Common MacBook Problems and How to Fix Them - Part 2

Undoubtedly MacBook is one of the finest computers has been ever made. Its astonishing features and performance justify its relatively high cost, but that doesn't mean this great device is free from issues and troubles. Although Mac has a very good reputation in security and stability, like any device connected to the internet it's 100% secure and problem-free. As human gets sick, MacBook can incur problems and issues or totally get out of order.

If you are facing a problem with your beloved MacBook, don't panic or rash into the next Apple Store. We are here to help you fix common problems you may face with your MacBook. 

MacBook Won't Turn on

There are a number of reasons why your Mac won't turn on. Before heading to an Apple store make sure that your device is plugged in and the battery is charging properly. But if your Mac is shutting off randomly even when plugged in, that may be a sign of a different problem.

If the issue persists, restart your computer with the button and wait until MacOS loads. Then restart it again. This will allow your Mac to have a healthy full shut down. Now try resetting your System Management Controller (SMC). This will check and fix many Mac's problems like battery charging, disk problems and more. If these steps didn’t work, now it’s probably to call your IT guide or take your Mac into a nearby Apple Store. One last tip; before anything, the screen brightness hasn’t turned off.

MacBook shows a blank screen (Black, blue or grey)

A Mac that won't start is a little different to a Mac that is not working at all. If your Mac has a restart problem, you'll probably see a black or blue screen that won’t go away. That may indicate that your Mac probably suffers from a problematic app or login function. Restart your device by holding the power button for around 6 seconds or try rebooting in safe mode. Then try removing any troublesome app or update.

The solution for a frozen grey screen is a little different. This screen comes with an Apple logo in the centre to say that an important software is failing to start correctly. If possible, try manually restarting to Safe mode, update your Mac to the latest update or uninstall the last update that you think it's may cause the problem. Check to see if the problem fixed, if not, try using the Disk Utility tool in the safe mode to fix disk problems that are keeping your Mac from working.

The Mac screen shows a flashing question mark

When you're welcomed with a folder with a question mark in the middle during the restart process this means that your Mac can’t find the startup disk and therefore can’t restart. That may be a sign of a disk problem in your Mac

A flashing question mark may indicate hard disk damage but most of the time you only have to tweak boot settings to make everything work. To fix this issue, you should only put your Mac into Recovery Mode and select the correct boot, most of the time your Macintosh HD.

However, if you don't see your primary device or you cannot select it, it means that your disk is damaged and you have to fix it before changing the boot device. To do so, in recovery mode go to Disk Utility - Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility (or click cmd+space and start typing Disk Utility).

Very poor FaceTime quality

This a problem that mostly affects MacBook Air users. The FaceTime Camera shows a very poor image, and sometimes it is so bad that you won't be able to use it at all.

The good news is that it's probably not a hardware problem. First, try to use your Macs FaceTime camera in other video communication apps. If it works, the problem is with FaceTime software. Unfortunately, there is no solution for this software issue. You can do is to update your macOS to the latest release and see this if fix the problem.

However, when it cannot get image from other camera apps, your FaceTime camera is probably damage. Take your Mac to the nearby Apple Store and ask them to take a look.

USB device won't connect properly

Before putting the blame on your Mac, make sure that the device you are trying to plug is working and you properly plugged it into the correct port on your Mac. Try checking your device on other computers, make sure that the cable is not damaged and the device turned on (if necessary). Then try to connect it from another port and restart your Mac and, if necessary, the device.

If these steps didn't help, look up your device on the Internet to make sure that the device is compatible with your Mac. Some older devices don’t work well with newer ports, so you should make sure that you have the right version of the port.

Finally try resetting NVRAM and SMC to see if this fixes the connectivity issue, if not, you have no remedy other than taking your Mac into a store or calling your IT man. 

The MacBook Wi-Fi not working

If you are no longer able to connect to the Internet on your Mac, you're probably facing a Wi-Fi problem. First, check any devices that are connected to the same network are able to connect. if not, you need to contact your ISP.

Before going longer, save the password of your Wi-Fi network in a safe place. Later you'll need it to reconnect to the network.  Open System Preference and click on the Network tab. Find the Advanced button in the left bottom corner and click on it, the list of Preferred Networks appears. Locate the network you want to connect and then click on the network mark next to it. You might get a warning, select remove.

This will ensure that your system will forget your preferred network and the name will disappear from the connection list. Click on the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and search for your network name (or SSID). Once you've found the network click on the name to connect and enter the password. Now your MacBook will connect to the Internet.

The Bottom Line

In this post, we discussed the most common issues in MacBook, however, it's impossible to address every issue that you may encounter when using Macs. Steps to fix a common problem in MacBook are:

Reset System Management Controller (SMC).

Reset the NVRAM/PRAM

Check your system Activity Monitor to find apps consuming a large part of CPU resources.

Reboot in Safe Mode.

Go to the recovery mode to solve startup issues and File System Problems.

Tip: To access recovery mode on your MacBook:

Click on the Apple logo at the top left of the screen.

Click on Restart

Immediately hold down Command and R keys until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe.

Your Mac will show the recovery mode utilities.

Tip: To reset SMC on your Mac:

Click on the Apple logo at the top left of the screen.

Click on Shutdown and wait until your Mac Shuts down.

Press shift-Control-Option on the left side of the built-in keyboard, at the same time, push the Power button

Release all keys

Press the Power button again to turn your Mac on.