Macs are great machines, considering their performance and durability. But still, they lose their glory with time. They may start acting strange or show signs of aging and slowing down. You don’t need to panic right away because there are DIY fixes to the most common Mac problems. Let’s go.
Random Shutdowns
If your Mac keeps shutting down randomly, it may raise a question about Apple’s reliability. But it is incorrect to think that Apple devices are flawless and invincible. Although Apple works hard to ensure Macs are designed to be much more reliable than their counterparts, issues may crop up now and then.
There might be several reasons why Macs are randomly shutting down, such as battery problems. Sometimes, there might be no reason at all for these frequent shutdowns.
You can fix this issue in the following ways:
- Restarting your computer to ensure your system has a healthy startup. Once your system starts up, press Command + Alt + Escape to force quit the background processes and put your system to sleep or shut it down. Then, restart again.
- Reset the SMC and PRAM
- Update your macOS
Performing Sluggishly
Very few things in life are as annoying as a Mac performing slowly and sluggishly. You didn’t buy a Mac to wait forever to get your tasks done. Also, you don’t have the patience to stare at a blank screen.
You can overcome this nightmare of your Mac taking forever to respond by identifying the causes behind it. For instance, the popular reasons for your Mac performing slowly can be attributed to lack of storage space, outdated operating system, too many junk files, cluttered desktops, etc.
You Can Overcome These Troubles By:
- Freeing up storage space on your device by deleting large and redundant files, unnecessary apps, junk data, etc.
- Check if any OS updates are available by going to the System Preferences app > Software Update. If there’s any pending update, click Update Now.
- Tidy up the desktop. You can do it manually or organize the desktop icons by clicking on View > Sort by. The icons will be automatically arranged.
Misbehaving Applications
Are there apps that are occasionally tripping up your Mac? Is it causing your system to hang?
A misbehaving app can freeze you out and will not let you do anything. You may not even be able to quit the app. That’s where Force Quit comes to the rescue. Press Command + Option + Escape on your keyboard and select the Force Quit option.
Alternatively, you can go to the App Store and check for app updates.
The Login Items Aren’t Compatible
If you are looking at a blue screen as your Mac starts up, it may mean one or more of your startup items are incompatible. Identifying the problem child may take a bit of trial and error.
The login items can be removed one at a time, and then you can start your system to see if the problem is gone. You can do this by going to the System Preferences app > Users & Group > click your name under Current User > click the Login Items > highlight an app > click the minus sign to remove it.
Once the problem child is discovered, you can go back to the Startup Items list and click the plus icon to add applications to the list.
Flickering Display
A flickering Mac screen can cause heartache and headache. But there’s no need to panic because the problem can be fixed without much fuss.
You can reboot your system to see if the problem is resolved. Other steps you can take are:
- Resetting the PRAM and SMC
- Updating macOS
- Switching off automatic graphics switching
- Checking all the physical connections and power outlet
But if these fixes don’t work, visit your nearest Apple service center.
Quick Battery Drainage
Quick battery drainage is another common Mac problem, and this can give you heartache. In addition, if your system operates on too many visual effects and background applications, it can enhance the load on memory and GPU.
You can try the following things to ensure your system is not consuming a lot of battery.
- Don’t work on too many apps simultaneously. Head to the Applications folder > Utilities > Activity Monitor > tap the Energy column and find out how much energy your device is consuming. Quit or stop some of the applications that are consuming too much energy.
- Save battery by reducing screen motion. Click the Apple icon > System Preferences > Accessibility > Display and click next to the Reduce Motion option. Turning off animations will instantly save the battery.
Final Thoughts
This guide will help solve the most annoying yet common Mac problems without running to the Apple service center. Also, it will boost the performance of your device and ensure you can quickly finish the tasks. Read more