Troubleshooting Common Problems

Basic troubleshooting procedure

This is the basic procedure that ITS follows when trying to fix a computer that's not working.

1. Start the Macintosh with the CD or Disk Tools diskette that came with computer and run Disk First Aid. (See Using Disk First Aid)
2. Run a diagnostic program such as Norton Disk Doctor or TechTool Pro (See Using Norton Utilities)
3. Rebuild the desktop (See Apple article Rebuilding Desktop File and Icon Recovery)

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Zapping the PRAM

Zapping the PRAM (Parameter RAM) resets the PRAM settings back to their default values. Resetting the PRAM may be helpful if your computer is having startup problems, or other miscellaneous problems. For more information on what is stored in the PRAM settings, view the following Apple article: Macintosh: How to Reset PRAM and NVRAM. To reset the PRAM, do the following:

1. Shut down the computer
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.

Startup and Software Problems

Blinking question mark

A common problem we see on campus is a Macintosh starting with a blinking question mark. If your Macintosh starts with a blinking question mark, start your computer with the CD or Disk Tools diskette that came with the computer. See if anything got moved out of the System folder, such as an Enabler, the Finder, or the System file. If one of these items has been moved, place them back in the System folder, restart your computer, and see if the blinking question mark persists.

If you are still receiving the blinking question mark, follow step 1 and 2 of the Basic Troubleshooting Procedure above.

If you are still having trouble, the following Apple article has further details about the blinking question mark problem:

Program crashes

If you are having trouble with a specific program crashing often, you could try uninstalling the program, then reinstall it. Most applications today have an "uninstall" option. Usually, you will have to run the Setup program and select the option "Uninstall" or "Delete installed components". Doing uninstalls this way is preferred.

Some older applications may not have an uninstall option. In these cases, you can drag the application and any related preferences and extensions into the trash. DO NOT drag any files you have created! If you are not sure which preferences and extensions are related to this particular application, do not modify it. Reinstall the application and verify everything is working properly before emptying the trash.

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Clean Install

If you continue to have trouble starting your Macintosh or are experiencing many crashes, you may have to perform a clean install of your system software. A clean install puts a brand new System folder on your hard drive. It renames your old system folder to "Previous System folder". It's a good idea to perform a clean install instead of a regular install, because if you just reinstall a new System folder over the old one, it may not erase the corruption that was causing your problems. All of your extensions and control panels will be preserved in the Previous System folder.

The Apple Support web page provides instructions on performing a clean install:

If the above links do not seem to pertain to you, go to the Apple Support page and type clean install in the Search box to see other clean install articles.

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Extension Conflicts - OS 9

Extensions are files that add functionality to your Macintosh. For example, there is an extension to add network capability and an extension to add printing capability. If your Macintosh did not have these extensions, you wouldn't be able to use the network or print.

Control Panels are similar to extensions in that they add functionality to your Macintosh. They also give you some control over certain settings. For example, there is a control panel for memory where you can set how much of your hard drive to devote to virtual memory. There is another control panel for Virex (UH's antivirus application) that allows you to set what gets scanned when.

Extension conflicts or corruption are perhaps the most common cause of Mac errors. Some signs of extension conflicts are your computer does not start up properly, repetitive crashing or freezing, or software does not function as it should. Most extension conflicts manifest themselves in the computer not starting properly. The term "Extension conflicts" includes both extensions and control panels.

One quick way to check if you have an extension conflict is to turn on or restart your computer, and hold down the shift key until you see the MacOS logo with the words "Extensions Off" or "Extensions disabled". If the problem disappears when your extensions are turned off, then it is most likely an extension conflict that is causing the problem. If the problem does occur even with extensions off, then it is not an extension conflict -- it is either a system problem, or your hardware.

Take a minute to figure out when the problem first started to occur. If you installed any software before or around that time, the extensions that were installed with that software may be the cause of the conflict.

You can check the modification date on your extensions if you can't remember what you installed.

1. Open your hard drive, then open the "System folder", then open the "Extensions" folder.
2. Go to the View menu and select by Name or as List.
3. If necessary, scroll to the right until you see the "Date Modified" or "Last Modified" column; for newly installed software the "Date Modified" is the date it was installed.

If you find any recently installed extensions, move them out of the Extensions folder and restart your computer. See if you still have the problem. If you do, go on to the next section.

Below is the version of the Extensions Manager that appears in Mac OS 9.x.

