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Hotkeys for restarting the MacBook. What to do if your iMac is frozen. Run in verbose mode

Absolutely everyone knows that computer equipment has a "habit" of freezing. However, not everyone knows how to act correctly when such a problem arises. For this reason, sometimes actions are taken that lead not to a positive result, but to exacerbate problems. To prevent this from happening, it is useful for beginners to read the recommendations on how to turn on, turn off, and restart your MacBook.

To work successfully with your MacBook, you need to know how to turn on, turn off and restart your MacBook.

Armed with this knowledge, the user will never panic in the event of a technical failure, but calmly perform all the simple steps to return the successful functioning of your MacBook.

Basic ways to work with MacBook

We are sincerely glad for you if you become the owner of such a modern device as the MacBook, which is a product of the most famous Apple... To ensure that your acquaintance with a new device is always accompanied by positive moments, we recommend that you immediately familiarize yourself with the principles and methods of working with such a laptop.

Absolutely every owner can turn on the device, since he can easily find the power button on the keyboard, accompanied by an icon identical to that on the keyboard of other computer devices. Just press the power button, and the device will start up and delight you with its work.

ADVICE. It is not difficult to do this, but we only recommend that you initially pay attention to the cursor. If at this moment he is a spinning multi-colored ball, then just step aside so as not to "warm up" your irritability by forced waiting, not to bring it to the state of "boiling point". Be aware that a spinning multi-colored ball indicates that your MacBook is trying to fulfill the request that you specifically asked it.

If you do not see such a ball or you do not have time to wait for the completion of the processing of your request, then we suggest that you forcibly close the program. This can be done in two ways. The first method involves holding down two keys at the same time: Command and Q. The introduction of such a combination orients the gadget to close the current software application.

You can also use the second method. To do this, take a look at the menu bar. It is always located at the top of the screen. Do not be alarmed if you do not see it, it means that you opened the last window in full view mode. Just move the mouse cursor to the top edge of the screen, the menu bar will appear immediately. You can also move the mouse cursor to the upper right corner and click on the icon with two arrows. In this case, the window will switch to normal mode and the menu bar will no longer be hidden. Now click on the second Finder option.

In the list that opens, you will find the option "Quit Finder forcibly", click on it. After such your actions, a new window will appear in which the processes running at that moment on your device will be listed. You just have to choose the problematic software application, select it and click on the "Finish" button. After a few seconds, the problem will be resolved. If you still need this program, you just need to re-enable it.

Shutdown rules

If your device is functioning successfully, there are no failures, then the moment it becomes necessary to turn off the MacBook, you should use special function devices.

To do this, click on the "apple" icon in top line menu. In the list that opens, select the "Shutdown" parameter, click on it, everything else in automatic mode the operating system will execute on its own, you just have to wait. By the way, using this method, you can not only turn off your device, but also, if necessary, reboot it, put it into sleep mode. It all depends on what tasks you need to complete.

However, unfortunately, it often happens that your “obedient” device suddenly refuses to perform the actions that you are actively orienting it to. Simply put, your MacBook starts to freeze, not responding to mouse movements or pressing certain keys. In this case, you have to perform actions leading to the forced shutdown of the gadget.

Many experienced users gave this process such a name as "hard restart". It involves pressing the power button, holding it for a few seconds. There is no certain amount of time during which it is required to unambiguously hold the button, it is important to do this until the screen turns black. If you still need to continue working, then you can turn on your device again.

So, the principles of turning on and off a MacBook are not at all complicated. It is only important to perform just such actions, and not to be guided by the advice of false masters who recommend removing the battery, leaving the hung MacBook turned on, waiting for the battery to be completely discharged. Such actions can provoke even more serious problems, so do not give in to amateurish appeals.

Agree that this is quite tiring when the operating room macOS system or MacOS X starts to slow down and freezes. While we all have to agree here, this is pretty rare on a MacBook, for which we would like to thank the developers.

This article will include five tips on how to fix freezes on Mac. As already mentioned, the freezing of the entire Mac is such a rare event that sometimes you forget that he can do that at all. When the Mac freezes, it is natural that no applications, let alone the operating system, will react to your actions.

