Mac OS X Troubleshooting Steps When Having Mac OS X System Problems

These are our recommended steps to follow when you are trying to identify problems with Mac OS X Panther or Mac OS X Tiger. These are listed in a logical order, but it may be a good idea to scan through and see if some steps look like they more logically apply to your problem than others. Different Mac OS X problems will require different solutions.

Atleast 90% of all Mac OS X problems are actually operator problems. Yes, this means even you. . . So, we encourage you to focus on things you are doing or have done lately that may be causing a problem. Also, most problems can be tracked back to a recent change. Think about things you have done or changed since the machine was running fine. Any ideas?

- Let's Start With Software Troubleshooting -

Log Out, Log In_Sometimes a lucky Mac user can simply log out and log back in may fix a simple mac os x tiger problem. Test your Mac's operation after you log back in and see if that helped you.

Restart Computer_Your second logical step in troubleshooting is a simple reboot. There could be a process running or hung up, a bad font loaded, etc. that is cauysing dysfunction. When you restart because of problems, always do a shut down. wait a minute or two and then, turn the Mac computer back on. See if that helped any.

File System Check_This can be done in two ways, including. If you can do method 1, then that is preferred over method 2 below. Do a File System Check and permissions repair by one of these two methods below.

1. Boot up to your full OS X Install CD 1. To do this, restart the machine with the Mac OS X Install CD in the CD drive, holding down the "C" key until you see the OS coming up on screen. You will come to an Install Dialog window. From the Installer menu, select Disk Utility. Next, click the First Aid tab. Select your hard drive boot partition whose file system you wish to check, click on the First Aid tab, and click the "Repair Disk Permissions" button. Repairing permissions may take a couple of minutes as it restores "permissions" of Mac OS X system files and Apple-installed software to their default configuration. When it completes, click the "Repair Disk" button. 2. Open Disk Utility, located in /Applications/Utilities. Select your boot partition, click on the First Aid tab. Click the "Repair Disk Permissions" button. Next, to run fsck, restart the computer holding command-S at startup (where command is the Apple logo key on your Apple keyboard), then at the prompt typing fsck -y and hitting the Return key. Continue to run fsck -y until no errors are found. If your hard drive is journalled, you will need to run fsck -yf. (Attempting to run fsck -y on a journaled drive will result in a message reminding you of this.) Repeat running of fsck till you are getting no errors, type shutdown -r now and hit the Return key to reboot your Mac OS.

Log in to clean user account_Many Mac OS problems are user-specific, to fix these problems, you must find out if your specific software problem is tied to your user account. If a problem is found to be user-specific, then it can often be traced to a corrupted preference (.plist) file or corrupted caches. To figure that out, either log in as another user, or create a new user account and log in as that user, see if your problem still exists, this can provide very valuable info and the key to solving your problem.

Trash the prefs_When your problem seems related to a specific program, try trashing or renaming the preferences file associated with that program. For example, if iTunes was crashing, try renaming the preferences like this. ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist to ~/Library/Preferencees/com.apple.iTunes.plist.old while iTunes is not running. Then, Re-launch iTunes and see if the problem is solved.

Disable Startup Items_There is nothing wrong with using Startup Items, but to troubleshoot problems, an important step is to disable programs that automatically start up. In OS X 10.3 Panther, they are found in System Preferences > Login Items, or you can look in the Terminal at /Library/StartupItems. *The similarly-named /System/Library/StartupItems should be left alone.

Install the combo updater of your OS_If your computer is not updated to the latest releases of Mac OS X using Software Update, you should download the full combo version of the latest release and install it. If you are having problems with the latest Mac OS, you may wish to download the latest Mac OS Combo Version of same release version and install it over the top.

Update your firmware_Firmware updates for Mac OS are really not released very often, but sometimes, especially on older apple computers, it is imperative that you update firmware before updating your OS. Always check firmware updates for your Apple computer and be sure you are current.

Clear system and user caches_ Deleting the cache files of the System and of Internet browsers can sometimes solve a problem. These Cache files can become corrupted. Additionally, virtual memory file(s), system history files, as well as cookies and Internet-related navigation/download history files can all become corrupted. One way to do this easily is with Cache Out X.

