It is safe to say that Apple’s MacBook laptops are at the top of the hierarchy in terms of build quality. MacBooks are always well-built and you can expect them to be incredibly reliable under heavy use. Yes, the recent models (2016, 2017, and 2018) have keyboard issues, but that doesn’t mean they are poorly made.
Despite being incredibly well-built, there are still some common problems experienced by MacBook owners. Knowing how to deal with these issues will help you prepare better for when they happen to your MacBook. That is why we are going to take a look at the common MacBook problems and how to fix them in this article.
MacBook Problems and how to fix it?
Let’s now see some common MacBook problems faced by Apple lovers and how to fix the same.
Keyboard Issues
The freshest issue with the new MacBooks is one that affects their keyboards. Due to the new design of MacBook keyboards – which is needed to make the laptops so thin – modern MacBook keyboards are more prone to keys getting stuck, double-presses, and other annoying issues. Some keys may stop working entirely.
The first thing you want to do when you start experiencing these issues is clean your MacBook keyboard. Tilt the MacBook 45 degrees and start cleaning the keyboard using compressed air. Dust and other particles stopping the keyboard from working properly will go to one side of the keyboard and stop blocking important keys.
Also check: How to Fix Keyboard Backlight Not Working in Macbook Pro
You can go a step further and open the keys that aren’t working properly to clean them more thoroughly. For me, the E and J keys were the ones affected by the issue the most. Be careful when opening the keys though, because the butterfly mechanism uses small hooks that can break easily. If the problem persists, go to Apple Genius Bar and get your keyboard serviced.
One more thing about these keyboard issues: Apple has extended its warranty coverage for the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pros. The keyboard now receives an additional three years in warranty coverage. 2018 MacBook Pro owners may soon benefit from the same extended warranty, since the new design hasn’t fixed the issue.
Screen Problems
MacBooks have some of the best screens on the market. The screen on MacBook Airs may be a bit dim, but the rest of the lineup has exceptional screens that pamper the eyes. Again, great-quality screens don’t necessarily mean they are problem-free.
Some of the older MacBook Pros suffer from a screen defect that causes the external film covering the screen to peel off. The extended warranty coverage for this issue has expired, so you may need to pay for screen repairs in order to get your MacBook fixed.
With my 2017 MacBook Pro, scratches on the shape of the keys started to appear after a couple of months, which suggests that the screen actually touches the keyboard when the lid is closed. Again, the only option is to claim the screen under warranty (or AppleCare) or pay the hefty repair cost.
In some cases, you may be dealing with a complete screen malfunction. The flexible wire inside the chassis is actually the culprit; we’re talking about Apple here, so replacing a wire is still very expensive. Since the issue causes the screen to stop working completely, getting it repaired is a must.
Drive Failure
Depending on which MacBook you own, you may be using a conventional hard drive, a newer M.2 SSD, or Apple’s proprietary NVMe design. The latter is the most difficult to replace when yours stops working, since you can only buy a replacement SSD from Apple. OWC is the only third-party brand that offers SSDs designed to be compatible with the newer MacBooks, but even their SSDs are expensive.
Read: How to Show Your Mac OS X Hard Drive Icon on Desktop?
Hardware failure happens to conventional hard drives more often than SSDs. Older drives still rely on spinning discs as a way to store data, which is why they are more prone to hardware failure than newer SSDs. If you do need to replace your SATA drive, consider upgrading to an SSD at the same time. You’ll be paying a bit extra on the new drive, but you will no longer have to worry about drive failure.
For damaged SSDs, your priority should be recovering your files if possible. Once the files are safely recovered, you can take your MacBook to Apple for repair. This, too, can be a bit expensive, but there are a lot of financing options available. Aside from relying on credit cards, you can also use payday loan to get your MacBook repaired before your next paycheque arrives; check this out for more info.
Slow-Downs
The trickiest – and most common – problem to deal with is your MacBook slowing down all of a sudden. This is one of the annoying MacBook problems. Slow-downs are usually signs of bigger underlying problems. When I was still using a 2012 MacBook Pro, the sudden slow speed came from my drive showing signs of failing.
You can run a quick check to identify what is causing your MacBook to perform poorly. If there are processes or apps running in the background, shut them down. Do a quick disk check to measure the health of your disks.
Continue by taking steps to clean your system. Apps like CleanMyMac are very effective in removing unused files, old logs, and cache files. When these files are cleaned, you may see an improvement in performance.
Check MacBook HDD Error:
- Goto Applications
- Launch Disk Utility
- Click First Aid Icon
- A dialog box will popup with a message “Would you like to run First Aid on “Macintosh HD”? Like the screenshot below.
- Click “Run” to check the volume for errors and repair the volume if necessary.
Updating the macOS version to the latest version is also recommended. MacOS Mojave is much friendlier to older hardware; it is actually faster than older versions like Snow Leopard, because it is more capable of running optimally and taking into account the resources provided by your MacBook.
Lastly, consider the possibility of imminent hardware failure if your MacBook is still slower than usual after these checks. Begin backing up your important files to avoid losing them and set a Genius Bar appointment to get your MacBook checked.
Conclusion
MacBooks are very reliable, but they are far from being problem-free. While you don’t have to worry about frequent crashes or the OS misbehaving, you still want to take good care of your MacBook to prolong its lifespan. The better you are at taking care of your MacBook, the longer it will run smoothly and optimally.
