Frequently Asked Questions

If your Mac has started overheating, your fans have started spinning up, or your battery is draining more quickly than normal for no discernable reason, I've compiled a list of common fixes that Apple would have you walk through if you called them for support directly.

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, make sure you have up-to-date Time Machine backups!!! If your issues aren't repaired by the below, the next step will be to wipe your computer, install the latest compatible version of macOS on your computer, & then restore your data to it. The safest way to do this is by restoring from a recent Time Machine backup. All full-time employees of the College receive a Time Machine backup drive when they're issued their Mac. For information about Time Machine backups, see Apple's instructions here: Back up your Mac with Time Machine | Apple Support

• Remove Symantec Endpoint Protection. ESPECIALLY if you've just upgraded from one major version of macOS to another (e.g., from macOS 10.14.x "Mojave" to macOS 10.15.x "Catalina"). Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) misbehaves during OS upgrades (viewing changes that the OS is making to itself as suspicious & slowing everything down as it attempts to scan all changes for viruses), & this misbehavior continues after the installation. This is the primary culprit for a Mac suddenly slowing down, overheating, & fans spinning up. To uninstall Symantec Endpoint Protection, follow the instructions on Symantec's parent corporation's website: Remove Symantec software for Mac using RemoveSymantecMacFiles
• Perform an SMC Reset. Your Mac's System Management Controller (SMC) controls things like your battery, fan speeds, etc. It's the secondary culprit in issues related to fans spinning up, batteries behaving strangely, & overheating. Luckily, it's easy to reset. Follow Apple instructions here: How to reset the SMC of your Mac | Apple Support
• Perform an NVRAM/PRAM Reset. Your Mac's NVRAM/PRAM stores some less crucial settings than the SMC, but it can still cause issues, especially at startup. Resetting it is easy as well, just follow Apple's instructions: Reset NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac | Apple Support
• Remove any 3rd party anti-virus or anti-malware apps you've installed. The explanation given for removing SEP above applies here as well. Search the internet for instructions on how to completely uninstall any 3rd party anti-virus or anti-malware apps you've installed. Do not download an additional 3rd party app to uninstall things for you! Only download an uninstaller for an app from that developer (e.g., if you're using Malwarebytes, only run an uninstaller from Malwarebytes, don't download CleanMyMac to do it for you).
• Replace hardware or software that requires a kernel extension. MacOS has been phasing out kernel extensions (the Mac-equivalent to a Windows PC's drivers) for years. They've been doing this for two reasons: 3rd party kernel extensions are a security vulnerability due to the level of access they have to your OS; 3rd party kernel extensions are an OS stability vulnerability due to the level of access they have to your OS. Poorly written / poorly maintained 3rd party kernel extensions are the most common cause of "kernel panics" (the macOS equivalent of a Window's PC's Blue Screen of Death).
• Run "First Aid" in Disk Utility on your startup disk. Problems with your Mac's storage/filesystem are the second most common cause of a Mac slowing down (the first most common being SEP / 3rd party anti-virus/anti-malware applications). Follow Apple's instructions here: How to repair a Mac disk with Disk Utility | Apple Support

For additional help, email computing@help.carthage.edu to notify LIS staff of your issues, what you've done to try & fix your issues, & times when you can drop your Mac off for an appointment at the library.