Mac is said to be one of the most reliable devices when it comes to security and privacy. However, sometimes, your Mac could start acting strangely for not anything apparent. Some of the issues could be the battery not charging properly, Mac entering sleep mode unpredictably, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth doesn’t work, or keyboard is not working fine. If you are facing these issues, then your system needs PRAM and SMC reset. Don’t know how to do it? Don’t worry, we have got your back.
In this post, we have discussed what is PRAM & SAM And how to reset PRAM. Read on!
What Do You Mean By PRAM/NVRAM & SMC?
Parameter Random Access Memory known as PRAM keeps important system information such as speaker volume, display settings, time zone settings and more. PRAM is powered by the internal battery, therefore the information stored is not lost, even when Mac is turned off. Sometimes, PRAM could get damaged and you need to reset PRAM on Mac to resolve the issues.
In modern Macs, PRAM is replaced by NVRAM (non-volatile RAM). NVRAM’s functionality is the same as PRAM, however, it is not common for NVRAM to get corrupted. Although, you can reset NVRAM too if you face issues or Mac behaves strangely.
System Management Controller AKA SMC is responsible as it stores important physical aspects of Intel-based Mac computer like lights, power, fans, and system performance and others. You can reset SMC on Mac to its default factory settings & fix issues on your Mac with ease.
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If your Mac is behaving strangely, then you need to consider resetting PRAM or reset SAM, according to the issues that you are facing. You can reset both PRAM and SAM.
You can reset PRAM if you are facing these issues:
- Weird mouse scrolling speed
- A question mark icon displays at a startup
- You observe wrong time zone, date or time.
- Sound volume won’t stick
- You can’t change the Display resolution
You need to reset SMC on Mac if you face any of below issues:
- The battery of your device is not charging properly
- The device can’t recognize External devices.
- You experience unexpected shutdowns of your machine.
- Your MacBook doesn’t respond to the lid opening or closing
- The Power button doesn’t respond well
- The keyboard backlight is not working.
- Fans running extremely loud and fast
- Display brightness doesn’t work properly.
- Both USB ports and Bluetooth are not functional.
Note: You can easily reset PRAM and SMC and it is also considered safe. However, there is no surety. Before proceeding, try rebooting and basic troubleshooting, if nothing works then reset PRAM or SAM.
How To Reset PRAM/NVRAM?
It doesn’t matter, whether your computer uses NVRAM or PRAM, you need to follow the same steps to reset NVRAM/PRAM on Mac.
- Power off your Mac computer
- Now restart by pressing the power button.
- Now press Command, Option, P and R keys together until your Mac starts and you will hear startup sound.
- Now remove your fingers from keys.
In this way, you can reset PRAM/NVRAM. Once done, you might need to adjust your Mac settings such as date, sound volume, time zone, time. If you still are facing issues, then move on to reset SMC on Mac.
How To Reset SMC?
Before proceeding to reset SMC, you need to check whether your Mac’s battery is removable as the process of resetting SMC is different in Mac with nonremovable and removable battery. Also, the process is different when it comes to Mac desktop.
How To Reset SMC on MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro?
Case 1: If you can remove the battery of your device:
- Power off your Mac
- Remove battery.
- Press and hold the power button for a few seconds.
- Place the battery again.
- Now press the Power button to restart your Mac.
Case 2: If you can’t remove the battery of your device:
- Turn off your Mac.
- Press and hold Shift, Control, Option keys along with Power button for 10 seconds.
- Now remove your fingers from keys.
- Press Power button to restart your Mac.
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- Power off your Mac
- Remove the power cord from the socket and keep it unplugged for 15 seconds.
- Now, plug in the cord again.
- Wait for 15-20 seconds or more.
- Now press the Power button to turn your computer on.
In this way, you can reset SMC on Mac Pro, iMac, MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini.
After following these steps, you can make your Mac work properly again. Anytime your mac starts acting weirdly, you can reset PRAM/NVRAM and also reset SAM to make it function properly. If you face any issues in performing these steps, you can drop a comment in the section below and we will get back to you.
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