11 tips to fix any common errors on Mac

macOS is a reliable operating system but it also cannot avoid fundamental errors and needs to be fixed. The following article summarizes the 11 fastest ways to fix common errors such as slow system, application crashes or non-responding, .

1. Reboot the Mac

Depending on the problem you are having, rebooting your computer is the easiest method to fix it. This method is often used when a certain application suddenly doesn't work. Macs have a fast reboot speed, so this is the first suggestion if you want to fix a basic bug on macOS.

2. Reset PRAM and NVRAM

To reset PRAM and NVRAM, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the device
2. Turn on the device
3. Hold down Command + Option + P + R before hearing the sound of the phone turning on (or the Apple logo appears).
   Option + Command + P + R
4. Hold the key combination until the device restarts, you will hear the sound of the phone open (or see the apple icon) a second time
5. Release your hand from the key combination

3. Start Safe Mode

To start Safe Mode, restart the computer and immediately hold down the Shift key until you see the process bar appear below the device. This is an indication that your Mac has booted into Safe Mode, which will also clear some added cache. While in Safe Mode, reboot the device normally, without holding the Shift key .

4. Reset System Management Controller (SMC)

It takes several steps to reset SMC, depending on which device you're using (desktop Mac or MacBook laptop). Here are the steps for both models

How to Reset SMC on desktop Macs

1. Turn off the Mac
2. Remove the power plug
3. Wait about 15 seconds
4. Plug the power cord back in
5. Wait for about 5 seconds, then press the power button to turn on the device

How to Reset SMC on MacBook

1. Turn off the MacBook
2. Remove the device charger
3. Press the key combination Shift + Control + Option and press the power button at the same time. Hold down the key combination with the power button for about 10 seconds.
4. Release your keys
5. Plug in and charge again
6. Press the power button to turn on the device

MacBook models with Touch ID, this is the power button on the machine.

5. Repair hard drive permissions

Fixing hard drive rights is an outdated method with OS X El Capitan, a version that automatically protects file system permissions. If you are still using OS X Yosemite or below, please continue reading.

Fixing the right hard drive is an action you can do, regardless of time and even if your Mac has no problems.

To do this, open Disk Utility (this depends on the version of the operating system you are using, you can find it in Launchpad or hide Command + Space and then type Disk Utility into Spotlight ), select the main hard drive (e.g. Macintosh HD) and then click Repair Disk Permissions .

Disk Utility on old macOS

6. Verify and repair the drive

You can verify the status of the disk and file system in Disk Utility. In newer versions of macOS, Apple calls it the First Aid feature.

Disk Utility on macOS Catalina

In most cases, it will not have any problems, but if something is detected, you must fix it immediately. To repair the drive, you must boot into Recovery Mode. Boot into Recovery Mode, reboot your Mac and hold Command + R until the apple logo appears.

Once Recovery Mode is enabled, select the main hard drive on your computer and click on Repair Disk or First Aid , depending on the operating system version you are using.

7. Reset Safari and clear Cache

Note: Safari cannot be reset on recent versions of the operating system.

To reset Safari and empty the cache, launch Safari and select Reset Safari. For older versions of Safari, go to Preferences to clear the cache.

Reset Safari

If you use a separate password management application, you must uncheck Remove saved names and passwords and back up all your accounts and passwords before being wiped.

Clear Safari history

On newer versions of macOS, clear the Safari cache by going to Safari> Clear History . Or you can delete the data on each website by going to Safari> Preferences> Privacy> Manage Website Data .

8. Delete the cache folder

Macs and most applications use a lot of cache, sometimes corrupted cache is also a cause of many problems. To clear the cache open the Finder , press Command + Shift + g and type ~ / Library / Caches .

Cache directory in Finder

Alternatively, just go to the home folder (~) and then to the subfolder of the Library. However, from OS X 10.7 (Lion) Apple has decided to hide the Library folder, so use the shortcut Command + Shift + g , or go to the Finder menu: Go> Go to Finder . will be faster.

Inside the Library, you will see the cache folder. Go to that directory and delete all content in it. Do not delete the contents of the Library, only the cache folder.

Repeat these steps for the cache directories below:

1. / Library / Caches
2. / System / Library / Caches

With these two directories, macOS will ask you to enter your device's password. When the content is cleared, restart the computer and then, empty the trash.

9. Update to the latest software version

Every software update, Apple patches security holes and fixes bugs. Perhaps the problem you are having is because the version of the operating system you are using is outdated. Therefore, please update to the latest version of macOS for your device.

10. Create a new user account

Sometimes, some problems are related to user accounts and the best solution is to create a new account. However, this may cause you to lose all your old data and settings. Only use this method if the problem is related to your account but cannot be solved by any other method. Before deleting your old account on your device, make a backup of all important data.

Add users to the device

To create a new user account, open System Preferences> Users & Groups . Click on the lock icon below and select the plus sign . Follow the steps to set up a new account for the device.

11. Reinstall macOS

Reinstalling the operating system is the most dangerous method, but sometimes it's a last resort. Before reinstalling the operating system, back up your data many times and across multiple devices. Also record some important settings that you can perform again on the machine.

Sometimes, Time Machine can help you regain a backed up user account, but most other cases do not have such luck.

The fastest way to reinstall macOS is to boot into Recovery Mode, erase the main hard drive and reinstall from the Recovery Console.

If none of the above fixes the problem on your device, it's best to take the device to an Apple service center for a careful review.