Tag Archives: restart

fixed : frozen Dock in macOS ( Dock not responding )

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Question :

For some reason, when I started/opened my Mac today and tried to open an app by clicking on it’s icon in the Dock… nothing happened. The Dock didn’t respond… I couldn’t get any app, folder or file to open by clicking on it’s icon in the Dock…

I found a workaround by opening the search window (by clicking on the magnifier icon top right in the macOS menu bar), then typing the application’s name and starting it from there.

But, I want this fixed… what can I do to get the Dock working properly ?

Answer :

There isn’t a clear reason why the macOS Dock freezes up from time to time… so there is no solution that will work in all cases, but to get the macOS Dock working properly again try these (in this order) :

1 – try upgrading to the most up-to-date version of macOS :

  • in the macOS Menu Bar, click on the Apple-icon top left
  • in the pulldown menu that opens, click on “System Preferences” (or “System Settings”)
  • in the System Preferences window (System Settings window) that opens, click on “Software Update” ( the gear / sprocket icon )
  • in the Software Update window that opens, see if there are any new updates to macOS available
  • if there are any, update a.s.a.p. by following the on-screen instructions
  • if there are none, try the next option

2- try restarting your macOS :

  • in the macOS Menu Bar, click on the Apple-icon top left
  • in the pulldown menu that opens, click on “Restart” and follow the on-screen instructions
  • after your Mac has restarted, check if your macOS Dock works now
  • it the Dock now works properly ; great ! well done ! enjoy !
  • if the Dock still doesn’t respond, you can try restarting your Mac by using the “Shut down” option …or try the next option

3- try resetting the Dock using the Terminal.app :

  • in the macOS Menu Bar, click on the magnifier-icon top right
  • in the search field that opens, type “terminal”
  • click on the Terminal.app in the list that appears
  • in the Terminal window that opens, don’t be distracted by the info displayed, just type the following :
  • killall Dock
  • then press Return
  • most of the time it only takes a flash of a second to rested the Dock, sometimes it takes a few moments
  • now quit the Termini.app
  • then click on any app icon in the Dock to see if it starts up and the Dock behaves as expected
  • if it does ; great ! well done ! enjoy !
  • chances this doesn’t work are very, very low… so if this didn’t work, redo the reset of the Dock using the Terminal.app again before trying your last options : keep using a work-around (as mentioned above) until Apple releases a macOS upgrade …or reinstalling macOS on your Mac.

that’s it !

enjoy 😉

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fixed : MacBook Pro hangs during final stage of macOS startup

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Question :

I have macOS 10.14 Mojave installed on my MacBook Pro ‘Mid 2012’, but every time I try to start up my Mac, it hangs when the progress bar (on the white startup screen with the Apple logo) is at 99%…

On the TechRadar-website I found some startup key-combos to try : https://www.techradar.com/how-to/computing/apple/how-to-use-os-x-boot-options-to-troubleshoot-your-mac-1305645

I have tried the following, but it didn’t help :

  • restarting my MacBook
  • zapping the PRAM / NVRAM
  • running Disk First Aid in Recovery Mode
  • running Disk First Aid from another Mac while in Target Mode
  • reinstalling macOS Mojave from Recovery Mode
  • reinstalling macOS Mojave from a USB installer

So far, no problems where found, but the exact same problem keeps occuring :

When I startup my MacBook Pro, the progress bar goes quickly to 50%, then slows down but still keeps progressing up to 99% or even 100% and then hangs…

What can I do to solve this ?

 

Answer :

You have already tried most of the options that usually give success when you encounter these types of problems, so you have little options left to choose from.

——————- U P D A T E ——————-

If you get to see a progress bar while your Mac hangs, do as outlined below, but  if your Mac hangs before you see a progress bar below the Apple logo, have a look at this post first :

fixed : MacBook Pro sighs then hangs during startup without progress bar over and over again

——————- ORIGINAL POST ——————-

The first thing to try would be ‘Verbose Mode’ so you will be able to figure out what problems are encountered during startup :

  • shut down you Mac using the power button
  • startup your Mac in Verbose Mode by pressing the [CMD]+[V] keycombo on your keyboard during startup
  • now, your Mac starts up without a GUI (Graphic User Interface) but just displays lines of code (like in the Terminal.app and Console.app)
  • note that you might see a screen of code flashing by and than face your regular inlog screen… if so, just login and you will get to the Console-like black screen with white lines of code…
  • wait for the lines of code to halt and see what error messages are displayed in the final lines of code
  • if the error is “too many corpses being created”, use the solution outlined below (additional error terms are “Process”, “crashed:” and “opendirectoryd.”)
  • if you get any different error message : lookup the error message and the solution on the internet

The solution to the “too many corpses being created” startup-error :

