How to fix a Mac that is not responding?

When it comes to defining an unresponsive Mac, this can often be as a result of any number of things. For instance, it’s could be that your mouse/trackpad is frozen. Or, maybe your keyboard doesn’t seem to be functioning properly. Or, perhaps your screen is frozen for whatever reason. In some cases, the problem could be as serious as your screen going completely blank and refusing to turn on! Either way, whichever of these spaniels describes your case, we have a few solutions that may help you fix the problem.

However, before we start you should take note that Macs often tend to freeze because they are lacking sufficient disk space. As such, you should always try to make certain that you have enough storage space left over in your internal hard disk to store temporary files that are needed to keep your applications running without fault.  And you can accomplish this by making sure that you delete any unnecessarily large files or transfer them to an external storage device or computer.

In this regard, many users are advised to use a micro to sd adapter to help facilitate sys transfers in a fast and efficient manner to an SD Card, for example. There are also useful clean up software tools like CleanMyMac X that can help remove any remaining cache files and backups that may be accumulating in your hard drive.

#1. Check If You Have Enough Battery Charge

This may sound obvious it is pretty common that some people forget to check whether or not their devices are charging properly. For instance, it is possible that your power adapter is not working properly. You can find out whether or not that is the case, by connecting to a power source and confirm if the battery is actually charging. If it is charging but the problem persists, then you can then move to the next stage.

#2. Use An External Monitor

In some cases, it is possible that the device is working fine, but your display is the one not functioning properly. This can happen often, if you own a Mac Mini or Pro. In such scenarios, you can end up thinking that your device is the problem, when in reality, it’s your display playing tricks on you. You can always opt to plug in to an external monitor and make sure that the screen works fine or not. You can establish an external connection using a HDMI Cable or a hub hdmi. These accessories will allow you to expand your device’s USB ports and plug in any number of external devices without difficulty. If it still doesn’t work, then at least you know that it is not the source of the problem.

#3. Use safe mode
 

If the display is clearly not at fault, then what you can do next is to reboot your laptop safe mode. This essentially activates your Mac’s basic systems only and doesn’t load any unnecessary third-party programs. This allows it to turn on normally by isolating any external culprits that may be interfering with your device. This mode can be accessed by pressing the Shift + Power buttons while restarting your Mac. But before activating this mode, make sure that all external devices such as usb c hubs, monitors, keyboards, and more, have been disconnected.

In most cases, this should be enough to get your device back in proper working condition. However, if this still does not fix the problem, then you can always try conducting a power cycle.

#4. Conduct A Power Cycle

What this does is temporarily shutdown your device completely. If you own a desktop, just disconnect the power cable from the socket. Otherwise, you can perform a hard restart by pressing the power button down until the screen goes black. Afterwards, turn it back on and the issue should be solved.

Preventative Measures You Can Take

It is possible that the device’s unresponsiveness is being caused by connecting too many external devices and overloading your device’s processor. This often leads to applications freezing, apps crashing and sometimes, a completely unresponsive Mac. However, one way to prevent this is by limiting the number of direct connection and using the best usb c hub in the market to help manage the amount of power that is used. Since each hub only needs one USB port, it can help filter all the external devices you are connecting and ease the burden on your Mac, instead of you connecting these peripherals directly.

Another reason is that you may have installed some conflicting applications that are now getting in each other’s way and causing your device to crash. For instance, if you downloaded two antivirus programs they could end up affecting one another and create such frustrating computer problems. Simply, uninstall one of these apps and clear out any temporary files it may have left behind using a clean-up tool like CleanMyMacX. This should help solve the problem permanently.