There could be times when your Mac doesn’t perform well and is running slow. Or you might be having problems in starting up applications, through which system is getting crashed repetitively, or your Mac in not booting up properly or is taking time for starting up.
However, to troubleshoot above issues or even worse cases, it is recommended to boot Mac in safe mode, as it performs various checkups at the time of starting up to make sure you don’t face them again.
But, many of you don’t know, how to start Mac in safe mode, when to start Mac in safe mode, and why to boot iMac in safe mode. Don’t worry! We are here to help you with the process to boot Mac in safe mode. Before starting up with the process, let us know what exactly safe mode is and what functions does it perform to fix the issues.
Why And When To Boot Mac In Safe Mode?
There could be several reasons to boot iMac in safe mode. Basically, safe mode could be used for resolving issues that interrupts Mac startup or slows down Mac from booting.
Safe mode or safe boot does some checks at the time of startup of Mac. These are done to stop some software from loading automatically and to perform some other startup tasks as well.
Let us take a look at what exactly does safe mode do and what functions does it perform:
- It detects and authenticates startup driver
- Repair directory errors when needed
- Boots only required and important authorized kernel extensions
- Stops some startup software and applications from loading automatically
- It deactivates user-installed fonts
- Removes cache files of all types
So, if you are facing issues regarding disk, system hardware, applications, then it is recommended to start iMac in safe mode.
How To Start Mac In Safe Mode?
Follow the given steps to boot or start iMac in safe mode:
- Start your Mac.
- Just immediately after starting Mac, tap and hold ‘Shift key’. After 3 to 4 seconds, Apple logo will appear on screen display.
- Now, once login window appears on display, leave the Shift key.
In safe mode, Mac automatically starts checking up for disk and directory issues, and if the issues are detected, Mac in safe mode will try to troubleshoot them. If Mac repairs corrupted drives & directories, then Mac will automatically restart after troubleshooting in safe mode.
And if in safe mode, your Mac gets turned off, then you must check the power outlet, and if the problem still persists, then contact Apple support or Apple authorized service provider for further assistance.
How To Exit Safe Mode In Mac?
To exit Mac from safe mode, just restart your Mac without tapping any keys while starting up system.
Drawbacks: Boot Mac In Safe Mode
There are some drawbacks as well of booting Mac in safe mode. When Mac is started in safe mode, it doesn’t allow some of the features to use, which are as follows:
- Unable to play movies in DVD player
- Unable to record videos using iMovie or some other video recording application
- Input/output devices might not work such as USB, FireWire, or speakers
- Trouble in accessing Wi-Fi network
- No file sharing in safe mode
So, this was all guys! These were the steps to boot Mac in safe mode. Make sure you follow each and every step correctly, as one wrong step could lead to crash or even result in corrupted OS.
If you found this helpful, please let us know. You can also drop your feedback in the comment section below.