5 Common MacBook Problems & How to Solve Them

If you love your MacBook, facing issues with your favorite gadget can be a tad frustrating. You will probably come to a situation wherein you are confused about whether your MacBook is facing a hardware issue or a software issue. Before deciding to take it to a MacBook service center or thinking of replacing your Mac, you can check for some common MacBook problems that may arise and the troubleshooting steps for rectifying those issues. 

This article will discuss five of the most common MacBook problems and the steps you can undertake to resolve such issues from occurring again.

1. MacBook Performing Very Slow

If you are trying to perform multiple things simultaneously, your MacBook can perform slower than expected. This is because it is taking a lot of RAM space, leading to a decline in the performance of the MacBook. The MacBook may find it utmost difficult to read as well as write data. Apart from freeing up some hard disk space, a user should try to go ahead with a Mac upgrade.

Here are some of the basic troubleshooting steps you can do.

2. Trying restarting your MacBook

Check for any updates and apply those updates if the need be. It is desirable to update the system if you haven't updated your Mac for a long time.

Check for any malware in the Activity Monitor and remove such programs as and when you detect them.

Remove unnecessary files from the desktop as it could take too much space.

Try to run the anti-virus scanner as well as Apple Diagnostics.
If you hear any sound and the slowdown together, the best way to fix it would be to take the MacBook to your nearest Apple Store.

3. External Drive Not Showing Up

Users usually keep an external drive handy where they prefer to store the MacBook's data as a backup if Mac's hard drive proves non-functional. When it comes to some of the most popular hard drives in the electronics market, the more familiar name is Western Digital external drive. The moment you connect it to one of the USB ports in MacBook, the folder shows up. 

What if you encounter hard drive not showing up on Mac? It can be disappointing as you may not transfer the data or files from your external drive to MacBook or vice versa. Even though corrupt data could be the reason behind the external drive not displaying, there could be other reasons, such as faulty cable, damaged USB port, or Mac not being formatted to display external drives.

4. MacBook not charging after plugging in

Before jumping to any conclusions, the first thing you have to do would be to check whether the outlet is working or not. Next, check whether you have plugged everything properly and intact. You also have to look for any damages to the chargers or cables. 

If you cannot find anything, you must try applying pending software updates, if any. Still, if nothing helps, try to reset the PRAM as well as SMC Settings to see whether the issue is resolved or not. You can finally try pressing down the Option key on the keyboard and click the option denoted as a battery icon. 

You can navigate to the advanced options available within the battery icon. If the menu displays a message that signifies replacing the battery or servicing your battery, then it is advisable to take your MacBook to the nearest Apple store for repair.

5. Sound Distortions in MacBook

The first thing you have to ensure is that whether any specific app is causing the problem. If you do not have any sound issues with iTunes, the application may need to be updated or debugged to restore the sound. If you think that the problem persists across all sounds within the MacBook, it could be a problem in the Settings that might be causing the issue. 

It would be best to reset PRAM/NVRAM and SMC to see whether the sound issue is fixed. If the sound problem is not resolved, then there may be a hardware issue. It is desirable to take the MacBook to an Apple Store for detailed inspection.

6. Unexpected Repeated Shutdown of MacBook

The first thing you have to do is check whether your MacBook is properly charged or not. If it is fully charged and the MacBook is repeatedly shutting down unexpectedly, it could be a different problem. If the shutdown issue persists for your MacBook, try restarting the MacBook by using the power button until it is turned off and then turned on. 

Once the macOS loads, you should try to restart your MacBook again. Once the MacBook is restarted successfully, try to reset the System Management Controller, also known as 'SMC.' Most of the significant hardware processes are managed using SMC. Therefore, it is one of the easiest ways to fix an issue. Some of the controls it manages are sleep modes, charging of the battery, etc. If the issue persists, then it is desirable to take the MacBook to the nearest Apple Store.

Follow these steps mentioned above before taking your MacBook to Apple Service Centre for repair.