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How to Fix Common macOS Boot Issues

How to Fix Common macOS Boot Issues

When macOS fails to boot, it can be a frustrating experience. Whether you’re faced with a spinning wheel, a blank screen, or an error message, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the issue and get your Mac up and running again. This guide will walk you through common macOS boot problems and provide solutions to fix them.

Table of Contents

  1. Common macOS Boot Issues
  2. Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
  3. How to Use macOS Recovery
  4. Reset SMC and NVRAM
  5. Reinstall macOS
  6. When to Contact Apple Support

1. Common macOS Boot Issues

  • Mac Stuck on the Apple Logo: The Mac starts up but freezes on the Apple logo or loading bar.
  • Mac Displays a Blank Screen: The Mac doesn’t show anything after you power it on.
  • Spinning Wheel (Rainbow Wheel): The Mac starts up, but you get stuck with a spinning rainbow wheel.
  • Mac Shows a Folder with a Question Mark: This indicates macOS can’t find a bootable system.
  • Kernel Panic: The Mac shows a “panic” screen and unexpectedly restarts.

2. Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Check the Basics

  • Power Supply: Ensure your Mac is plugged into a power source, especially if it's a laptop.
  • External Devices: Disconnect all external devices (USB drives, printers, etc.), as they may be causing boot issues.
  • Restart the Mac: A simple restart can sometimes resolve minor boot issues.

2. Boot into Safe Mode

Safe Mode can help troubleshoot by loading only essential system software and checking your startup disk for issues.

  1. Turn Off Your Mac: Power off the Mac completely.
  2. Power On and Hold Shift: Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Shift key.
  3. Release the Shift Key: Once you see the login screen, release the Shift key.
  4. Log In: Enter your credentials and check if your Mac boots successfully in Safe Mode.
    • If it does, restart normally to see if the issue persists.
    • If not, proceed with additional troubleshooting steps.

3. Check the Startup Disk

A common issue is that macOS is not recognising the startup disk.

  1. Restart Your Mac and Enter Recovery Mode:
    • Press Command + R immediately after turning on the Mac to enter macOS Recovery.
  2. Select Disk Utility:
    • In the macOS Utilities window, select Disk Utility.
    • Choose your startup disk (usually named “Macintosh HD”) and click First Aid to check for disk errors.
    • If errors are found, Disk Utility will attempt to repair them.

3. How to Use macOS Recovery

macOS Recovery is a powerful tool that can help fix startup issues, reinstall macOS, or restore from a backup.

  1. Enter macOS Recovery: Restart your Mac and hold Command + R during startup.
  2. Select an Option:
    • Restore from Time Machine Backup: If you have a backup, you can restore your Mac to a previous state.
    • Reinstall macOS: Reinstall the macOS system files without erasing your data. This can fix corrupted files preventing boot.
    • Disk Utility: Use Disk Utility to check and repair your hard drive or SSD.

4. Reset SMC and NVRAM

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) and Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM) can help resolve power and hardware-related boot issues.

Reset SMC

  1. For Intel Macs (with T2 chip):
    • Shut down your Mac.
    • Press and hold Control + Option (Alt) + Shift (Right side) for 7 seconds.
    • After 7 seconds, press and hold the Power button as well.
    • Keep all keys pressed for another 7 seconds, then release them.
    • Wait a few seconds, then turn your Mac back on.
  2. For Intel Macs (without T2 chip):
    • Shut down your Mac.
    • Press and hold Shift + Control + Option (Left side) and the Power button for 10 seconds.
    • Release all keys and turn on your Mac.

Reset NVRAM

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Turn it on and immediately press and hold Command + Option + P + R.
  3. Keep the keys pressed for about 20 seconds and release them.
  4. Your Mac will restart, and the NVRAM will be reset.

5. Reinstall macOS

If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, reinstalling macOS can help fix corrupted system files without losing your data.

  1. Enter macOS Recovery by restarting your Mac and holding Command + R.
  2. Select Reinstall macOS from the macOS Utilities menu.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the system.

6. When to Contact Apple Support

If you’ve tried all the steps above and still can’t resolve the issue, it might be a deeper hardware problem or a more complex software issue that requires professional assistance. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store for further diagnosis.

By following these steps, you can resolve many common macOS boot issues and get your Mac back to its optimal state.