If you learn how to deal with such a hung friend, then working with a Mac will become even more enjoyable. Well, let's take a look at what can be done in cases of a freeze MacBook and its MacOS operating system.

How to fix freezes on Mac: is the problem with the application or the whole system?

First of all, you need to determine the following: only one application is frozen or the entire operating system is frozen. MacOS is a fairly sophisticated, modern OS that can manage the memory used by applications.

In most cases, if one single application is the problem (it got into a loop and started consuming too much memory), then you can easily figure it out. You should receive a notification (a window with a yellow exclamation mark), in which you will be informed that the application was suddenly closed. If your MacBook hangs without any notifications, then the problem is most likely operating system MacOS.

We'll deal with the last scenario a little later, but for now let's take a closer look at the problem with the application. In the notification or message that appears, you will have two choices: "Ok" (it will simply close the notification window) and "Reopen" (the system will try to start the frozen utility again, and also send a report about what happened to Apple).

How to fix freezes on Mac: stop sending reports to Apple

By default, macOS will send a bug report straight to Apple whenever there is an incident with the app. This is done so that macOS developers can improve the operating system further.

However, if you do not want to send any reports to Apple, then you can turn off automatic sending in System Preferences:

  • Open System Preferences.
  • Click on Protection and Security.
  • Next, click on the Lock icon in the lower left corner and enter your Administrator password (you know it, don't you?)
  • Select Privacy - Diagnostics & Usage.
  • Disable the item that will be related to sending diagnostic and usage data to Apple.
  • Click on the Lock icon again and close System Preferences.

Now, when the message about closing the application appears, you will receive both the "Reopen" button and the "Submit report" button. That is, the "Reopen" button now simply reopens the application and nothing more.

How to fix freezes on Mac: what to do if an application is frozen

Simply closing and restarting the application is the best option for MacOS to survive a crash. But sometimes it also happens that the application hangs dumbly and does not respond in any way to the user's actions, no matter how much he tries to interact with the program. When you do this, you will see a spinning rainbow circle, also called a volleyball. On the English-speaking Internet, such a sign is called "spinning pizza of death" (spinning pizza of death) or "SPOD".

  • Switch to a different area on macOS. Click on the window of another application, or switch to another desktop. You can also switch to another application using a dedicated command.
  • You can terminate the hanging utility using another preinstalled program called System Monitor. Find the frozen program in the list of open processes, select it, click the cross in the interface and click on "Force Quit".
  • It is also possible to terminate the application using a special command - Command + Option + Shift + Escape. This method is one of the most simple ways close the suspended application. Just hold this key combination for three seconds and the application should close.
  • On macOS, you can use a special menu that forcibly closes open programs. Actually, the menu is called that - Forced termination programs. To open it this utility, press the key combination Command + Option + Escape. Then select from the list the desired program and click Force Quit.
  • It is also possible to force close the application through the Apple menu. Simply click on the apple icon in the top bar and click on Force Quit.

How to fix freezes on Mac: what to do if the operating system itself freezes

If you cannot close the frozen application, or the system itself has stopped responding to your actions, then try the following steps:

  • Select the Apple menu and click on Restart.
  • If you can't even interact with this menu, then press the key combination "Control-Command-eject media". After completing it, your Mac should start rebooting and close all programs.
  • It is possible that your Mac will not respond to previous item... If this happens, then hold down the Power button on the computer to turn it off. Then press it again to turn on the device.

After restarting your Mac, you may find that some of the files you were working on may have been corrupted. You should try to recover from damaged file whatever you can and transfer it to new file and then remove the damaged one.