  • shut down your Mac using the power button
  • startup your Mac in Recovery Mode by pressing the [CMD]+[R] key combo on your keyboard during startup
  • if FireVault is on, mount the HardDisk by clicking Disk Utility.app and then typing your password
  • then, go to Utilities in the top menu bar and click Terminal in the pulldown menu
  • in Terminal.app type this line of code (in which “Macintosh\ HD” is replaced by the name your have given your HardDisk ; the default name is “Macintosh HD”, and note that all spaces in the name of your HardDisk should be replaced by “\ ” (a backslash + a space) when typing these lines of code) :

cd /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/var/db/caches/opendirectory

  • then press the [Enter]-key to run the code
  • when the cursor returns on the very next line you’re good, if you get an extra line in between, you’ve run into an error (e.g. “command not found” usually means you mistyped something, so you should just try again ; if you forgot to replace the space in your HardDisk’s name by “\ “ you’ll also get an error and you should just try again)
  • on the next line, type this :

mv ./mbr_cache ./mbr_cache-old

  • then press the [Enter]-key
  • when the cursor returns on the very next line you’re good
  • again, if you get an extra line in response, you’ve made an error and trying again with greater accuracy will probably solve it…
  • then, exit Terminal.app by pressing the [cmd]+[Q] key-combo
  • then restart your Mac by clicking on the Apple-icon top left in the top menu bar and clicking “Restart” from the pull down menu
  • now your Mac should startup without problems
  • note that the first startup will take a little longer, as all system settings need to be rebuilt

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : deleting photos to free up memory on your iPhone

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Question :

I have a 16GB iPhone running iOS10, and it freezes whenever I want to take a photo… I get an error message that there’s no memory left on my iPhone so I can’t continue…

I checked and it turns out that I have literally 1KB (yes, only 1KB, not even 1MB…) left as free memory… and most of my 16GB is occupied by Photos.app (about 12GB)…

How do I free up space without deleting valuable photos and videos ?

 

Answer :

The best way (if not the only) to free up space on your iPhone will be to delete a lot of photos and videos, in your case. The way to do that without running the risk of throwing away photos and videos that you would have liked to backup it this :

  • connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB-cable
  • open the Photos.app on your Mac
  • click on your iPhone, which is listed on the left side
  • now, in the main window, go to the photos that are displayed as ready to import (photos that aren’t on your Mac already are automatically filtered out by Photos.app
  • from that selection of (un-imported) photos and videos, select ONLY those photos you want to keep
  • import that selection onto your Mac
  • first check if all photos and especially all videos (as those are not being transferred automatically through iCloud syncing) you selected have been imported
  • then unplug your iPhone’s USB-cable
  • then delete all video’s you can, and if that isn’t enough, delete all photos older than about one year from your iPhone
  • Please, note that iCould will only contain the most recent photos (usually not the videos)
  • now, restart your iPhone by simultaneously pressing the two main physical buttons : both the menu-button (just below the screen on the front side) and the ON/OFF-button (top side or right side)
  • then check if you have enough free space on your iPhone now
  • if not, delete more photos from your iPhone (in the way explained above)
  • …then restart your iPhone

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fixed : trackpad not responding when clicking

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Question :

I had left my MacBook Pro (Late 2008 running OSX 10.11 El_Capitan) running and had forgotten all about it… after completely recharging everything seemed to be okay on first sight, but it turned out that even though I could use the (internal) trackpad to move the cursor, I wasn’t responding at all to any clicking on it. I therefore had to connect a USB-mouse. Even after restarting, the trackpad was responsive to moving the cursor, but not to clicking…

Is my MacBook’s trackpad broken ? Or is there a software solution I could try ?

 

Answer :

Even tough it’s not possible to completely rule out the scenario that your trackpad is broken, chances are you will be able to get it working properly again by an action that is normally referred to as “Resetting the PRAM”. Here’s how to do that :

  1. shut down your MacBook
  2. take out all cables and USB-sticks (this is just to rule out complications)
  3. restart your MacBook using the POWER-button
  4. immediately press and hold the key-combo [CDM]+[ALT]+[P]+[R]
  5. make sure you do so while the screen is still black
  6. when the screen lights up in light grey, you’ll hear the startup-chime
  7. now release all your fingers from the keyboard before the Apple-logo appears
  8. let your MacBook startup fully, then test if all works as expected
  9. then reconnect any cables and USB-sticks needed

Note : no worries if you act too slowly or too quickly ; if you are too late to press the key-combo, just let your MacBook startup, then shut down and try again ; if you keep pressing the key-combo for too long, you will hear the startup-chime multiple times (you will have reset your PRAM multiple times, but that’s no problem) so just release the keyboard, and just let your MacBook startup and you’re done… 😉

