A frozen or unresponsive Mac can be frustrating. However, there are several steps you can take to try and fix the issue. Here are some tips on what to do if your Mac freezes.
Force Quit Apps
If your Mac is frozen, one of the first things to try is force quitting any applications that may be causing the issue. Here’s how:
- Press Command + Option + Esc to open the Force Quit window.
- Select any apps that are not responding and click Force Quit.
- This will force the apps to close, which may resolve the freeze.
Force quitting apps can help eliminate software issues that are freezing your Mac. If force quitting apps does not resolve the freeze, move on to the next steps.
Restart Your Mac
If force quitting apps does not work, restarting your Mac is the next logical step. Here is how to restart a frozen Mac:
- Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off.
- After a few moments, turn your Mac back on and see if the issue is resolved once it boots up.
Restarting your Mac essentially performs a “hard reset”, which can clear out any system errors or glitches causing the freeze. Restarting will also force quit all open apps. Try this before moving on to more advanced fixes.
Reset NVRAM/PRAM
Resetting the NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) or PRAM (Parameter RAM) can help resolve freezing issues on Macs. Here is how to reset the NVRAM/PRAM:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command + Option + P + R.
- Keep holding the keys until you hear the startup chime a second time.
- Release the keys and let your Mac finish starting up.
Resetting NVRAM/PRAM clears out certain system settings and caches that can get corrupted and cause problems like freezes. Try this step if restarting does not resolve the issue.
Start up in Safe Mode
Booting into Safe Mode starts your Mac with only the essential system files and software loaded. This allows you to isolate potential freezing issues. Here is how to start up in Safe Mode:
- Fully shut down your Mac.
- Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key.
- Keep holding Shift until you see the login window.
- If your Mac stops freezing in Safe Mode, it indicates that third-party software may be causing the issue.
Use Safe Mode to detect if any third-party apps, drivers, or login items are causing the freezing problem. If your Mac works normally in Safe Mode, uninstall or update any problematic software.
Check for Software Updates
Freezing issues are sometimes caused by bugs in the operating system, apps, or drivers that get addressed with software updates. Here’s how to check for updates:
- Click the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
- Click Software Update to check for macOS updates.
- Open the App Store app to check for updates to installed apps.
- Check the websites of app developers for available updates.
Installing the latest updates can potentially resolve any freezing bugs. Keep your software updated to prevent and troubleshoot freezing issues.
Test Hardware Issues
Freezing may also be caused by underlying hardware problems in some cases. Try the following steps to test for hardware issues:
- Check cooling fans are working – Use a tool like Macs Fan Control.
- Test RAM – Run Apple Hardware Test or MemTest.
- Check drive errors – Use Disk Utility to verify/repair disk.
- Try removing peripheral devices.
- Check CPU temperature – Use a system monitor app.
Resolving any hardware-related freezing issues may require professional servicing of your Mac. Back up important data first.
Erase and Reinstall macOS
A clean install of the operating system can fix software corruption and configuration issues causing freezes:
- Back up your data.
- Boot into Recovery mode – Hold Command + R on startup.
- Select Disk Utility and erase/reformat the drive.
- Reinstall macOS from the Recovery partition or external installer.
- Restore data from your backup.
Erasing and performing a clean OS install should resolve most serious software freezing situations. This should be considered a last resort fix.
Conclusion
Freezing issues on a Mac can often be resolved with simple troubleshooting steps like force quitting apps, restarting, clearing NVRAM/PRAM, starting in Safe Mode, or installing updates. For hardware-related freezes, testing components like RAM and drives can identify problems. Erasing and reinstalling the OS should fix persistent software corruption. Back up important data before troubleshooting. If you cannot resolve the freezing, seek professional help from an Apple technician.