So, you’ve made the decision to invest in a MacBook. It’s money well-spent, considering that MacBooks, on average, last for three to six years, compared to a PC laptop’s two to five years. You’ll also be able to avoid most viruses and have an operating system that gets consistent updates.
Unfortunately, like any piece of technology, MacBooks aren’t without their problems. Before you go rushing to the Apple Store for a potentially expensive repair, check out our list of the 10 most common MacBook problems and how you can fix them.
Your MacBook Won’t Charge Properly
Your first order of business: check the outlet where the MacBook is plugged in. The outlet itself could be broken. Following that, check your cable, charger, and charging port for damage.
If there are no signs of damage, make sure your Mac is up to date and restart it. Then, press the Option key while clicking on the battery icon. This will allow you to check on the status of your battery in more detail.
Your MacBook Keeps Dying
See the first option if the issue is with your battery. However, if the MacBook dies out when the battery’s at 75%, there’s another problem. When it shuts down, press and hold the Power button until it powers on and loads MacOS.
Once MacOS has finished loading, reset the MacBook again. This allows it to perform its proper shutdown procedure.
The Sound on Your Macbook Cuts Out
The first thing you need to do is make sure that it’s not the app that’s causing the issue. Do you still hear anything while running iTunes or other apps? If so, then the app likely needs an update, or it could be bugging out.
If not, make sure you haven’t physically damaged the Mac. If you haven’t, try resetting your System Management Controller. Something might have gone awry in your settings.
Your MacBook’s Keys Are Stuck
One of the most common MacBook keyboard problems is stuck keys.
Thankfully, it has an easy fix: use a careful application of compressed air to dislodge all the dust, grime, and other gunk from underneath your keys. Alternatively, you could invest in some keyboard-cleaning goo. (Because let’s face it, your laptop’s one of the most used and least cleaned surfaces in your home.)
Macbook Refuses to Shut Down
Many MacBook models freeze on the shutdown screen. If this happens to you, your first order of business should be to check if there are any apps holding up the process. These are your most likely culprits.
If it’s not an app, you can try booting the Mac in Safe Mode and restarting. If that doesn’t work, head to System Preferences->Security and Privacy->FileVault, and switch FileVault off. FileVault is a known cause of such shutdown issues.
Your MacBook’s Slowing Down
Another common MacBook problem is slowdown issues. Typically, these get caused by running too many apps or tabs at once, causing the MacBook to overheat.
You’ll know you’re overheating by the sound the fan makes. If that noise annoys you, this guide answers the question, “How do I turn off the fan noise on my Mac?”
Sometimes, a simple reset or system update will solve the problem. Failing that, make sure you’ve cleared the files off of your desktop. You should also run your virus scanner to make sure you haven’t picked up anything. Viruses for Macs are uncommon, but not impossible.
Blue Screen at Startup
If you get hit with the BSOD right from the get-go, chances are, something you have set to load at startup isn’t compatible with your Mac. Thankfully, you can disable login items one-by-one to find out which one’s causing the issue. Here’s how:
- Head to System Preferences, then Users&Groups
- Click on your name under Current User
- Click Login Items
- Highlight the app you want to disable and click the ‘-‘ key
- Restart and see if that solves your problem.
Follow these steps, and you should be starting up normally in no time!
App Not Responding
This problem is especially grating when you’re in the middle of working, but fortunately, there’s an easy fix for it. Force Quit, Mac’s equivalent of the much used and abused Task Manager from Windows.
You can either click the Apple icon in the top left and select Force Quit from there, or use Command-Option-Escape. Then, select the problem child app and hit Force Quit.
Where’s My WiFi?
Sometimes, your MacBook might lose connection to your WiFi network. This is a common and annoying MacBook error.
If you’ve checked your router and it’s not a problem with the internet itself, restart the Mac. If that doesn’t work, you might need to reset your network settings and reconnect. Here’s how.
- Head over to System Preferences->Network
- Once there, click the Advanced button to view your Preferred Networks
- Highlight your network and click the ‘-‘ key
- Click Remove to confirm the removal and forget the network
- Then, click on your WiFi icon and reconnect to your network
Once you’ve done that, you should have no problem connecting to the internet.
MacBook Problems That Require a Store Visit
As much as we wish we could DIY everything that goes wrong with our MacBooks, there are some MacBook problems that will require you to visit the Apple Store. Here are the ones you need to watch out for:
- MacBook keeps shutting down or won’t stay charged, and DIY fixes haven’t worked
- The keyboard keys are stuck and cleaning the keyboard didn’t help
- Your MacBook’s slowdown gets accompanied by strange or loud noises
- Any other issues that haven’t responded to attempted user fixes
If you run across these issues, then it might be time to bring your computer in for repairs.
Let’s Review
MacBooks are incredibly reliable machines, but as we’ve discovered, they aren’t without their problems. Hopefully, this list of common MacBook problems and fixes has saved you at least one trip to the Apple Store and helped you save some money in the process.
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