Mac Issues You Should Have Known Earlier

Macs boast user-friendliness and reliability. But if you look closer, you will see that Mac devices are not flawless. They are also prone to issues that might hinder your productivity and impact your user experience.

To make sure you are not surprised the next time your Mac acts up, here are some common Mac problems that you must know from the get-go.

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The Disk is not Readable

Do you have important files on your external files? Do you want to transfer those files to your Mac? Usually, the process is simple. Connect the external drive to your Mac, and then you can copy the content onto your computer.

Easy, right?

Things start to feel challenging when you see the message ‘the disk attached was not readable by this computer’, and instantly panic will start to set in. You can calmly handle this situation if you are prepared for it.

So, the plausible reasons why you may see this error message are disk failure, malware, or hardware problems.

If the disk is damaged, you can use Disk Drill to recover the files. If the problem is hardware-related, you can reset SMC to fix the issue.

Also, you may see this message because the disk is encrypted. In this case, you must decrypt the disk before using it.

Battery Woes

Battery drainage is the most common problem Mac users deal with. You can reset power management and restart your computer if the battery is draining faster than usual. You can also reset SMC. To reset SMC, switch off your system > press the power button, and hold Shift + Control + Option > release all the keys to boot your computer.

However, please note that if your system dies between read or write operations, it might result in data loss. Ensure you have a proper backup plan in place.

Starting up with a Question Mark

Do you see a folder with a flashing question mark on your Mac’s screen when it is booting? This indicates there’s something wrong with the startup disk. The disk might be physically damaged, or your system might be facing difficulty locating the disk.

You can resolve this issue by entering the macOS Recovery mode. To enter this mode, hold Command + R during boot time if you have an Intel-based Mac.

Users of Apple Silicon Mac devices must hold the power button > select Options > select Continue. Select Disk Utility from the Recovery options and select the First Aid option to scan the startup disk for errors. If no errors are found, you can reinstall macOS.

Keyboard Problems

The biggest hindrance to your productivity is a malfunctioning keyboard. Usually, a simple restart can sort things out. Also, cleaning the keyboard ensures the buttons work correctly. You can clean it using compressed air.

Sometimes, the macOS software needs to be updated. If the keyboard is not working when you are using specific applications, you can uninstall the application and check whether the issue is solved.

Sound Issues

Is sound not working on your Mac device? Check whether you have muted the sound on your device. You can connect an external headphone to check whether the problem is with the built-in speakers. If so, contact Apple Support.

Kernel Panics

Is your device starting for the umpteenth time, but the screen continues to go black, flashing an error message? No matter how many times you restart, you keep coming back to square one? This means your device is experiencing kernel panic.

A kernel panic occurs without warning and won’t even let you save your work. The reasons for this issue are insufficient RAM and memory space, outdated drivers or plugins, broken disk permissions, and incompatible peripherals.

You can fix this issue by:

Boot your device into Safe mode and then run a clean-up program to check which programs or apps are causing this problem.
Upgrade all the firmware and software.
Upgrade the RAM and memory.
Run repair disk permission and First Aid via Disk Utility.
Check the compatibility of the peripherals.

If the issue persists, reinstall macOS or contact an Apple technician.

Time Machine Backup Failed

The default backup option is Time Machine, and it is useful when you need to recover deleted or damaged files. However, if the backed-up files are deleted from the external hard drive, the situation might take an ugly turn. Alternatively, it is not ideal if a Time Machine backup fails.

If you have encountered this situation, try the following fixes:

Restart your computer and ensure the software is up-to-date.
Ensure you are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
Keep checking whether the backup process is happening smoothly, especially if you are backing up large files.

When Time Machine backup encounters a problem, you will see an error message displayed on the screen. It will also come with instructions. Follow them.