Mac or MacBook difficult to restart [update 2024] (2024)

With the advancement of technology, we rely heavily on laptops to perform many tasks in our personal and professional lives. However, it can be extremely frustrating if a Mac suddenly becomes unresponsive or experiences other technical issues. In such cases ahard restart mac, also called a forced restart, is often the best solution to resolve the problem and restore the computer's functionality.

While a hard reboot can be an effective solution to many technical issues, it can also be cumbersome for users who need to become more familiar with the process. Additionally, a hard restart will erase any unsaved changes, but despite these issues, it is still a valuable way to troubleshoot technical issues on Mac. If you want to know why and how it is done, sit back and stay with us to be informed.

Why it's hard to restart a Mac

Looking for what is the need to hard restart your Mac? There are several reasons why a hard restart may be necessary. For starters, you can keep your Mac running smoothly and avoid frustration by taking the time to restart your Mac when necessary. Apart from this, it has specific software and hardware related limitations, which makes it mandatory to hard restart your Mac. Some of them are listed below:

• Resolve stuck or unresponsive screens: A hard restart can help resolve this issueMac won't restart after the updateand solve the problem when the mouse cursor, keyboard ordiscord not responding.
• Improve performance: A hard restart can clear the memory and cache, improving the overall performance of the computer.
• Facilitating software updates: It may be necessary to ensure a smooth installation process before or after a software update.
• Troubleshoot hardware problems: A hard restart can sometimes help diagnose and resolve hardware issues such as a faulty battery or screen.

Now that you know the reasons, you should be curious about different methods on how to hard restart your Mac, which will be explained in the upcoming section.

3 Ways to Restart a Mac/MacBook

Wondering how to hard restart your MacBook? This section is for you! You can use it in different waysgenstart MacBook Air/Pro and other Mac devices. However, it is important to protect your data by backing it up to the time machine or hard drive before proceeding. This ensures that no data is lost during the troubleshooting process. Once the data is backed up, you can follow the methods below.

Solution 1. Restart Mac with Keys Group

Hard restarting a Mac with a combination of keys is one of the easiest and most effective ways to troubleshoot technical issues. In this method we force the computer to shut down and restart. It effectively resets the system and clears all temporary files causing the problem. Follow these steps to hard restart your Mac using the key group:

Trin 1.Press and hold the "Command" + "Control" + "Power" buttons on your keyboard.

Trin 2.Continue holding the buttons until the Mac turns off.

Trin 3.Release the buttons and wait a few seconds.

Trin 4.Press the "Power" button to start your Mac.

Solution 2. Boot Mac in Safe Mode

Booting a Mac into Safe Mode is another effective way to troubleshoot technical issues. Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that starts the Mac with only the essential system components and features so you can identify and fix software and hardware problems. Nastystart your Mac in safe mode, Follow these steps:

Trin 1. Force shut down your Mac using the “Command” + “Control” and “Power” keys.

Trin 2. Press the "Power" button and hold down the "Shift" key immediately after the Mac starts up.

Trin 3. Hold down the "Shift" key and select your hard drive.

Trin 4.Release the Shift key, click "Safe Mode" and wait for the login screen to appear.

Now you have booted into safe mode and can look for any problems in your system.

Solution 3. Run the Apple Diagnostics mode

Apple Diagnosticsis another proven method for troubleshooting technical issues on a Mac. This built-in tool is made to scan the device and report any malicious information so that the user can intervene and remove it. Follow the simple instructions to run Apple Diagnostics:

Trin 1. First, use the keyboard and press the "Command", "Control" and "Power" keys to reset.

Trin 2. Turn it on with the "Power" key and then press and hold "D".

Trin 3.Continue holding until you see the 'Apple Diagnostics' screen.

Trin 4.Now wait for the diagnostic completion bar to fill.

Once the diagnosis has been made, you will receive a report with any problems found.

