case, the problem may arise, as after a major system update to new version, and after a small system update that eliminates various problems and vulnerabilities.
Please note: In addition to the options listed above, a Macbook can also freeze due to incompatibility with the devices connected to it. If the problem occurs after connecting a flash drive or other device to the computer via a port, try disconnecting it and starting the computer.
What to do if your Macbook freezes on boot
The first thing you need to make sure is that the computer is actually freezing. Check if the laptop battery is charged and connect it to power. If something appears on the screen, follow the steps below in order.
Boot your computer into safe mode
The first thing you should try is to boot your computer into Safe Boot mode. When booting in this mode, the MacBook accesses only key utilities and system functions, excluding various third-party applications from early download.
To boot MacBook in Safe Boot mode, you must:
- Turn off the computer completely (do not put it into sleep mode);
- When turning on, hold down the Shift button;
- Next, the computer should boot into safe mode. It is worth noting that booting into safe mode is a fairly lengthy process. However, if there are serious software or technical problems, the computer may freeze even when starting in safe mode.
Please note: Mac OS also has Verbose Mode. It allows you to start your computer in safe mode with additional information about the boot process. That is, you can track which drivers are loaded, software, processes and so on. To boot your computer in this mode, when you turn on your Mac,Book, hold down Shift+Command+V.
If you can boot your computer in safe mode, try rebooting it using the top menu. That is, click on the apple at the top left and select “Restart”. If after this the computer starts in normal mode, we can assume that the problem has been resolved.
Using Disk Utility
If the above option does not solve the problem, you can try checking the status of your hard drive. It is possible that the computer freezes when loading precisely because of drive problems.
The Mac OS operating system has a built-in disk utility designed to check the drive. It can be launched either from the Mac OS interface (if you manage to start your computer and it freezes when loading from time to time) or from recovery mode.
To enter recovery mode, hold down the keys while your computer is starting up. Command+R. Booting into recovery mode will be indicated by a screen titled “OS X Utilities.” Select “Disk Utility” from the list of available utilities and click “Continue”;
On the next screen you need to select HDD and click “First Aid” to start the test.
If, during the scan, the utility finds problems with the hard drive, it will offer to fix them. When all the errors found are corrected, try restarting your computer again.
Save a backup
The Mac OS operating system has a “Mode external drive" This is a special option for booting a computer in which you can access the hard drive and the information stored on it. In this case, access to information can be obtained without downloading Mac OS itself.
To launch external drive mode and copy the necessary information from the hard drive of your Mac OS computer, you will need:
After booting, you will notice that another disk has appeared on the computer where the operating system is loaded. Essentially, you can use Thunderbolt to turn a second MacBook into just an external hard drive. Then, through Finder, you can transfer information from one computer to another.
Important: After completing the transfer of data from the source computer, use Finder to remove the device, and do not simply disconnect the cable. If this is not done, the copied information risks not being saved.
Reinstalling Mac OS
When the methods given above fail to solve the problem, the only option left is to reinstall the operating system. Make sure that all necessary data has been saved, and then start the computer in recovery mode. To do this, while loading, hold down Command+R.
A screen with Mac OS utilities will load. Here you need to select the “Reinstall macOS” utility. Next, follow the instructions until the operating system is reinstalled.
Please note: If the computer freezes during the installation of the operating system or continues to freeze after reinstallation at boot time, this indicates a mechanical problem. Most likely the hard drive is damaged, RAM or device processor.
On the macOS operating system. We told you about their use, and even told you how for various actions. In today's article, we will talk about the keyboard shortcuts to shut down or restart your Apple computer or laptop.
In contact with
We have also already touched on the shutdown window in macOS. However, using hot keys you can control your Mac faster and also use functions that are not provided dialog box turning off the computer.
It’s worth noting right away that all of the above keyboard shortcuts use the key Power, which is present next to the keyboard on the MacBook, on older generations of laptops that have a CD/DVD drive, as well as on computers with an external keyboard, you can use it instead eject key(Eject) – it is located in the upper right corner of the keyboard.
Shut down your Mac
When you press the keys simultaneously Control + ⌘Command + ⌥Option + Power/Eject Your computer will automatically close all programs and turn off, without requiring any confirmation from the user, except, of course, saving changes to programs.
Going to sleep mode
To put your computer into sleep mode, press the following keys simultaneously: ⌥Option + ⌘Command + Power/Eject. Although, on a MacBook it’s easier to just close the lid to go into sleep mode.
Reboot
To quickly restart your computer, press simultaneously: Control + ⌘Command + Power/Eject
Turning off the display
To turn off the display, but still leave the computer running, press the following key combination: Control + ⇧Shift + Power/Eject.
If you are having difficulties with your MacBook, if one or more applications are not responding, there is a rainbow spinning ball on the screen instead of a cursor, and the MacBook does not respond to key presses in any way, do not be alarmed. There are several methods on how to deal with these problems and restart your MacBook without harming it.
You will need
- MacBook
Instructions
