Chapter 4. Troubleshooting Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a robust operating system; while problems are rare, they do show up from time to time. Since these problems always seem to present themselves at the worst possible moment, it helps if you know the best ways to troubleshoot them. Troubleshooting is what this chapter is about, and it’s a great reason to keep this book in your pocket!
Common Problems
There are a lot of things that can go wrong with your Mac: Hardware problems, software glitches, and configuration issues can happen at any moment. Most of the problems you’ll encounter can be easily addressed or diagnosed by following the steps in this chapter. If the information here doesn’t resolve things, you could have a unique issue, in which case a trip to the Apple Store or a call to Apple is in order.
Note
You can find a complete list of technical support numbers for Apple at http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html. In the United States, the number is 1-800-275-2273.
Misbehaving Applications
One of the most common problems on a Mac is an application that isn’t behaving as expected. This problem comes in many forms: an application that unexpectedly quits repeatedly, simply stops responding, or just doesn’t perform the way it normally does. This section suggests ways to resolve all these issues and more.
An application stops responding
Occasionally, an application will simply stop reacting to anything. Your mouse or trackpad will still work, and other programs will be fine, ...