Your MacBook might start freezing and mess up your work. This can happen whether you have a MacBook Pro with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, an Intel Core i5, and 8 GB RAM, or a different model. Figuring out why your MacBook freezes is key to solving this problem and making your MacBook work better.
This guide will show you how to deal with a frozen MacBook and keep it running smoothly. You’ll learn how to close apps that aren’t responding, reboot your device, and handle programs running in the background. Follow our tips to get your MacBook back to working well, so you can stay on top of your work without any trouble.
Why Your MacBook Keeps Freezing
A freezing MacBook is a common frustration. To fix this, knowing the main causes is key. These include software conflicts, not enough memory or storage, hardware issues, and skipping macOS updates.
Software Conflicts or Outdated Applications
Software issues often come from conflicts or using outdated apps. Incompatibilities with the latest macOS can freeze your MacBook. To prevent this, update your apps regularly and remove old 32-bit applications.
Insufficient RAM or Storage Space
Your MacBook needs enough RAM and storage to work well. Too little memory causes slowdowns or freezing. Make sure your startup disk has free space. Consider adding more memory if necessary.
Failing or Faulty Hardware
Bad hardware, like a damaged SSD, can make your MacBook freeze. Use Apple Diagnostics to find any hardware problems. Also, check system crash reports for signs of hardware issues.
Not Updating OS X Regularly
It’s important to keep your macOS updated. Old versions can create software conflicts and security risks. Updates bring fixes and enhancements, helping avoid many MacBook problems.
How to Force Quit Unresponsive Apps
When your MacBook’s apps stop responding, it can be quite annoying. Fortunately, knowing how to force quit these apps can get things back to normal. Here are some easy steps to help you force quit apps and unfreeze your MacBook.
Using the Force Quit Tool
macOS has a tool made just for dealing with apps that won’t respond. Here’s how to use the Force Quit tool:
- Click on the Apple icon at the top-left of your screen.
- Choose “Force Quit” from the menu that drops down.
- A window will show up with a list of active applications. Pick the one that’s not responding and hit “Force Quit”.
Shortcut Keys for Forcing Quit
If you need a faster way, there’s a keyboard shortcut. Use Command + Option + Escape (⌘⌥⎋) to open the Force Quit window. Here’s how:
- Hold down Command (⌘), Option (⌥), and Escape (⎋) at the same time.
- This will bring up the Force Quit window, where you can choose and close stuck apps.
By learning these methods, you can quickly fix frozen apps on your MacBook. These steps are simple but effective in improving your MacBook’s performance.
Restarting Your MacBook
If your MacBook stops responding, restarting it often fixes the problem. A restart clears the system cache and refreshes the RAM. This can fix many issues like a slow computer. Here’s how to restart your MacBook and why it’s important.
Follow these steps if your MacBook freezes:
- Click on the Apple icon located at the top-left corner of your screen.
- Select Restart from the dropdown menu.
- Confirm your choice if prompted.
If your MacBook won’t respond at all, you may need to force a restart. Hold the power button for about 10 seconds. This is useful if your computer shows a white screen with the Apple logo at startup.
But, try force-quitting apps before a force restart to avoid losing work. You can do this with the Force Quit tool or key shortcuts.
About 15% of users might see a white startup screen. And, 42% of MacBook startup issues could come from third-party devices. Unplugging and plugging back in accessories fixes the problem 73% of the time.
Overloaded drives or not enough RAM can also freeze your MacBook. Updating macOS and restarting your MacBook can prevent these issues.
Make restarting your MacBook a regular habit for better performance.
Managing Demanding Background Processes
To ensure your MacBook runs smoothly, it’s important to manage demanding background processes. High CPU usage often comes from apps that use a lot of resources or processes that have stopped responding. The MacBook Activity Monitor is a great tool for monitoring and managing these.
Using Activity Monitor
The MacBook Activity Monitor gives a real-time look at all active processes and how much resources they use. This includes CPU, memory, energy, disk, and network data. You can open Activity Monitor from Launchpad or Spotlight to see which processes are slowing down your system.
Identifying High CPU Usage Apps
When you’re in Activity Monitor, search for apps or processes using a lot of CPU resources. These are often why your MacBook is slow. Recognizing these apps or processes is the key step in handling them better.
Quitting Processes to Free Up Resources
Once you know which apps are using too much CPU, you can close them to free resources. Just double-click the process in Activity Monitor, hit “Quit,” and confirm. This can make your MacBook run smoother.
If a process won’t close, using Terminal commands like kill -9 might work. Keeping an eye on macOS background processes and managing them can prevent high CPU usage. Use the MacBook Activity Monitor often to maintain a fast and efficient system.
What to Do When MacBook Freezes Completely
When your MacBook is completely frozen, it can feel like a big problem. But, don’t worry. There are steps you can take to fix it. Here’s what you need to do:
Steps to Power Down Your Mac
If your MacBook won’t respond, first try to shut it down safely. Press and hold the power or Touch ID button. Keep holding until the system turns off. This can fix small issues by resetting the system.
Importance of Safe Mode
Starting your MacBook in safe mode is a key step to solve the problem. Safe mode stops many programs from opening at startup. This makes it easier to find and solve software problems. To enter safe mode, restart your Mac and hold the Shift key. This action turns off third-party software, helping pinpoint the issue more clearly.
Running Apple Diagnostics
If your MacBook still has issues, try Apple Diagnostics to find hardware problems. Restart your Mac and then press the D key to start diagnostics. Follow the steps shown on your screen. This tool looks for hardware problems that could make your MacBook freeze.
By using these steps, you can methodically find and fix the issue when your Macbook is completely frozen. Remember, tackle one step at a time. After each step, see if the problem is fixed.
Checking and Managing Disk Health
Keeping your MacBook’s disk in good shape is key for its smooth running. The Disk Utility tool, built into MacBooks, helps monitor and fix disk issues. Checking your disk’s health often can catch and fix errors early, stopping bigger problems.
Using Disk Utility
Go to Applications > Utilities to find Disk Utility on your MacBook. It’s a strong tool that can find and solve many disk issues, like app problems, corrupted files, and more. Make sure to select the right disk or volume before you start the check-up for best results.
Running First Aid
The First Aid option in Disk Utility checks and fixes disk errors. You should use it on each volume and the entire storage device. Doing this helps keep your MacBook running well. Regularly using First Aid is crucial for your MacBook’s health.
Dealing with Disk Errors and Failures
If Disk Utility finds a big issue like file corruption, act fast to fix it. Back up your data with iCloud® or Time Machine to keep it safe. If repairs don’t work after a few tries, it might be time to ask for expert help or think about a new hard drive. Signs like weird noises or the MacBook getting too hot could mean the disk is physically damaged.
