Common MacBook Problems & How to Fix Them

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A MacBook is one of the best computers available today, accommodating premium features. However, like any other computer, MacBooks are also prone to technical issues. Here is the list of the most common MacBook problems and the easier ways to fix them. 

Fix Common MacBook Problems

1. MacBook Pro Black Screen 

You will probably see the black screen when the operating system on MacBook fails to load. If this happens, here’re some resolution steps that you can follow. 

1. Press and hold down the Power key for nearly 10 seconds. When the system shuts down, restart it to analyze if the problem still exists. 

2. Boot your MacBook in Safe mode to automatically detect any boot issues and try resolving them. 

3. If your MacBook continues to display the black screen, go to Disk Utility to solve the persisting issues. 

2. MacBook Wi-Fi Not Working

Is your Wi-Fi not working? Have you checked all the connections to resume connectivity? Before contacting your ISP, try to check if other devices connected to the same Wi-Fi can browse the web or not. If yes, there might be a problem with your MacBook, and you need to resolve it. 

1. Open System Preferences and click the Network tab.

2. From the left bottom corner, click Advanced and find the list of Preferred Networks.

3. Select and click the network you want to connect with and click the (-) sign displayed next to the network name. Click on Remove. 

4. Your MacBook will forget the regular network, and the network name will disappear from the list of available Wi-Fi connections. 

5. In the menu bar, click on the Wi-Fi icon, search for your network SSID or Name. Select the network name and enter the password key to connect. 

3. MacBook Overheating

If you are trying to perform a complex task using a heavy application, your MacBook may get too hot. Not only MacBook, overheating is a common issue in other laptops and computers (Apple or non-Apple). If you usually access your MacBook sitting on a couch or bed, your device feels suffocated, leading to overheating, as the blocked vents leave no space for airflow. 

1. Use a laptop-cooling pad while using your laptop, as it will provide a flat, solid surface and maintain a consistent airflow, particularly when you are accessing your device lying on your bed. Also, remember to clean your laptop’s fan from time to time.

2. Disable Login items so that your system consumes fewer CPU resources on each startup. Login items are the applications that start automatically when you switch on the device.

4. MacBook Bluetooth Won’t Turn On or Off

Bluetooth comes with a bucketful of benefits as it allows you to connect your MacBook to your iPhone to synchronize iTunes wirelessly on both devices. It enables transferring data from one device to another and optimizes storage.

However, Bluetooth sometimes turns unresponsive, and you need to troubleshoot the issue to get it to working mode. 

1. Open System Preferences on MacBook, locate Bluetooth, and make sure that it is turned on.

2. Disconnect all other devices connected to your Bluetooth and toggle the switch to turn it off. 

3. Wait for 10 seconds and then turn your Bluetooth on. Now try if you can share data via Bluetooth. 

macbook pro

5. MacBook Screen Flickering

If there is any compatibility issue between the graphic processing and the macOS, you may experience a flickering screen. Restarting the MacBook sometimes resolves this problem; however, if you continue to experience the same issue, updating macOS could work as a source to fix the problem.

1. Go to the Mac App Store or click Apple Menu and the System Preferences.

2. Check if a new macOS update is available and install the new version (if available). It may resolve the problem at hand. 

3. Do not forget to backup your data before installing any new updates so that you can easily restore data to the location from the backup drive. 

6. MacBook Pro Spinning Beach Ball 

A constantly spinning beach ball on your MacBook displays that it is trying to complete a process and needs more time due to unavailable internal resources. If you see it often, then you need to figure out the problem, as it might be the sign of the MacBook slowdown.

1. Open Activity Monitor and pick the apps with high CPU resource consumption. Try to close the resource-hungry apps and then restart your device.

2. Alternatively, determine real-time memory usage within the Activity Monitor window and try to fix the problem at hand. 

Wrap up

These are some of the most common MacBook problems and their fixes; however, if you are facing any other issue and want to fix it, you may try to reset the SMC, NVRAM/PRAM, or reboot your device in Safe Mode.

Sometimes reinstalling your macOS or upgrading it to the most recent version can resolve the problem.

Alex Berg
Alex Berg

Founder, writer, editor-in-chief at LaptopTalks. Starting LaptopTalks is like a dream come true, combining two of his passions – writing and technology. Even in his free time, you can often find him by his gaming laptop playing the latest video games.

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