Zap the PRAM_Reboot your computer while holding down the command-option-p-r keys simultaneously. Don't let up until you have heard the startup chime three or four times. (the Apple logo key on your Apple keyboard is the command key).

Reset Open Firmware_Reboot your Mac OS X while holding down the command-option-o-f keys simultaneously. At the prompt, type reset-nvram and hit the Return key, then type reset-all and hit the Return key again. Your computer will reboot. *For older machines (G3/233 All-in-one, beige G3, etc.) just type the reset-all command.

PMU Reset_If you are troubleshooting a Mac Laptop, PMU reset is for you, This IS NOT to be used for desktop computers. The procedure is specific to each laptop and is detailed in Apple Knowledgebase article of PMU.

Using Console to See Problem Info_If you are experiencing a predictable, repeatable system problem, like an application that quits all of the sudden. You can open up the Console application Applications/Utilities/Console. After Launching Console, trigger the problem event and see what messages will be displayed in your Console as the problem reoccurs.

Reinstall Your System_This should be a rare step, but in some cases it is best to reinstall the operating system. Please try all other options before resorting to that. Reinstalling your Mac OS can cause you to have other problems getting all your software reloaded and set-up as it was before. Also, I encourage users to go through all troubleshooting steps and procedures. Most users learn allot from going through a thorough troubleshooting of their Mac OS. If you must go through a re-install, ALWAYS remember to back everything up and review and inventory all your software installers. Nothing is worse than reloading and finding out that software you need is missing and cannot be re-installed. BE CAREFUL, and THOUGHTFUL before doing a full Mac OS reload.

- Next, Mac OS X Hardware Troubleshooting -

Check for hard drive space. Your computer must have adequate hard drive space to operate normally. Check to make sure that your hard drive has at least 5% if not 10% of it's capacity available for use. If it doesn't, then buy a bigger hard drive or delete some old junk immediately.

Verify hard drive age. Hard drives do wear out over time. If your hard drive is around three years old or older, you should be much more diligent than usual with backing up and it may be time to think about replacing it. If you are having continuing problems with disk corruption, bad blocks, or other drive-related issues with an older drive, these are warning signs--you should definitely replace it immediately. (Thanks to Mark Hollis.)

Memory checks. Run a thorough memory checker overnight. If you are comfortable with the command line, I'd recommend memtester Download and Information

Run Apple Hardware Diagnostic CD. If you have one, it can be useful in some cases.

Remove Unnecessary Peripherals. Other than keyboard and mouse, remove all peripherals attached to the computer, including any hubs.

Remove Unnecessary cards & memory. Other than one main Apple-provided video card, remove additional expansion cards. Although making your computer have less memory is usually a bad idea, if you can't explain a problem any other way and don't have a good memory checker available (or can't get one to run because of problems), then you should remove additional memory other than the original Apple-provided memory stick.

Push the CUDA reset button. Most desktop Macintoshes have a small button on the motherboard called the CUDA button, often near the PRAM battery. If you are having serious problems, you may wish to turn off the computer, hold the CUDA button in, wait for 10-15 seconds, then turn the computer back on. Don't press the CUDA button twice within 10-15 seconds: Apple claims that this can have negative consequences.

This does roughly the same thing for a desktop Mac as the PMU Reset (mentioned above, under Software) does for Apple notebook computers, and in fact some people call this step a PMU Reset.

Replace PRAM battery. Many Macs have a small battery on the motherboard which powers the PRAM when the computer is switched off. When the PRAM battery is low or depleted, some odd issues can occur. The simple fix is to replace the battery.

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- If All Else Fails, Nothing So Far Has Worked -

3. Boot to a third party disk utility CD and run the file system check offered therein. At this time, I can recommend DiskWarrior http://alsoft.com and Drive 10 or Tech Tool Pro 4 http://micromat.com . The third party disk utilities have been known to rescue drives that are inaccessible. However, I do not recommend their use unless it is a last resort and ALL ELSE FAILS.

- Update Prebinding on Mac OS X Panther -

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