We’ve already covered how to recover when a single application freezes, but what do you do when your entire computer freezes?
The solution is a Force Shutdown.
How Do I Know My Mac Is Frozen:
- You get the spinning beach ball-of-death, it won’t go away, and you cannot access normal computer functions.
- The cursor freezes or disappears.
- Several programs are not responsive.
- The Finder crashes and cannot be relaunched successfully.
- A normal shutdown does not work.
Can I Save My Work:
Generally, if your Mac is frozen the answer is No, but there’s no harm in trying, so click on any open Applications and attempt a save.
Microsoft Office has a terrific rescue save feature. Once you have rebooted, open each Office application, and you will be given an opportunity to use an autosaved version of the file. With Word and Excel files, you rarely lose any data. It’s a great idea Apple should steal.
How Do I Force Shutdown:
- On your Mac, hold the power button down for approximately 5 seconds. The screen will go black, and you’ll feel the Mac shutdown as all mechanical activity ceases.
- Now, press the power button once and the Mac should re-boot normally.
Congratulations… you know how to Force Shutdown.
If you have questions, please use the Comments section below.
If you are looking for more Mac Support near me, check out our main Mac Support page for our Los Angeles-based Apple users.