How to fix freezes on Mac: find the source of the problem

You should definitely find the source of the problem that is causing the applications and the operating system to freeze. If you encounter the problem of freezing very often, then do the following:

  • Check if you have enough disk space. With a shortage free space freezes are common.
  • Make sure your operating system has the latest updates with you.
  • Update apps manually, outside the Appstore. Each application usually has a function to find and install updates with it.
  • Disable plugins. If your applications use plugins, then you should try disabling them. It is possible that they are the source of the problems.
  • If you experience frequent crashes or freezes, then try to update first, and then disconnect all peripherals from the MacBook. Then connect them to the laptop one by one to see which one is causing the operating system problems.
  • Use Safe Boot holding down the Shift key while starting up your Mac. Such a MacOS boot will take place without additional processes and services, i.e. the system will load only the essentials.
  • Use Disk Utility to check and fix various problems of your disk.
  • Run a test to check the hardware of your device. This special utility from Apple can detect various problems with your Mac.
  • Freezes can also be caused by virus attacks, malware, or Mac memory overload.

Found a typo? Select the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Any computer has the ability to shutdown or restart. These actions are carried out either by special commands, or by keys, or through menus and programs. The set of such tools is different for each operating system. Let's figure out how to restart a MacBook and what it takes.

When is a reboot required?

Macbook or iMac users will only need to reboot in a few cases:

  • operating system updates are installed;
  • any program does not start or hangs;
  • the computer is completely frozen.

In the first two cases, all reboot options are suitable, and in the latter, only an emergency one. Let's understand each method in more detail.

How do I restart my Macbook Air or iMac?


You can also reboot from the profile login window.

How do I restart my MacBook from the keyboard?

If the option with pressing the buttons in the operating system menu does not suit you, then use the method with the key combination on Macbook keyboard.


You can only reset your iMac from the keyboard using an original Apple input device.

How do I restart my MacBook if it's frozen?

In the event that the computer completely does not respond to your actions, not just one program is frozen, but the entire operating system and the key combination does not help, use the last option.


It is suggested to use this method only as a last resort, when nothing helps. It is highly not recommended to disconnect the all-in-one from the power supply or leave the laptop until the battery is completely discharged.

If an Apple computer freezes, the question immediately arises of how to restart the MAC. We will analyze the ways for different models as well as what to try right from the start.

1. Closing the program

In the event that the MAC freezes, the problem may not be in the entire computer or operating system, but only in open program that you can force terminate.

This is done as follows:

  • Press three buttons simultaneously: Command, Option, and Esc. The program completion window will start, it is also "Force Quit Applications".
  • In the window that opens, select the program you want to close (just select it with the mouse cursor by clicking).
  • Click the Finish button in the lower right corner.

Prompt: Also try pressing the Command and Q buttons in open window... This combination is also for closing applications.

But what if the MACbook is frozen and nothing works? In this case, you will have to restart the entire computer. This is always done using the keyboard, to be precise, with just one button. True, for different MacBook models, these will be different buttons.

2. Reboot to MacBook with TouchID

Here we are talking about how to reload the MACbook Pro, that is, models that were released in 2016 and later. Such devices have touch button called TouchID. It is intended for user authentication.

In fact, only one person who authenticated on first startup can turn on such a computer (although this can be disabled).

This function is quite controversial and it has many drawbacks, although there are positive aspects, but it does exist and it is TouchID that allows you to reboot.

This process is performed step by step like this:

  • Hold your finger on the touch key until the computer turns off. Usually it takes a few seconds - you won't have to wait long.
  • Close the cover.
  • Open the cover to turn on the machine.

As you can see, the procedure is quite simple and fast. The same is the case in other models.

3. Reboot in devices manufactured before 2016

In the case when the MACbook, released before 2016, is frozen, you need to use a completely ordinary button, which is located in the same place as the TouchID - in the upper right corner of the keyboard.

Here everything is done as follows:

  • Press and hold the power button until the computer turns off. Usually this process also does not take so much time - no more than 5 seconds. At the end, you will see a characteristic fading of the image on the screen and its complete shutdown.
  • Wait a while (also a few seconds) and press the same power button. The MAC will turn on and start its work.

In addition to full-fledged Macbooks, there are also iMac and MAC Mini. Let's take a look at how to restart such MacBook models.

4. Restarting your iMac

Let's say right away that everything here is also very simple. The difference from the procedures described above is only that the reboot is performed not from the keyboard, but from the buttons that are in other places.

For example, in the iMac, it sits on the back of the monitor. Finding it is quite simple and all you need to do is hold down this button and wait until the computer turns off.

