Everyone's computer acts up from time to time; if they didn't, we'd be out of a job! But between doing preventative maintenance on your computer and doing some simple troubleshooting, you can stay ahead of many major problems. These tips won't prevent every problem, but they can help to take care of some simple issues.
Preventative Maintenance
1. Restart your computer at least weekly. This is a great way to avoid many basic issues.
2. You should also be checking the charge on any external accessories such as your keyboard, track pad, or mouse if they are wireless. If you are using a desktop computer, these devices may need regular charging, or their batteries changed. If you are using a laptop, you won't need to worry about these unless you use a mouse instead of the trackpad.
3. To check the charge, you can choose your device's name from the Bluetooth icon on the Apple menu bar near the top right of your screen to see the drop down menu pictured at right. If your charge is lower than 20%, it is a good idea to install new batteries or plug in your mouse or keyboard to make sure those devices don't stop working for you while you're in the middle of something important.
4. It's also important to make sure that your computer is backing up regularly. As long as you have a current backup, you can avoid a lot of headaches! You can check this by going to the Apple icon at the top left of your screen, and then choose "System Preferences," then find the icon that looks like a clock face encircled by an arrow with the words "Time Machine" below it. If you click on that icon, a new window will appear telling you when your last backup occurred (or if one is in progress).
Troubleshooting General Problems
1. The best first step to take no matter what issue you are having is to restart your computer. Head up to the Apple at the upper left corner of your screen. Click on it, and from the drop-down menu, choose "Restart." This simple step can fix lots of oddities.
-Notice: You can also shut your computer down from this menu!
2. If restarting your computer doesn't fix your problem, then your next step will be to take note of what the issue is. Is there an error message that is coming up on the screen? If so, write down what the error message is (or take a picture of it). When did the problem begin occurring? Had you just opened an app, gone to a particular website, or downloaded something?
-If the problem is that your Mac won't shut down, be patient. Sometimes it may take longer than usual, but in general your computer will turn itself off. If your patience is not rewarded, there are several things you can look for.
3. If your computer won't turn on at all, unplug it from the wall, and leave it turned off for about an hour. Then, plug your computer back in and see if it will start up.
Unresponsive Apps
1. Look in the Dock to see if there is a bouncing app icon; you may need to click that icon to see a message within the app. For instance, you may need to save a file in that app.
2. You may need to Force Quit an app that is unresponsive. Be aware that if you choose to Force Quit, you may lose whatever you were working on within that app.
-To Force Quit, press and hold on the icon for that app in the Doc, and select "Force Quit" if it's available. You can also Force Quit by holding down the Command + Option+ Escape keys at the same time. You will see a list of open apps, and then you can choose "Force Quit."
3. If you cannot Force Quit an app that is keeping your computer from shutting down, you may need to press and hold the power button until the computer shuts off. You may lose unsaved data if you have to go this route, so we do not recommend doing this unless you have no other way to shut your machine off.
-When you restart the computer, your Mac may ask if you want to reopen all of the apps you had open previously. Say no to this option, in case one of those apps causes the same problem to reoccur.
The Rainbow Pinwheel
If you see the colorful pinwheel (or beach ball), this means your computer is trying to do too many things and needs some extra time. Usually, this ball only appears for a few moments and goes away on its own, but occasionally, it will stick around longer. By holding Command + Option + Escape, you can Force Quit the app that is unresponsive (see above). You may lose data if you do this.
No Internet Connection
If you cannot get to the Internet (what you access in the Safari app) and load a web page, or if your email won't come in, there may be a problem with your internet. Try restarting your computer. If that doesn't fix the problem, turn your computer off and look for your internet modem/ router; you can try turning it off at the power switch if it has one, or you can unplug it from power. Wait a few minutes and plug it back in, and be patient. It will take several moments (up to ten minutes) for all the lights to come back on and the connection to return. Turn your computer back on, and see if the problem is fixed.
With these tips, hopefully you'll feel more confident troubleshooting some of the basic problems you may encounter while using your Mac.
Of course, if these tips don't do the trick, or if you have a more complicated problem, give us a call at 707-573-9649, or send us an email at support@technologysimplified.net! We're here to help.
