Macintosh has been one of the most popular computer brands out there for decades. In the modern era, it’s easy to feel like almost everybody has a Mac in their home. You might even be reading this on a Mac computer right now.

While Apple computers always advertised themselves as being less buggy than their Windows competitors, Macs can still run into frequent problems. There’s nothing more frustrating than using your computer and running into a tech issue that prevents you from getting any work done.

That’s why we’ve compiled a few mac troubleshooting tips to help you resolve any issues you might be experiencing. If you’re having issues using your computer, read on.

We’ll walk you through what you need to know

Check Your Operating Software

We’re all busy. It’s okay to admit that when the little prompt comes up asking you to update your operating software, you send it away with a note to try again tomorrow. You do the same the next day, and the next day, and the next day.

It may never feel like the right time to update your computer, but failure to do so can cause big problems for yourself later on.

These updates exist for the sole purpose of fixing issues and bugs that your computer might run into. Apple generally does a good job of keeping on top of problems that consumers have with their Macs and resolving them.

That’s why if you’re running into a tech issue with your computer the first thing you should do is check to see if you are running the most updated operating system or not. If you aren’t, updating to the latest OS might be all you need to do to get things running smoothly again.

The longer you wait to update your computer, the more problems you’ll likely run into. New programs and applications are built off the back of newer OS systems, meaning you’ll run into more and more problems if you don’t update.

“What do I do if my Mac won’t update?” This can be an additional problem many have to face when troubleshooting. You might need to bring in your computer to an Apple Store to resolve this issue.

Check Activity Monitor

Is your computer running slow and laggy? Are programs freezing frequently or cutting out and quitting altogether? This can be a frustrating environment to have to work in if you are attempting to get a good deal of work done.

One way to check and see what the problem might be is to into your computer’s activity monitor. The activity monitor shows you which applications are open as well as how much memory or CPU they are using.

You can find it under Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor, or you can just search for it in Finder’s search bar. There should be tabs within the activity monitor for both CPU and memory. If you see a program that is using a massive amount of either, it might be the cause of the issues your computer is struggling with.

Quitting out of that particular program can be the solution you need to run smoothly again. Running too many programs at one time is often the cause of issues such as these. It’s easy to forget you have a program open on Mac and this can cause many issues for you!

Activity Monitor also allows you to quit or exit out of problematic programs right there within the operating window. You can identify which running programs are hogging the most CPU and force quit them via the monitor.

Boot Up in Safe Mode

One of the most tried-and-true troubleshooting techniques for a Mac is to attempt to boot up in safe mode. This is a great way to help whittle down or diagnose problems your computer might be facing.

Safe Mode is when your Mac boots up without loading any startup items or unneeded software. That means if some of these items are causing issues on your Mac, those issues won’t be initiated.

When you boot up in Safe Mode, your Mac will also automatically perform a routine check of your startup disk. It can alert you to problems your computer might be facing so that you have a more concrete idea of the problems at hand.

Booting up in safe mode is easy. First, turn your computer fully off. Then, as you turn your computer back on, keep a firm hand pressed down on the power button. Keep the power button pressed down in this fashion for a full ten seconds.

When you see the startup chime, press, and hold the shift key. Keep holding the shift key down until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen. At this point, you should be entering Safe Mode and can let go of the keys.

Once in Safe Mode, you can move around your computer and ensure things are working as they should. If they are, you could theorize that one of the startup programs or non-essential softwares are causing the issue that your computer is having in its normal mode.

Mac Troubleshooting Tips for Apple Users

You might be incredibly excited to get busy with a new Mac computer. However, it’s still easy to run into all kinds of tech problems that you might not know how to fix. The above mac troubleshooting tips can help you get back on the right track with your computer.

Need more tech advice and tips? Keep scrolling our blog for more info.