How To: Fix a Sick Mac

We’ve all had times when our Macs are acting a little funky, and it can be frustrating when a problem just won’t go away. Here are the steps I go through when things get messed up. This might not be the same procedure fore everyone but it has worked the treat for me several times now.

Note: Take precautions when working with a sick machine. By all means backup your data whenever possible before beginning.

1. Delete the Preferences: This is always the first advice people give when an app is acting up. The cause of the problem could be a messed up preference (.plist) file that needs to be deleted. You can go through looking for these files in the system folders, but the easiest way is using Spotlight. Search for the name of the problem app, and then look for the .plist file in the “Documents” section. Delete it. Your preferences will be gone, but that’s easily fixed in a few seconds using your newly functional app.

2. Repair Permissions: When deleting the Preferences doesn’t work, or if the problem isn’t associated with just one app, the next step is to pop open Disk Utility. Choose your HD from the source list, and make sure you’re in the “First Aid” tab. Then click “Repair Permissions” on the bottom.

3. Restart: This should be obvious, but many Mac users don’t think to do it. Nine out of ten times I have a problem (if I’ve even had ten problems in the few years I’ve been using a Mac) restarting fixes it.

4. Support: Once I’ve exhausted those first three steps, I cry for help. First try Google to see if other people are talking about the same issue; there may be a fix to be found there. If no one else asked though, go ahead and do the asking yourself. You could ask on any mac forums you may already be a part of, or try Apple’s Support page.

5. Go to the Source: As a last resort, going to the “geniuses” may be your only option. The guys there fix problems like yours every single day. At the very least they should be able to diagnose it. Hopefully it’ll be a quick fix, but you may have to send your Mac away for a while if it’s a hardware issue.

So there it is, any Mac issue resolved in 5 simple steps. You could be disappointed by the diagnosis, but at least you should know what it is by this point.

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