Troubleshooting Macintosh Problems

Is there one program misbehaving? Look for an update on the vendor’s web site. If the update doesn’t help, trash the application’s preferences. More on corrupt preference files below. If problem persists, trash and reinstall the program.

Is there a general slowdown or several programs misbehaving? Problem may be related to OS X permissions. Repair Permissions with Disk Utilities. Third party installers give themselves permission to modify some files, but forget to take away these privileges. Problem not solved, go to next task. Remember rebuilding desktop in OS 9? No OS 9 in Macs with Intel processors. No OS 9 support in OS X 10.5. What is probably not causing the slowdown: viruses, spyware, malware. Not a factor in OS X. (Never say never.) Extension conflicts are not an issue either as these are found only is OS 9 and before.

Problem may be related to the hard drive disk directory. Repair directory with Disk Utility. Or replace directory with Disk Warrior. Problem not solved, go to next task. Sometimes Disk First Aid can find problems that it can’t repair. Disk Warrior will be needed instead.

Is Hard Drive Nearly Full? No, go to next task.

Is there enough RAM? Yes, go to next task.

Zap the PRAM. Problem not solved, go to next task. Command-Option-P-R keys at startup. Hold down the four keys until two startup chimes, then release. Usually this remedy is reserved for startup problems, but can help if permissions repair and directory repair didn’t help.

Problem may be related to corrupt preferences in your home folder. Log in to another account, and check for the problem. If problem goes away, log back in to your account and trash more preferences in your home folder’s Preferences folder. If you can’t seem to find the right preference file to trash use new account instead of the old one. Move files (except preference files) to the new account through the shared folder. If the files have the wrong ownership, get info of the files and change ownership.

If problem persists, there could be corrupt files in the system software. Re-install the OS using the Archive and Install option. Notice that if problems were caused by corrupt preferences in the home folder, reinstalling the OS will not help. If problem still persists, wipe the hard drive and restore data files from backup. Wiping the hard drive will also repair directory problems. It may be wise to refrain from restoring preference files. Instead, set internet preferences and other programs manually.

This troubleshooting workflow is for software problems. If problems persist, run hardware test or take to an Apple authorized service center for repairs. Also, startup problems and kernel panics require different workflows.