If the problem persists, you might have an ‘exploded battery’ problem. To check this, see if your trackpad is appearing to bulb out of it’s bezel/housing. If that is the case, you probably need to replace the battery to fix this problem. For most MacBooks and MacBook Pro’s from 2012 and older this is something you can do yourself. Some of these models have a battery-lid that can easily be opened, some models need a little unscrewing. (note : MacBook Airs and more recent MacBooks and MacBook Pros have batteries that are really hard to replace, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done in most cases.) The main problem will be that you need to find the right replacement battery. Amazon has replacement batteries available for most MacBooks and MacBook Pros, don’t mind if it’s not an official Apple battery, read the reviews to make your final choice, because often the imitation batteries are better than the refurbished ones. Here’s a link to one of the most common of these batteries :

replacement battery for 13″ MacBook Pro versions ‘Mid 2009’ to ‘Mid 2012’

enjoy !

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fixed : can’t delete unnamed app without icon from iPad

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Question :

I have an icon on my iPad that has a generic icon and no name. If I double click it, the name turns into “Waiting…” and nothing happens, even after a long wait. If I try to delete it, I get the small X-tag, and if I click on it, I get a window saying :

Delete ‘  ‘

Deleting ‘  ‘ will also delete all of its data.

…and two options to click on : “Delete” and “Cancel”

…still no name of the app is given, and since the icon is generic (a.k.a. “empty” ; showing only a greyish-white icon with a dark grey grid, some circles and diagonals) I still don’t know how to delete it.

What can I do to fix this ?

 

Answer :

For some reason (unknown and probably irrelevant also) this app has stalled during an update or even during it’s initial install. To figure out the actual name of the app, do this :

  • in iOS, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Restrictions”, and make sure you have permission to delete apps and change accounts
  • then, go to “Settings” –> iTunes and App Store and log out
  • then, when in iOS8, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Usage” –> “iCloud” –> “Manage Storage” ; in the next window, click on “Backups” ; in the next window, click on “Show all apps”
  • or when in iOS9, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Storage & iCloud Usage” –> “STORAGE” –> “Manage Storage”
  • now find the app that has a generic icon in the list of apps you see
  • write down the name of that app (the one with the generic icon)
  • then, when the Menu-button has a white square icon on it, restart your iPad (or iPhone) by simultaneously pressing the Menu-button (below the screen) and the ON/OFF-button (on the right top edge of your iPad’s/iPhone’s housing, hold this key-combo until your iPad/iPhone shows a white Apple-logo on a black screen, then release
  • or, when the Menu-button has fingerscan, restart your iPad (or iPhone) in the way described in this post
  • when the reset is done, login to your iPad (or iPhone) if you have an access pincode on it
  • then, go to “Settings” –> iTunes and App Store and login
  • then, when in iOS8, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Usage” –> “iCloud” –> “Manage Storage” ; in the next window, click on “Backups” ; in the next window, click on “Show all apps”
  • or when in iOS9, go to “Settings” –> “General” –> “Storage & iCloud Usage” –> “STORAGE” –> “Manage Storage”
  • now find the app has still with the name that you wrote down (this app may or may not have a generic icon now) and click on it
  • in the next window click “Delete App”
  • then click the Menu-button to get back to the main screen
  • then go to the “App Store”-app –> “Purchased” –> “Not on this iPad” (“Not on this iPhone”)
  • in the list, find the app with the name you wrote down and (re)download it from the App Store by clicking on the ‘cloud with blue downward arrow’-icon behind its name
  • when the app starts downloading, click on the Menu-button to return to the main screen
  • finally, turn restrictions back on if you had any initially (in “Settings” –> “General” –> “Restrictions”)

…that’s it – enjoy !

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fixed : wake MacBook from deep sleep

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Question :

Whenever I think I am only closing the lid on my MacBook for a few minutes, but get distracted and end up not turning back to it for about an hour, my MacBook seems to have fallen into deep sleep. Then nothing seems to help to get it ‘back to life’, and even though the battery is still indicating about ‘half full’, the usual click on the SPACE-bar doesn’t help, and neither does typing any key or key-combo on the keyboard…

My MacBook’s sleep is actually so deep my wife calls it ‘hibernation’, and my children call it ‘zombie Mac’…

So I always end up either taking out the battery to completely restart my MacBook or keeping the power-button pressed until it finally restarts…

Isn’t there any other way to wake my MacBook from deep sleep ?

Answer :

Yes, there is.

The solution you have been so near to the simplest solution, but you didn’t recognize it…

Instead of keeping the power-button pressed, you should just press the power-button for one quick second…

…that’s is. Then your MacBook will slowly wake from deep sleep… it will first show a faded white-ish screen with a progress bar… and if that’s finished loading, your MacBook (Pro) will be right back were you left off…

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