#APPLE MAC RESTART PROBLEMS MAC OS X#
#APPLE MAC RESTART PROBLEMS INSTALL#
#APPLE MAC RESTART PROBLEMS PRO#

If that doesn’t work try disconnecting peripherals, removing RAM, PCI cards, etc. Try a Safe Boot to disable non-Apple extensions. It is accompanied by the screen slowly darkening from top to bottom before a multilingual warning appears:Ī kernel panic can happen at virtually any point in the boot process and may indicate a corrupt OS, an incompatible kernel extension, or a hardware problem. Mac crashes can take on all sorts of appearances – the Spinning Beach Ball being perhaps the most familiar – but Apple has succeeded in scaring the bejesus out of many users with this dialog. Presented in your native language, or something close.Ī kernel panic is an Operating System crash with an historically colorful name. “You need to restart your computer.” No ifs, ands, or buts. Safe Boot may help too, as that bypasses non-essential fonts and user startup items which you can then remove from your User Library folder Kernel panic Setting up a second, emergency admin account on your Mac is helpful for troubleshooting account problems. Corrupt Fonts or bad Preference Files (.plist) are common culprits. A hang at a blue screen, at the login window, or at the image of your blank desktop often indicates a Problem with a User Account. Mac blue screen or blank desktopĪfter the Operating System has finished loading the loginwindow process manager takes over and deposits you at your desktop.

#APPLE MAC RESTART PROBLEMS INSTALL#

If that doesn’t work, an Archive & Install may be needed. DiskWarrior is also worth a shot (this is by far my most used disk utility). Rebooting your Mac in Safe Mode can sometimes get things working well-enough that a second, normal reboot then works normally Hold down the Shift key at startup to boot in Safe Mode. It may also be having trouble accessing an internal or external hardware component, but this is less-likely.

#APPLE MAC RESTART PROBLEMS MAC OS X#

What this means for us mortals is that when a Mac stalls at the Apple logo or the logo with a spinning gear, it probably has a corrupt Mac OS X installation. Shortly thereafter it transfers command to the almighty (and controversial) launchd process. Once the spinning gear appears the BSD kernel (Darwin) has assumed command and begins loading device drivers. When the Apple Logo appears your Mac has found a valid system disk, and Mac OS X begins loading.

#APPLE MAC RESTART PROBLEMS PRO#

You can also try Apple Disk Utility or another third-party utility like TechTool Pro or Drive Genius to try to repair the disk. If the drive is OK after repairs but the Mac still won’t boot, do an Archive & Install of Mac OS X to replace the operating system.

This can indicate a corrupt installation of Mac OS X or a failed (or failing) hard drive.Ī pass through the excellent DiskWarrior utility is highly recommended for any disk-related startup problems. The flashing question mark or a circle/slash means your Mac can’t find a valid startup disk. Leaving a failing drive struggling too long can cause further damageįlashing question mark with folder, or circle/slash Sometimes switching on/off a few times can help, but don’t push things under these circumstances.

This can indicate a failed or failing hard drive. Sometimes a Mac will power on but the hard drive will squeal, whine very loudly or make ticking sounds. If your Mac doesn’t make any noise at all when switching it on, or if you hear the fans running but nothing else, you may again have a power supply or logic board failure. Listening to your computer may seem a bit metaphysical, but can provide helpful clues to startup problems. Sometimes plugging in the computer and letting it sit for 30-60 minutes recharges the battery enough to permit booting. A dead or dying PRAM battery can prevent a Mac from booting or cause erratic behavior. If the date and time reset each time you unplug the Mac you need a new PRAM battery. Macs also have another battery, called the PRAM (or NV-RAM) battery, that saves things like network settings, choice of startup drive, etc.

Apple mac restart problems