How to recover lost data while Mac freezes

Are you frustrated by the sudden unresponsiveness of Mac and worried about your important data? Do you want a solution that ensures your data is never lost? It's quite a hassle when you're in a meeting or working on an important task and your Mac suddenly stops responding and you start worrying about your progress. To overcome this, you can installEaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

It is a powerful data recovery tool designed forrecover deleted files on maccaused by file system errors, system crashes and accidental file deletions. The software is user-friendly and easy to use, even for new users. It provides a simple all-in-one data security solution for Mac users who experience sudden crashes and unresponsive issues.

Some of the key features of this software are as follows:

• Supports various file types including documents, photos, videos, audio and more
• Recover data from various storage devices including hard drives, memory cards, USB drives and more
• Offers three scan modes: quick scan, deep scan and partition recovery
• Recover unsaved Word documents on Mac, as well as Excel files and PPT documents.

Try the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac in three steps to save your data:

Remark:You can backup your Mac by first clicking "Disk Backup" on the left side. The software recovers the deleted files from the backup image. It can prevent further damage to your drive and data, making it more secure and reliable.

Step 1. Select the location and scan

Launch the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and select the drive where you lost data. Then click "Search for Lost Files" to start the scan.

Step 2. Filter and view lost files

After the scan, use the file format filter at the top left or right corner to find the deleted files you need.

Step 3. Recover lost data or files

You can double-click a file to view its contents or select multiple files to restore them at once. Click "Recover" to restore the lost data to a local drive or a cloud drive.

The difference between hard reboot and hard reset

A hard reset and hard reset are different methods to troubleshoot problems on a computer or device. A hard reboot refers to restarting a computer or device by turning it off and on again. This is often done when yourMac not responding, or a software problem needs to be resolved. It is mainly used to fix many issues such as screen freezes, slow performance, and app crashes. Usually, restarting the computer fixes minor bugs and errors.

On the other hand, a hard reset is a more drastic measure that restores a device to its original factory settings. This will erase all data and settings on the device, including personal files and system and network configurations. It is usually used as a last resort when a device is not working properly, especially when restarting does not solve the problem. Some methods to hard reset MacBook are as follows:

• restore to factory settings: Thatrestore to factory settingsusually used to fix device problems such as slow performance, crashes or errors.
• NVRAM-reset:OfNVRAM-resetcan help you resolve certain issues by resetting the display and sound related settings stored in NVRAM.
• PRAM is being reset: The PRAM reset can help you resolve display, sound and disk related issues by resetting the display, sound and disk related settings stored in the PRAM.
• SMC-reset: ThatSystem Management Controller ResIt may help you resolve some hardware-related issues by resetting the saved hardware-related settings of the SMC.

Last words

All in all, hard restarting a Mac is an easy way to fix the unresponsiveness. In this article, we have outlined three easy-to-follow methods to help you resolve this issue. Users are also concerned about losing their data, so they are stuck on the edge during the whole process of hard restarting MacBook. Fortunately, there is a way to recover all your data safely and with minimal effortEaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It is highly recommended, gives users peace of mind and helps recover the lost data during Mac hard restart.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mac Difficult Rebooting

Do you still have some questions in mind? No problem! This section answers some frequently asked questions. Let's jump in.

1. How do I restart a frozen Mac?

To restart a frozen Mac, follow the steps below using keyboard shortcuts:

• Press and hold the "Command", "Control" and "Power" keys at the same time.
• Once it's closed, just press the "Power" button and wait for it to restart.

2. When should I hard reset my Mac?

A hard reset should be the last option to fix system problems on Mac as it will restore all data, applications and system settings to factory settings. This should only be done if all other solutions have failed to resolve the software and hardware related issues.

3. What does Force Restart do on Mac?

A forced restart is an easy and quick way to eradicate problems like a frozen screen or unresponsive hardware. The device will simply restart, but it is important to note that any unsaved data will be deleted. So make sure you save your work and then restart your Mac.

4. Will I lose everything if I reset my Mac?

Yes, you will lose everything on your Mac after you reset your Mac. It clears your hard drive by erasing all the data you have stored on your Mac from day one. This includes all photos, media, videos, games, settings, applications, software and everything else, allowing the default settings.