Infuriating Mac Problems & Their Simple Solutions

Being a Mac owner, you will face some unwanted, infuriating problems. These issues may make you want to smash your system against the wall. But fortunately, it won’t come to that because issues on Macs can be solved quickly.

Here’s a guide to help you troubleshoot like a pro.

Cannot Connect to the App Store

If you cannot connect to the App Store, it might be because there is a connection issue, the App Store is down, or you need to sign in again.

Check your Wi-Fi connection to solve the problem. If the issue persists and your MacBook Pro cannot connect to App Store, see if the App Store’s server is functioning by going to Apple’s System Status page.

Cannot Turn on the Device

If your device refuses to turn on, it can frustrate you. These are some fixes:

• Check whether the screen is turned off or your device doesn’t have power – If you have powered up your system, you can see the Caps Lock key lighting up or the device making a chiming noise when the power button is pressed, the problem is with the screen. Check if you have turned off the screen. If pressing the button doesn’t help, you may need to change the screen or take it to the service center.

• Find out if there’s any power issue – Covering the basics must be your first step to solving any issue. In this case, check if there’s any problem with the battery or the charging cable. If your laptop works with a different power cord, replace the cord. Also, check whether the battery needs a replacement.

Besides these, you can start your computer in Safe mode. Your device will only run the basics and repair damages in this mode. While in this mode, you can check whether any login items are misbehaving. Then, you can delete the login items one by one to check if the problem is resolved.

The External Drive is Unmounted or Unrecognized

External drives not recognized or mounted are a common problem faced by Mac users. It will bother you if you cannot find the external drive in the Finder. It will prevent you from accessing the data stored in the drive. You can fix the issue by trying these things:

• Unplug the external drive and then restart your computer. Then, connect the external drive again and see if it works.
• Boot your system in Safe mode to see if any unnecessary plugins are causing the problem.
• Check for driver updates and if you find any, install them.
• Try connecting the drive to a different port or connecting type.
• If all else fails, swap the hard drive enclosure.

Sometimes, external drives fail if the directory structure is badly damaged or they have bad sectors. So it is essential to recover the data and replace the drive with a new one.

Mails or Folders are Disappearing

Some users have reported that several mail folders and files have disappeared after updating their macOS. Or there are empty folders.

To prevent experiencing such situations, the first step is to back up your files and folders. You can use iCloud to store your files. Back them up in the cloud storage service and access them remotely from anywhere and on any device. You can also store your files and folders in SSDs and external hard drives.

If you cannot find your mail folders after a software update, you can try reindexing and rebuilding the Mail application on your Mac. Then, the problem should get solved.

You can check in the Trash if folders have disappeared from the desktop. Alternatively, you can use data recovery software to help you find the files and documents that have disappeared.

Kernel Panic

If your system is frequently restarting and the screen is black with an error message saying you need to restart your system again, your system is probably experiencing kernel panic.

Kernel panic on Macs is similar to the blue screen of death that Windows users experience. This issue can happen anytime and typically occurs without warning. It won’t let you save your work if this happens. So you must never forget to take backup and save your work. To fix the problem, you can follow any of these steps:

• Increase RAM and memory space of your system because kernel panics occur when there’s insufficient memory space or RAM.
• Update all the drivers, plugins, and firmware because if they are outdated, you may encounter problems.
• Check the peripherals and ensure they are compatible with your system.
• Start your computer in Safe mode so your system can clean up the processes and programs causing problems.

Bottom Line

Mac users may encounter problems occasionally, but they can be solved quickly. Follow the methods mentioned above.