Macs All-in-One for Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter II.5. Maintenance and Troubleshooting

In This Chapter

• Fixing startup troubles

• Taking care of program freezes and hang-ups

• Unjamming jammed CDs/DVDs

• Troubleshooting disk problems and repairs

• Performing routine maintenance

No matter how well designed and well built a Mac is, it's still a machine, and all machines are liable to break down through no fault of your own. Many times, you can fix minor problems with a little bit of knowledge and willingness to poke and prod around your Mac. If your Mac isn't working correctly, you can check obvious things first, like making sure it's plugged in and that any connecting cables to your Mac are plugged in and secure. However, sometimes your Mac might be in more serious trouble than you can fix, so don't be afraid to take your Mac into your friendly neighborhood computer repair store (one that specializes in repairing Macs, of course).

Warning

Only open your Mac if you know what you're doing. If you open the case and start fiddling around with its electronic insides, you might damage your Mac — and invalidate your Mac's warranty.

Handling Startup Troubles

Sometimes you might press the power button to turn on your Mac and nothing seems to happen. Other times, you might press the power button and see the usual Apple logo on the screen, and then nothing happens from that point on.

Before you rush your Mac to the emergency room of Mac repairs, do some simple troubleshooting yourself. At the very least, be sure to back up your important files — before ...