Using the Extensions Manager, it is possible to determine which extension is causing the problem. For either method 1 or 2, go to the "Apple" menu and select Control Panels, then Extensions Manager. The Extensions Manager window will appear. Note which extensions are already off (no check mark or "x" to the left of its name) so that you do not turn them on later.

Method 1

Under "Selected Set", choose "MacOS base" or "System 7.xx base" depending on what system version you have. Restart your computer. If the problem goes away, one of your non-Apple extensions is causing the problem.

Go back to the Extensions manager window. You will now turn on your non-Apple extensions one by one. (Note: do not turn on an extension that was previously off.) To turn on an extension, click on the blank space or in the box to the left of the extension's name. A check mark or x will appear. After turning on one extension, restart the computer and test if the problem still occurs. If it doesn't, turn one more extension on, restart, and test again. Keep repeating this procedure until you find the extension that's causing the problem.

Method 2 - Checking your extensions by halves

Turn off the top half of the list of your extensions, and leave the bottom half on (no matter where they are, leave any extensions that are normally off, off). Restart the computer and test for the problem.

• If the problem doesn't occur, all the extensions that are on are OK. Leave the bottom extensions as is. Turn on half of the top extensions. Restart the computer.
  • If the problem occurs at this point, one of the extensions you just turned on is the culprit. Turn off these extensions one at a time (you'll need to restart your Macintosh each time you turn off an extension) and test for the problem until you find which one is bad.

  • If the problem doesn't occur, then one of the extensions that are still off are causing the problem. Turn these extensions on one at a time (you'll need to restart your Macintosh each time you turn on an extension) and test for the problem until you find which one is bad.

• If the problem does occur then one of the bottom extensions is the culprit. Turn on all of the top extensions and turn off half of the bottom extensions. Restart and test for the problem.
  • If the problem occurs at this point, one of the extensions you just turned on is the culprit. Turn off these extensions one at a time (you'll need to restart your Macintosh each time you turn off an extension) and test for the problem until you find which one is bad.

  • If the problem doesn't occur, then one of the extensions that are still off are causing the problem. Turn these extensions on one at a time (you'll need to restart your Macintosh each time you turn on an extension) and test for the problem until you find which one is bad.

If the instructions above are not enough, Apple has comprehensive web pages on extension conflict troubleshooting that may be helpful:

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Network Settings

If you are having difficulty checking email or loading web pages, you may want to verify your network settings. Please refer to the section Verifying your Network Settings.

If your network settings are OK, other causes of these messages could be a loose cable (the cable going from your computer to the datajack), the cable is disconnected, the wrong type of cable for the datajack, or the cable is the wrong way.

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Miscellaneous tips

If an application crashes or is unresponsive, but you can still move your mouse, press the command, option, and escape keys (hold down command, then hold down option, then hold down escape, then let go of the keys).

• MacOS 9
  • A box asking if you want to force the application to quit will open.
  • Click on Force quit.
  • If the application successfully quits, restart your Mac before doing anything else.
  • If the application does not quit, restart your Mac.
• MacOS X
  • A window will open listing the current applications that are open.
  • Click on the Application that is not responding.
  • Click on the Force Quit button.
  • Click the red button in the upper left corner to close the Force Quit window.
  • You do not have to restart the computer.

If your Mac is completely frozen, you can press the command, control, and power key keys to restart your Mac. This will not work on an iMac, blue and white G3, or G4. On the original iMacs, you will need to use a paper clip to press the very tiny Restart button (the one with a triangle) between the ethernet port and the modem port. The next generation of iMacs have a button you can press. On the blue and white G3s and older G4s, press the tiny Restart button (it has a triangle on it) on the front of the computer. For the newer iMacs, G4s and G5s, press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds to turn off the computer. Wait about 30 seconds, and then press the power button again to turn the Mac back on.

To eject a diskette or CD that won't come out, hold down the mouse button (and keep holding it down) then restart or turn on the Macintosh. Keep holding down the mouse button until the disk or CD is ejected. If this doesn't work, you could try inserting a paper clip into the tiny round hole near the CD or diskette drive. (You will probably have to jiggle the paper clip around before you can eject the CD or diskette.) Be careful not to damage your media or drive when trying this method.

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Apple Resources

Apple provides extensive online support for the Macintosh. Visit Apple Support for the latest troubleshooting information. Apple has also created some online troubleshooting guides:

For more information and unique issues, you can also search the Apple Discussions lists. Here you can search for answers to your questions, or post a question that another user may be able to answer.

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Maintained by: ITS Help Desk	© 2001 University of Hawaii Updated: January 26, 2005