How to Boot a Mac in Safe Mode and When to Use It

How to Boot a Mac in Safe Mode and When to Use It

If you are having problems with your Mac, you can easily fix it by restarting it. I know it sounds strange, but it helps sometimes. However, if that doesn’t solve the problem, there are some common ways to fix the problem. One of the ways to fix them is to start the mac in safe mode.

Not only does this help you to test where the problem is, but it is also one of the most common maintenance methods that you can use with your computer.

We will explain what Safe Mode is, how you can boot your Mac in this state, and when you should use it.

What is Safe Mode

Safe Mode or Safe Boot is a macOS diagnostic mode designed to fix several problems on your Mac.

Enabling Safe Mode allows you to resolve any issues that are preventing the operating system from operating normally. It helps you understand the problem based on how the computer reacts to the environment in safe mode.

In this mode, your Mac boots without loading additional third-party programs. You can therefore test whether the whole system or a particular program is the problem.


Start Mac Safe Mode when using Safe Mode

This means that only a minimal number of preferences, system extensions, and fonts to run will start with your computer so that you can isolate problems and troubleshoot accordingly.

Safe mode can restart your computer whenever problems arise from corrupted data or applications, damaged fonts and preferences files, or software installation problems.

You can use it to resolve any issues that are preventing your Mac from starting or starting disk-related issues, including applications that do not launch, or those that cause your computer to crash, freeze, or shutdown. .

What Happens When Your Mac Is In Safe Mode


Start Mac Safe Mode when use Safe Mode what happens

Several things happen when you start your Mac in Safe Mode. More specifically, it performs the following operations:

  • Your Mac loads the kernel extensions required to run macOS.
  • It checks your boot drive by performing a directory check and attempts to repair any problems.
  • It prevents the startup and connection elements from opening automatically at startup.
  • It disables user installed (third party) fonts in addition to those found in System / Library / Fonts provided by Apple.
  • It deletes all font caches and places them in the trash, including the kernel cache and other system cache files.
  • It also removes the cache of the dynamic loader known to cause the blue screen to freeze at startup.
  • It disables or limits features such as DVD player, iMovie (will not capture video), internal and / or external modems, AirPort cards (depending on version and macOS version used), Quartz Extreme and file sharing network.

How to start your Mac in Safe Mode

To start in safe mode, follow these steps:

Step 1: Start or restart your Mac.


Start Mac Safe Mode when use Safe Mode start

2nd step: Press and hold the Shift key immediately when you hear the chime. You will see the Apple logo appear on your screen.


Start Safe Mode on Mac when using Safe Mode Shift key

Stage 3: Release the Shift key when the login window is open. If your Mac’s startup disk is encrypted with FileVault, you’ll connect twice – the first connection unlocks the startup disk, while the second connects you to Finder.

Note: Once you have identified the problem, you can exit safe mode by restarting your Mac without pressing any keys during startup.

What To Do When Your Mac Won’t Turn On Or Start Up In Safe Mode


How to start in mac insafe mode

Here are a few things to check when your Mac won’t turn on or turn on but doesn’t finish the boot process:

  • Check for power issues such as fan or hard drive sounds among other startup sounds. Also check for lights like the standby light, the caps lock key, or the backlit keyboard, if you have one.
  • You can also verify that it has power by making sure that the power cable is not damaged and that it is properly plugged into a working electrical outlet.
  • Check that you are using the correct power cable and adapter, and if you are using an external display, turn it on and make sure it has no other display problems. Increase the brightness of your screen from the integrated keyboard.
  • Check for other boot issues if it doesn’t finish, such as a newly installed hard drive / SSD or memory, and make sure it is compatible and installed correctly. You can also delete and test with the original disk or memory.

If you still need help, contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store or authorized service provider.

If you don’t have a keyboard or you can’t use the Shift key on your keyboard to start in safe mode, you can configure your Mac to start in safe mode if you have remote access to your Mac. To do this:

Step 1: Open the terminal remotely to access the command line or connect to your Mac using SSH. Use this Terminal command: sudo nvram boot-args = ”- x”


Boot mac safe mode when using the terminal command in safe mode

You can also start in detailed mode using the command:

sudo nvram boot-args=”-x –v”

2nd step: Once you are done using Safe Mode, return to normal startup using the Terminal command:

sudo nvram boot-args=””

Restart your Mac

If you’re having trouble with your Mac, you now know how to start it up in Safe Mode and get it back to normal.

Then:

If you have an Android device and want to boot into safe mode to fix the underlying issues, learn how to do that in our next article.

Last updated on February 7, 2020

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