Okay, your Mac is slowing down and showing signs of aging. The apps might be unresponsive, and your system may face trouble performing regular tasks with the same ease as it once did. Still, there’s no need to worry or get restless about replacing your system immediately. Your system has lots of juice left if you know how to alleviate the problems.
No, don’t have to call the technician or run to the Apple service center. It would be best if you learned the following DIY hacks to fix Mac problems quickly. Let’s go.
The Escape Key is not Working
The Escape key is responsible for most abort or cancel operations. If you encounter the Escape button not working issue, it can impact your interaction with your Mac system. Without this key, bringing up the force quit dialog box will be a considerable problem when apps stop functioning or responding. It would be best if you did not ignore this for too long.
This key might stop working if you have spilled liquid on your keyboard, dropped heavy objects onto your Mac’s keyboard, etc. Also, you must check if there’s a problem with the hardware by going to System Preferences > Accessibility > Keyboard > check the box next to Enable Accessibility Keyboard > use Escape key on the virtual keyboard. If the button works on the virtual keyboard, there’s something wrong with the physical keyboard, and you may consider replacing it.
Startup Problems
If your device fails to boot and you are staring at a gray or blank screen, you must boot your device in Safe Mode. Here, macOS will boot with the bare minimum of drivers and software required. Also, it will check your startup disk to find and fix errors.
You can boot your system in Safe Mode by pressing and holding the Shift key. The Apple logo will appear, and then the login screen. Release the Shift key when the logo disappears, and the login screen appears. It might take a few minutes because your device runs diagnostics on the hard drive. You can leave the Safe Mode by restarting your device without pressing any key.
The Apps are not Responding
You may find apps behaving strangely, which might be a regular or occasional affair. For example, the apps might be unresponsive and won’t let you do anything, including quit the app. To alleviate the problem, you must master the Force Quit command. First, press the Command + Option + Escape keys to bring up the Force Quit dialog box and then highlight the app or apps that are unresponsive. Then, click on the Force Quit button. You can hold down the Command or Shift key to make multiple selections before clicking on the Force Quit button.
The Login Items aren’t Compatible
Are you staring at a blue screen? It is a common problem, and most Mac users complain of the blue screen when they start their Mac. This might indicate that one of the startup items is not compatible with your macOS. While it might be a bit of trial and error, you will eventually identify the culprit. For this, you have to remove the login items one at a time and start your Mac after each removal. Then, if the problem is gone, you have found your problem child.
To remove the login items, go to System Preferences > click Users & Groups > click your name under Current User > click the Login Items tab > highlight the app you want to remove, and click the minus icon.
The login items will get removed from the list, and you must start your device to check if the problem is solved. If not, repeat the process until you have alleviated the issue.
If you want to add the removed login items back again, you can click the plus icon by going to the Login Items tab.
There’s no Internet Connection
Not connecting to the Internet is a huge problem and one that can freak you out. For example, suppose you have a deadline to meet, and your Mac refuses to connect to your Wi-Fi network. You will indeed have a mini heart attack.
Fortunately, you can fix the problem by forgetting the Wi-Fi network and then reconnecting to the same network. You can also restart your computer to see if the issue is resolved.
Sometimes, your computer might try to connect to open Wi-Fi networks that may not have any connection. You need to check if your device is connected to your Wi-Fi network. Also, you can switch off and restart your Wi-Fi router to check if the problem is fixed.
You must call your ISP to find out if it is a server problem. In that case, you have to wait until the servers are back up.
The Bottom Line
Don’t panic when faced with a Mac problem; deal with it head-on. This guide will give you the confidence to alleviate your everyday Mac problems and stay on track.