Mac OS X Quick Fixes

The quick fixes applicable to troubleshooting the OS are divided into three increasingly invasive strategies, which are discussed in the following sections.

Innocuous Fixes (Consider These First)

The following troubleshooting steps have little or no impact on the computer and Mac OS X, and may fix transient issues:

• Restart/shut down

• Check Top Support Questions if problem seems familiar (available to Apple Authorized Service Providers)

• Repair volume with Disk Utility

• Disconnect all external devices

• Run Software Update to check for any uninstalled updates

• Relaunch Finder

When you begin troubleshooting, these are some innocuous things you might do to assess the problem:

• Perform a Safe Boot by pressing Shift immediately on startup until the words "Safe Boot" appear

• Run System Profiler

• Check with other users to see if they see the same problem (a possible network problem)

• Suppress automatic login during startup by pressing Shift when the progress bar appears until the Login window appears

• Perform a Safe Login (suppress startup items from launching) by pressing Shift after logging in until the Finder menu appears

• Review logs in Console

• Start from Mac OS X Install DVD

• Start in single-user mode by pressing Command-S during startup

• Start in verbose mode by pressing Command-V during startup

• Start in another operating system

• Try the same task in another application environment (X11 application versus native Mac OS X application, for example)

• Turn off Screen Saver and Energy Saver during installation

• Connect to another device or volume (network)

• Connect to PPP test server (modem)

Less Innocuous Fixes (Consider Next)

The following fixes have a moderate impact on the computer or the end-user operating environment. They are somewhat more time-consuming, so you should use caution and document your work:

• Fix permissions with Disk Utility

• Adjust user settings in System Preferences

• Move, rename, or delete preference file

• Delete cache files from ~/Library/Caches and /Library/Caches files ending in a UID

• Log in as a test user

• Log in as an administrator

• Check the settings in the Firewall pane of Sharing preferences

• In Network preferences, choose Show > Network Port Configurations

• Check the settings in Startup Disk preferences

• Choose Apple > Force Quit if an application is not responding

• Update the printer driver (for printing problems)

• Update firmware

• Change ports (such as Ethernet, USB) in Network preferences

• Use known good peripherals (such as monitor, disk drive, and printer)

Invasive Fixes (Consider Last)

The following fixes have a more drastic impact on the system:

• Perform Upgrade installation of Mac OS X

• Perform Archive and Install installation of Mac OS X

• Perform Erase and Install installation of Mac OS X

• Reinstall suspect application

• Reset PRAM by pressing Command-Option-P-R at startup until you hear the startup chime twice

• Reset Power Manager (See Knowledge Base for reset instructions for your computer)

• Remove nonApple memory from your computer