One reason that troubleshooting a technical issue can be difficult is because finding the solution requires an understanding and interpretation of the symptoms. Even so, when you call a professional to assist you, one of the first things they will ask you is, “Have you tried restarting the computer?”
By all means, try restarting the Mac first. If that doesn’t fix the issue, there are 3 more things you can do before you call in the professionals like me or the Apple Genius Bar, saving you time and maybe expense. They are…
- Resetting the SMC
- Resetting the NVRAM (formerly called Zapping the PRAM)
- Booting into Safe Mode
These are usually attempted one at a time and only after a simple restart. I like to begin with a simple restart too, but then I often like to save time by doing all 3 of the other steps as part of one operation. Here’s the sequence.
Reset the SMC
The first step in each of these procedures is to shut down the Mac, so while it’s powered off, why not take a step that must be done while it is powered off and does not involve turning it back on. (SMC stands for System Management Controller and it deals with power management and some other hardware components.) Once you shut down (turn off the power) on the Mac, the next steps depend on whether the Mac is a desktop model or a notebook, and if a notebook, whether the battery is removable.
Notebook with Non-removable Battery
- Shut down your Mac.
- Disconnect the MagSafe or USB-C power adapter from your computer.
- Using the built-in keyboard, press Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard, then press the power button at the same time. Hold these keys and the power button for 10 seconds.
- Release all keys.
- Reconnect the power adapter.
Notebook with Removable Battery
- Shut down your Mac.
- Disconnect the MagSafe power adapter from your computer.
- Remove the battery.
- Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
- Reconnect the battery and MagSafe power adapter.
Desktop Mac
- Shut down your Mac.
- Unplug the power cord.
- Wait 15 seconds.
- Plug the power cord back in.
- Wait five seconds before going on to the next phase (Resetting the NVRAM).
If you want to learn more, details can be found at Apple Support.
Resetting the NVRAM
Now you are going to turn on your computer by pressing the power button, but you may want to get your fingers ready, because you are going to want to hold down four keys immediately after pushing the power button. Those keys are Option, Command, P, and R. Keep holding these down until you hear the computer startup chime at least twice. Before releasing them get ready for the final phase (Booting into Safe Mode).
If you want to learn more, details can be found at Apple Support.
Booting into Safe Mode
If you have just reset the NVRAM, then your fingers are still holding those 4 special keys and your Mac is repeatedly chiming. Remove your fingers from those keys and immediately press and hold the Shift key (either Shift key, it doesn’t matter which). Release the Shift key when the login window appears. Don’t worry if boot time seems to be longer than usual; the system is doing some diagnostic work and checking your hard drive. If your disk is encrypted, you may be asked to login twice.
If these steps have not resolved your issue, further troubleshooting is required and you may wish to contact a professional. If the issue appears to be resolved, restart the computer normally, this time without holding any keys down. If the issue returns, further troubleshooting is required and you may wish to contact a professional.
If you want to learn more, details can be found at Apple Support.
Other Troubleshooting
If this sequence did not resolve the issue, more troubleshooting is required. I’ve left some links for more details, and those linked pages contain other links to other troubleshooting procedures, but it does start to get more involved. You can keep going as long as you feel comfortable, and then call in the professionals if it gets to be too much, or you can call in the professionals right away. It’s all up to you.