Then it will remain to click on it once again to start the operation of the device.

5. Reboot to MAC Mini

In this case, the power button is on the front panel. There are also connectors for HDMI, USB, headphones and more.

The power button is located near the power connector on the left. To restart, just hold it down until the device turns off, and then press again to turn it on.

These instructions will help you restore your iDevice to work. In the video below, you can clearly see the advice on what to do if such a device freezes.

If your Mac is sluggish or otherwise behaving strangely, you can try rebooting. A restart may also be required under other circumstances, for example, to install a new software or some updates. Luckily, it's pretty simple!

Here are some ways reboot mac and how to do it quickly!

Method 1. Menu button


Method 2. Shutdown window

You can use the keyboard shortcut to restart your Mac Command + Eject:


You can also use the keyboard shortcut to restart your Mac Control + Command + Eject:


How to automatically open apps after restart

If you need to restart your Mac but want to keep your apps and windows, OS X will give you that option as well.


This option can be very handy if you need to restart your Mac while working on a large project, or if you want your windows and tabs to appear again while browsing. If you'd rather just start from scratch, uncheck the box.

How to restart Mac if another user is logged in

If you try to restart your computer while other users are logged in, your Mac will ask for their names and passwords before it can restart.


You can also reboot your computer remotely. To do this, do the following:

  1. Click the "Menu" button in the upper left corner of the screen and go to "System Preferences" (as in the picture below).

  2. Click on the "Sharing" icon.

  3. Where "Remote Login" check the box and close the window.

  4. In google search enter what is my ip.

  5. Google will show your IP address (like in the picture below). Write it down.

  6. Log in to another computer that is on the same network.
  7. Open the Terminal application.

  8. Use your IP and enter ssh [email protected] _address as in the picture below (to make a remote login to the computer).

  9. In a terminal window, type reboot and press Enter to restart your computer.

Other options for restarting your Mac

If you want to troubleshoot your Mac, you may need a more specific reboot process than the OS X default. Here are some of the most common reboot options to fix errors or otherwise clean up your computer. In order to use them during the reboot / shutdown process, you will have to hold down one of the following keyboard shortcuts.

A list of additional keyboard shortcuts that might come in handy.

Keyboard shortcutFunction
OptionReboot into the boot manager, which allows you to choose which disk you want to boot from if you have multiple disks
CReboot and Boot from Optical or USB Drive
DReboot into Apple Hardware Functional Test (pre-2013 Mac OS) or Apple Diagnostics"(Macintosh after 2013). This troubleshooter can help you identify any problem you may have on your system.
Option + DReboot to the online Apple Hardware Function Test (or Apple Diagnostics)
NRestart from a compatible NetBoot server (if you have one)
Option + NUse boot image(default) on the NetBoot server
Command + RReboot into the OS X Recovery Utility (macOS Recovery System), which allows you to reinstall, repair, or restore your Mac
Command + Option + RReboot to the macOS Online Recovery System
Command + Option + R + PReboot and reset NVRAM, which will help fix speaker, screen resolution or disk startup issues
Command-SRestarting in single user mode for troubleshooting
TReboot into Target Disk Mode, which lets you mount one Mac as a disk for another
XForce Start Mac OS X
Command + VReboot into verbose mode (with verbose output) for troubleshooting

How to force Mac to restart if it freezes or slows down

If your Mac freezes, slows down, or otherwise prevents you from rebooting when you want to (and nothing helps anymore), then you can force shutdown and restart it. When you restart, you will lose all data that was not manually or automatically saved.

Note! If some program freezes and does not respond, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command + Q and close the application (so as not to restart / shut down the computer).

It is better to wait a little before closing the frozen application. It may be that this application is trying to process your last request. The cursor looks like this in this case.


Important! If your Mac doesn’t respond to anything and is frozen, because nothing helps, not even hotkeys, then you will have to resort to a hard restart or emergency shutdown.

To do this, hold down the power button for 5 seconds until your Mac shuts down.

Press the power button to turn the computer back on.

Video - Mac OS X Does Not Load, Problem Solving