How to Reset the SMC and PRAM on a Mac
To reset the SMC on a MacBook with a non-removable battery (mostly pre-2018):
* Shut down your Mac.
* Take off the power cord for 20 seconds, and reattach.
* Press and hold Shift, Control, and Option on the left side of the keyboard.
* Now press and hold the Power button (or Touch ID button) as well.
* Hold all the keys down for 10 seconds.
* Release all the keys and turn on your MacBook.
How to Reset PRAM or NVRAM on a Mac
You don’t need to know if your Mac has NVRAM or PRAM, as the process to reset both is the same:
* Shut down your Mac.
* Press the power button.
* Before the grey screen appears, press the Command, Option, P, and R keys at the same time.
* Hold the keys until your computer restarts and you hear the startup sound a second time.
On Macs with the T2 Security Chip (after 2018), hold the keys until the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time.
Release the keys.
After you reset the NVRAM or PRAM, you might notice that some of your settings are lost, such as the time, volume, mouse settings, and keyboard preferences. If you remember your previous computer settings, you should be able to get it back to normal in just a couple of minutes.
When Should You Reset SMC?
SMC is responsible for so many functions in a Mac that it’s worth resetting whenever you find your computer’s hardware acting in unexpected ways. Here’s a list of the main symptoms that you need to reset the SMC:
The battery or status lights behave strangely
The keyboard backlight doesn’t work properly
Your MacBook doesn’t turn on when you open it
The power adapter light doesn’t reflect what it’s doing
The fan is running at an abnormally high rate, especially under low load
The trackpad doesn’t work
Your computer won’t connect to Wi-Fi
Target display mode switches on or off unexpectedly
App icons bounce for an extended period of time when opening
Your computer runs slowly, even under low CPU load
Your computer shuts down slowly
Resetting the SMC is also one of the recommended solutions for when your Mac won’t boot.
When Should You Reset the PRAM or NVRAM?
Problems with the PRAM or NVRAM are often software-related. Your computer might forget certain settings, or could run into connectivity problems. You can try a PRAM reset when you experience any of these symptoms:
Volume doesn’t respond properly
The boot volume isn’t set (you’ll see a question mark before your computer boots up)
Strange mouse scrolling and clicking speeds
Keyboard not responding normally
The time zone or clock is wrong
Display resolution changes or won’t change
AirPort problems
Your computer shuts down slowly
* Shut down your Mac.
* Take off the power cord for 20 seconds, and reattach.
* Press and hold Shift, Control, and Option on the left side of the keyboard.
* Now press and hold the Power button (or Touch ID button) as well.
* Hold all the keys down for 10 seconds.
* Release all the keys and turn on your MacBook.
How to Reset PRAM or NVRAM on a Mac
You don’t need to know if your Mac has NVRAM or PRAM, as the process to reset both is the same:
* Shut down your Mac.
* Press the power button.
* Before the grey screen appears, press the Command, Option, P, and R keys at the same time.
* Hold the keys until your computer restarts and you hear the startup sound a second time.
On Macs with the T2 Security Chip (after 2018), hold the keys until the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time.
Release the keys.
After you reset the NVRAM or PRAM, you might notice that some of your settings are lost, such as the time, volume, mouse settings, and keyboard preferences. If you remember your previous computer settings, you should be able to get it back to normal in just a couple of minutes.
When Should You Reset SMC?
SMC is responsible for so many functions in a Mac that it’s worth resetting whenever you find your computer’s hardware acting in unexpected ways. Here’s a list of the main symptoms that you need to reset the SMC:
The battery or status lights behave strangely
The keyboard backlight doesn’t work properly
Your MacBook doesn’t turn on when you open it
The power adapter light doesn’t reflect what it’s doing
The fan is running at an abnormally high rate, especially under low load
The trackpad doesn’t work
Your computer won’t connect to Wi-Fi
Target display mode switches on or off unexpectedly
App icons bounce for an extended period of time when opening
Your computer runs slowly, even under low CPU load
Your computer shuts down slowly
Resetting the SMC is also one of the recommended solutions for when your Mac won’t boot.
When Should You Reset the PRAM or NVRAM?
Problems with the PRAM or NVRAM are often software-related. Your computer might forget certain settings, or could run into connectivity problems. You can try a PRAM reset when you experience any of these symptoms:
Volume doesn’t respond properly
The boot volume isn’t set (you’ll see a question mark before your computer boots up)
Strange mouse scrolling and clicking speeds
Keyboard not responding normally
The time zone or clock is wrong
Display resolution changes or won’t change
AirPort problems
Your computer shuts down slowly
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