How to Fix Your Frozen Mac

 A lot of macOS users experience frozen screens at least once. And we understand how annoying and scary it could be. The good news is that most of the time this problem gets solved on its own. But however rare you came across a frozen computer, you must know how to deal with it most correctly.

So, here we are with some easy fixes to a frozen Mac.

Why Is My Mac Freezing?

First of all, you need to find out the reason for the freeze to fix it. The most common reason for this is too many apps fighting for CPU processing power. This can also lead to your Mac being unresponsive, the trackpad not working and the mouse icon freezing in place. Another reason could be a crashing app, or you might have opened too many tabs while browsing. An overloaded hard drive or a hardware problem could be on the list as well. 

Force-Quit Unresponsive Apps

Coming to the solutions, you should first check for a frozen application. To do so, right-click the icon in the dock. A window will appear. If any app is frozen, this window will say “Application Not Responding.” When that occurs, close the app by selecting “Force Quit.” If such unresponsive applications were the culprit for your frozen Mac, then force quitting them should free up memory and unfreeze the computer.

Shut Down Your Mac

If the above method could not unfreeze your Mac, you may consider another method to do so. This should be the easiest and quickest way to fix your frozen Mac. Simply, shut down your Mac by pressing the power button of your Mac until the computer turns off. If you are using a non-Touch-ID Macs, then you will find a dedicated power button at the top right of the keyboard. If you own a Touch ID-enabled Macs, you may press and hold the Touch ID button at the top right of the keyboard. In case, you are using an iMac or Mac mini, you should press and hold the power button on the computer until it turns off.

Reset System Memory Controller

Resetting your System Memory Controller (SMC) should be your last resort, as it is not advisable to mess with the SMC unless necessary. SMC is responsible for crucial elements of your Mac, like battery management, keyboard backlighting, etc.

Carefully, follow the steps given below to reset the SMC of your Mac. Note that these instructions are helpful only if your Mac has a T2 security chip (MacBook laptops 2016 or newer).

Step 1. Start by shutting down your Mac. Now, press and hold down the power button for 10 seconds. 

Step 2. Once the computer has gone off, turn it on again. 

If the issue persists, 

Step 3. Shut down your Mac again. Now, press Shift + Control + Option + Power at the same time for ten seconds and then let go. 

Step 4. Now power on the computer.

Your issue must have been resolved by now.

While a Mac freezing up is not common, you should know how to deal with it, just in case. We hope that now, you at least have an idea about how to fix a frozen Mac.

Julia Robert is a creative person who has been writing blogs and articles about cyber security. She writes about the latest updates regarding mcafee.com/activate and how it can improve the work experience of users. Her articles have been published in many popular e-magazines, blogs and websites.

Source:  How to Fix Your Frozen Mac