Press the power button for 3-5 seconds to force a shut-down of the computer. Reasons: It happens on rare occasions, but the issue could result from over-used system resources, MacBook Pro uptime too long, hard disk errors, etc. Sometimes you also hear the loud noise coming from the fan (if you are using an old MacBook with a spinning hard drive). You are unable to use the keyboard to type, the mouse cursor is unable to move as you want, the same screen seems just hang there for good.

Scenario 2: macOS totally freezes (you can’t move cursor or click anything)ĭetails: the whole system becomes completely unresponsive. Warning: a force quit on a running Mac application may cause you to lose any content that hasn’t been saved. You can also press “Command + Option + Esc”, it does the same thing. Then highlight the unresponsive app, and click “Force Quit” to exit. To do so, go to the Apple logo on the top left corner, click on it and select the “Force Quit” option. It may become responsive again (hopefully).

If you haven’t saved your work, wait for a few minutes.

Reasons: the app may be waiting for other hardware resources to become available, or the software may have a bug that drops itself into a calculation loop. The application won’t respond to any commands. When you click around, the app just hangs with the cursor spinning like a pinwheel. For example, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, or sometimes the web browser you use ( Safari, Chrome, Firefox). Scenario 1: An app is frozen (you can still move cursor)ĭetails: this kind of app usually demands a lot of system resources to process. Find one that best applies to your situation and follow the fix guides. I’ve grouped all MacBook freezing issues into four different scenarios ( thanks to our reader Carol’s feedback).

If this has happened to you, be aware that your MacBook Pro may have some issues. How about you? Does your MacBook Pro sometimes freeze or hang up for no reason? Or the spinning beach ball often appears? Although I was told that patience is a virtue, somehow I just don’t have it with my beloved MacBook. But when it comes to using your Macbook Pro, it may be another story.įor me, I hated it when the applications I use became unresponsive, not to mention when the entire system froze up and I couldn’t click anything. You usually have no problem waiting in line to get services. As an Amazon Associate, We earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Imac keeps freezing spinning wheel