What to do if your Mac won't shut down
Macos / / January 07, 2021
What to do if your Mac cannot turn on, we already figured out. Now let's see how to deal with the opposite problem.
Close frozen applications
Sometimes running programs freeze and prevent the device from rebooting. In this case, the Mac may show the message "The program does not allow you to restart your computer", but not always.
Close frozen programs. To do this, right-click on the icon in the Dock and select Force Quit.
You can also try clicking Apple → Force Quit or press Alt + Cmd + Esc, point to a frozen application and select Quit.
After closing all programs, try shutting down again.
End unnecessary processes
It happens that applications do not respond to either the End command or the window close button. In this case, you can kill the process through the "System Monitor" - this is almost the same as the "Task Manager" in Windows 10.
Click Launchpad → Others → System Monitor. Or open Spotlight with Cmd + Space, start typing the word Monitoring, and your Mac will find it for you.
In the window that appears, select the process that you cannot close, and click the "Stop" button (with a cross, the first on the panel). The Mac will ask you to confirm your actions - click Force Quit.
Repeat this for any frozen applications and try shutting down your Mac again.
Disconnect peripherals
If external drives are connected to the computer, flash drives, cameras and other stuff, they can prevent the system from shutting down. Therefore, deactivate everything except the mouse or trackpad.
Right-click the media, then select Eject. Or drag its icon to the Trash. Don't worry, this will not remove it, it will only disconnect it.
If the disc cannot be ejected, then you have found the problem. You can click the Force Checkout button. Or open "Terminal" and type the command there:
diskutil list
A list of your drives will appear. Remember the name of the device that cannot be disconnected and enter the command:
diskutil unmountDisk force / Volumes / device_name
The system can now shutdown normally.
Try a forced shutdown
If the measures taken have not led to anything, deactivate the computer forcibly.
On most Macs, it's enough to hold down the power button and wait for the screen to go out. On a MacBook with a Touch ID key, hold it down for a few seconds. To turn on the device again, you need to close and open the cover.
Alternatively, you can try pressing Ctrl + Cmd + Eject or Ctrl + Cmd + Touch ID.
Boot into Safe Mode
The above steps can be used in isolated cases, but if the Mac is experiencing shutdown problems all the time, you need to fix the cause.
First of all, try rebooting into Safe Mode. macOS will scan your disk for problems and try to fix them. In addition, third-party fonts, kernels, system cash and some other things that can (in theory) cause problems.
- Shut down your Mac. If necessary - forcibly.
- Press the power button, then immediately press and hold the Shift key.
- Release Shift when you see the login window.
Then reboot as usual.
Read also🧐
- How to start your computer in Safe Mode and what to do next
Reset SMC
The System Management Controller (SMC) is responsible for things like power management, battery charging, and keyboard backlighting. Sometimes shutdown problems can be caused by a problem with the SMCso it's worth trying to reset it.
- On stationary Macs, shut down the computer, unplug the power cord, and wait 15 seconds. Then reconnect the cable and after 5 seconds press the power button to turn on.
- On laptops with a removable battery, shut down the Mac, remove the battery, and then press and hold the power button for 5 seconds. After that, you need to install the battery and press the button to turn it on.
- On laptops with a non-removable battery, turn off the Mac and press and hold Shift + Command + Option simultaneously with the power button for 10 seconds. After that, release all keys and press the power button to turn on.
- On newer MacBooks (2018 and newer), the procedure is slightly different. Turn off the laptop, press and hold for 7 seconds the right Shift key, the left Option and the left Control key. Without releasing them, hold down the power button for 7 seconds. Then release all keys and the power button, wait a few seconds and turn on the laptop as usual.
Read also🧐
- How to reset SMC settings on new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
Reset PRAM and NVRAM
Nonvolatile memory NVRAM and PRAM are used by the Mac to store settings such as disk boot order, screen resolution, and information about time zone. Sometimes crashes in this memory prevent the system from shutting down.
- Disconnect your Mac.
- Press the power button (or Touch ID on some MacBooks).
- Press and hold Alt + Cmd + P + R.
- Release these keys after 20 seconds. The Mac should boot normally.
Reinstall macOS
If no effort can fix the problem, reinstall macOS. Make a backup of all your important files and documents. Turn off your computer, then turn it on again and hold down the Cmd + R keys. In the recovery menu that appears, select the option "Reinstall macOS”And follow the instructions on the screen.
Read also🧐
- What to do if Mac won't connect to Wi-Fi
- MacOS Dock Setup Guide
- 8 common Mac problems and how to fix them