Apple makes very reliable gadgets, and it’s not unusual for a MacBook to still work perfectly years after it was bought. But that only sometimes happens, and even the best gadgets will have problems from time to time. In the case of Apple, that means a frozen Mac that makes a wheel spin. What’s wrong is annoying, and it will stop all of your computer work.
Luckily, the problem can be fixed in a number of ways. One of these solutions will work for your problem since most of them work on all Macs, including MacBooks and desktop Macs.
There are a few things you can do to get your Mac to stop freezing: force-quit apps that won’t respond, reset the System Management Controller, reset PRAM/NVRAM, and start up in safe mode.
#1. Force quit unresponsive apps
If your Mac is frozen (i.e. won’t do anything), the first thing you should do is see if an app is locking it up. If you can’t get rid of an app because it’s frozen, press Ctrl and click on its icon in the Dock, then move your mouse over the Quit button. Hold down Option (on some Mac computers, this is called Alt) until Quit changes to Force Quit. Then click this.
You could also press Opt+Cmd+Esc to get to the Force Quit box. Select the programme you wish to terminate, and then press Force Quit (or Relaunch in the case that Finder has frozen). Press Force Quit in the box that appears next to confirm.
If your Mac still doesn’t boot after trying the solutions above, try pressing the power button in addition to Ctrl, Opt, and Command. By doing so, your Mac will restart.
#2. Reset the System Management Controller
The System Management Controller (SMC) in your Mac handles many tasks behind the scenes, such as managing the battery and lighting up the computer. The SMC might need to be reset if your Mac is frozen.
What you do will depend on whether or not your Mac has a T2 Security Chip. If your MacBook doesn’t have at least a 2016 or later MacBook Pro, turn it off and press the power button along with Shift, Ctrl, and Option. Release all of these keys when you are through. Now is the time to push the power button on your Mac. Is there no T2 chip on your Mac desktop? If that’s the case, shut down your Mac, remove the power cord, wait fifteen seconds, and then reconnect it.
The steps are different if your Mac has a T2 chip. First, turn off your MacBook or desktop Mac. Then, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds. Hold it down for a second, then press it again to turn on the Mac.
You’ll need to follow the steps on Apple’s website if you have an older MacBook with a battery that can be taken out.
#3. Reset PRAM/NVRAM
The PRAM and NVRAM on your Mac are small pieces of memory that hold settings that the computer needs to check quickly. Either the PRAM or the NVRAM could be broken if your Mac starts to freeze.
This could help, and the steps are the same for both. Please turn off your Mac first, then turn it on and press Opt+Cmd+P+R right away. Hold these keys down for 20 seconds. During that time, your Mac may restart, but don’t let go of the keys for 20 seconds.
If your Mac has a starting sound that plays when you turn it on, you can let go of the keys when this sound plays. After the Apple sign has appeared and disappeared twice, you can release it if your Mac has a T2 Security Chip.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to remove any software passwords before you can reset the PRAM and NVRAM. Apple has a page with steps on how to remove the firmware password.
#4. Boot up in safe mode
If your Mac stops, loading it in safe mode might fix the problem or help you figure out what’s wrong in the first place. Safe mode checks the security of your startup disc and stops some programmes and apps from running.
When you turn your Mac back on, press and hold the Shift key right away, and it will put it in safe mode. When you see the login box, let go of the Shift key. If you used FileVault to encrypt your startup disc, you might need to log in twice: once to open the disc and again to get into Finder.
Now, restarting your Mac the way it usually does. If your Mac doesn’t freeze when you use it, safe mode may have fixed the problem. If the freezing happens when you’re not in safe mode, it could be a problem with login items (apps that load when you first log in), Wi-Fi networking, or an external device. This is because safe mode limits or turns off all of these things.
The support page for Apple has more information on safe mode that might be useful.
#5. Run the Apple Diagnostic Test (or Apple Hardware Test on older Macs)
Run the Apple Diagnostic Test if your Mac is frozen because of a hardware problem:
- Unplug everything from the wall except the power line, keyboard, mouse, screen, Ethernet connection (if you have one), and the keyboard.
- Make sure your Mac is on a solid, flat surface that has good airflow.
- Could you turn it off?
After you turn your Mac back on, press and hold the D key right away and keep holding it until you see a screen that asks you what language you want to use. Pick the language you want to use, and then wait while the test runs. A few minutes should be enough time for this.
If the test finds any problems, it will list them along with possible ways to fix them. It also tells you how to contact Apple so that the problem can be fixed and gives you reference codes for any problems that were found.
For Macs that came out before June 2013, use the Apple Hardware Test instead.
#6. Finally, visit an Apple Store with your Mac if everything else fails.
You should get help from a professional if your Mac keeps freezing up even after you’ve tried everything. Simply put, qualified technicians have been trained to correctly identify and treat Mac problems that you might not know how to handle.
Seek out an Apple Store or an Apple Authorised Service Provider close to you by visiting locate.apple.com and following the on-screen instructions.
If you want to go to something other than Apple, find a service shop that works with Macs without going to Apple. You should make sure, though, that the shop is an Apple Authorised Service Provider. This means that Apple has approved both the replacement parts and the techs’ skills.
Why did my Mac completely freeze?
If your Mac freezes all the time, it could be because of a problem with the software you have open, broken hardware, or needing more RAM or storage space. If you still need to figure out what’s wrong with your computer, read our guide to common MacBook problems and how to fix them.
There are more Mac tips in our piece about the best keyboard shortcuts for Mac.
