Mac Troubleshooting Tips
How to Create a New User Account When You Can’t Log In
How to create an emergency OS X admin account when you’re unable to log in to your Mac.
Mac Firmware Restoration
Macs sometimes have problems after a firmware update. This guide shows you how to restore your Mac firmware to a working state.
Mac Stalls on Gray Screen at Startup
If you're having problems with your Mac stalling at the gray screen at startup, this guide can help you fix the problem.
Troubleshooting Mac Startup Problems - Stuck at the Blue Screen
If you find your Mac stuck at the blue screen during startup, you may be having startup drive problems. This guide will take you through the steps you need to perform to get your Mac running again.
Top 10 Troubleshooting Tips for Mac Startup Problems
When your Mac fails to start up, this collection of troubleshooting tips can help you get it running again.
Safe Boot
Safe Boot: Safe Boot can get your Mac running again when you're having problems caused by corrupt applications or data, software installation issues, or damaged fonts or preference files. In all cases, the problem you may experience is either a Mac that fails to completely boot and freezes at some point along the way to the desktop, or a Mac...
Reset PRAM
Reset PRAM: The Mac stores some of its system and device settings in a special type of non-volatile RAM commonly called the PRAM, short for Parameter RAM. Most Mac users don't think much about their Mac's PRAM, but it works hard anyway. It keeps track of startup volume, speaker volume, display settings, DVD region settings, the date, and the...
Fix SPOD – How to Fix a Spinning Pinwheel of Death
How to Fix a Spinning Pinwheel of Death: Once in a while, for no apparent reason, you may encounter the SPOD (Spinning Pinwheel of Death). You...
OS X Troubleshooting – Use OS X Combo Updates to Correct Installation Problems
Use OS X Combo Updates to Correct Installation Problems: The OS X combo updates can fix a wealth of problems, including system crashes, application freezes, applications failing to launch, and even those infrequent gremlins that just seem to pop up now and then. If you have thrown your hands up because of a problem, you may want to try applying...
How to Eject CDs or DVDs From Your Mac Even When They Are Stuck
Ejecting CD/DVD: The Mac doesn't have an external eject button on its CD/DVD drive. Instead, it offers several options for ejecting a CD or DVD. Most of the eject options are for routine day-to-day use. But what do you do when a CD or DVD becomes stuck? Take a look at our guides to ejecting CDs and DVDs.
Resetting the SMC (System Management Controller) on Your Mac
When your Mac is acting wonky, you can sometimes resolve issues with a simple SMC (System Management Controller) reset.
Troubleshooting OS X Kernel Panics
Kernel panics are scary things, but they can also be easier to fix than you think. Use this troubleshooting guide to keep kernel panics from returning.
Reviving a Hard Drive for Use With Your Mac
Putting an older hard drive back into commission is a great way to economize on data storage costs, but before you put that hand-me-down drive to work, make sure it's in tip-top shape.
Troubleshooting Safari - Slow Page Loads Caused by DNS Prefetching
Safari's DNS prefetching capabilities can make web browsing faster, at least most of the time. If there's a web site that's always slow to respond, this guide may help you fix the problem.
What to Do When Mountain Lion Mail Fails to Auto-Complete Email Addresses
Mountain Lion Mail can have some problems with syncing services other than iCloud. This tip can help you restore the auto-complete and events and invites features to Mail.
Aperture 3 Troubleshooting: Using Aperture 3 Library First Aid
Aperture 3 provides a Library First Aid utility for troubleshooting and repairing common issues with image libraries and Aperture's database. Because library and database corruption can prevent Aperture 3 from launching, you will need to invoke a sequence of startup keys to access the Aperture 3 Library First Aid utility.
Aperture 3 Troubleshooting: Prevent Aperture 3 Image Previews
When Aperture 3 fails to launch, there are a few possible causes, one of which is a corrupt image causing previews not to be generated correctly. You can prevent automatic generation of previews at launch with this simple trick.
Aperture 3 Troubleshooting: How to Reinstall Aperture 3
When you're having problems with an application, sometimes it makes sense to simply reinstall the application, rather than spend more time trying to figure out the problem. While this is fairly easy with Aperture 3, if you're running Snow Leopard, there is one additional step you need to take before you can successfully remove and then reinstall Aperture 3.
Aperture 3 Troubleshooting Guides
Aperture Troubleshooting: Aperture is robust and easy to use, but there are times when you can run into problems. When that happens, one or more of our Aperture 3 troubleshooting guides may be just what you need to get back on track.