Reasons to start your Mac in Safe Mode

Mac's Safe Mode minimizes the applications you have available on your Mac to help identify where any issues might be coming from. Starting up your computer and making it run in Safe Mode is also known as a safe boot (safe boot is how your Mac starts, Safe Mode is how it runs).

Booting in Safe Mode doesn’t just restrict your applications: A safe boot also checks through your startup drive to make sure there are no problems there.

Once in Safe Mode, the applications load a stripped-down version of the software without a toolbar, customization options, add-ons, or extensions. These, most often, are the culprits. Safe Mode is a stripped down version of the Mac operating system that can be useful if you are trying to troubleshoot issues with your Mac: perhaps it is running slowly, maybe an app is causing.

A fault in your system (like corrupted boot sector) might be preventing you from using your Mac at all. By booting in Safe Mode, your Mac can work with macOS core processes to get back into the system and identify problems, such as floating extensions or rogue applications, that you can then remove.

1. It is recommended you boot in Safe Mode if you encounter the following problems: Your Mac froze during startup. An app is causing problems. Your Mac is running very slow. Booting in Safe Mode is considered troubleshooting because it clears the cache and essentially refreshes your system. How to Boot into Safe Mode. To enter Safe Mode, simply.
2. Safe mode verifies the integrity of your startup disk and disables certain apps and processes from running. To start in safe mode, shut down your Mac, then turn it back on and immediately press. How to Boot into Safe Mode. To enter Safe Mode, simply follow these steps: Restart or turn on your Mac.

What happens in Safe Mode

When your computer is prompted to perform a safe boot, it will perform a number of tasks before you can use it, which include:

• A directory check of the startup drive;
• Running on only the bare minimum of necessary kernel extensions;
• Disabling all startup or login applications;
• Deleting the dynamic loader cache, which can help fix blue screen freeze on startup (OS X 10.5.6 or later);
• Disabling all fonts that are not supplied by Apple and moving all font caches to the Trash.

Troubleshooting in Safe Mode

Once your Mac is running in Safe Mode, some applications will no longer be available. If your Mac is working fine in Safe Mode, then it’s likely that one of the restricted applications is responsible for the issues. You can manage the list of startup applications manually, removing the potential buggy apps one at a time to see if it affects the performance.
Open Apple Menu > System Preferences
Click Users & Groups icon
Choose your username, then click Login items
Use [-] sign to remove startup items

There is still a problem though. Manually deleting problem applications still leaves their traces deep in the system, so it’s best to use a dedicated Mac cleanup software like CleanMyMac X to double check your Mac is clear of any problematic files.

If your Mac continues to run into difficulties even in Safe Mode, you may need to use Mac’s native recovery tool, Disk Utility.

Identifying the problem

Here is a list of most common system issues Mac users encounter when their Mac isn’t running at peak performance:

• Corrupted startup files or login applications
• Software conflicts
• Damaged hardware
• Too many apps running, or too much junk cluttering up your disk

To diagnose your Mac more precisely, we recommend performing a full scan with some dedicated Mac cleaning app. As described above, CleanMyMac is our favorite (you can download this app here for free). This app made by the guys from MacPaw sports a handy Dashboard, with hardware health monitors among others, which should give you a clue as to what’s wrong with your system.

How to start your Mac in Safe Mode

To restart your Mac in Safe Mode, begin with your Mac switched off or restart it. Pcstitch 11 unlock key generator.

1) As soon as your Mac switches on and lights up, press and hold the Shift key.

2) Release the Shift key as soon as the login window appears.

That’s it, your Mac has now been booted in safe mode. Note that it may take longer than usual to boot your computer: This is because there are several checks being performed before it’s ready to use.

If you don’t trust your Mac to turn off and on again without further complications, or for some other reason you would prefer not to safe boot from the startup screen, there is an alternative using the Terminal application. Office 2007 confirmation code generator.

1) Locate Terminal: Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

2) In the Terminal command line, type the following code and then press Enter:

sudo nvram boot –arg=”-x”

3) You will be asked to enter your password to authorize.

4) Your Mac will now reboot in safe mode. You will not have to hold the Shift key when the computer restarts, simply log in when prompted.

Running your Mac in Safe Mode

If you’re not sure whether your safe boot was successful, there are a couple of ways you can check.

• ‘Safe Mode’ will appear in red in the menu bar

• The boot mode will be listed as ‘Safe Mode’ (instead of ‘Normal’). To find your boot mode, click on the Apple logo in the menu (top left) and select This Mac. Choose System Report, then Software, and from there you will be able to see whether you are in normal or safe mode.

• Your performance speed will change. Typically macOS will run slower when it is in Safe Mode due to the reduced processes, but if you have noticed some serious lagging this may be improved by the faulty applications being restricted.

Working in Safe Mode

Running your macOS in Safe Mode is normally used to troubleshoot glitches that you have noticed, such as lag, crashing, or spontaneous closures of applications. You should try to use your Mac as you normally do so that you can see if the issues have disappeared in Safe Mode or are still there.

You will find that some features aren’t available, such as third-party fonts, the DVD player, and audio in/out devices, which may limit how productive you can be, so it’s best to identify the fault in Safe Mode, fix it, and return to normal mode to work as usual.

Exiting Safe Mode

Once you’re finished in Safe Mode, simply restart your Mac. It should then reboot as normal, hopefully with improved performance.

If you’re using Terminal commands to return to normal, type

sudo nvram boot-args='

It may take a little longer than usual to shut down from safe mode, but don’t become impatient and use the power button to force a hard shut down. Usb flash driver format tool ufix v.

Booting in Safe Mode Unprompted

If your Mac automatically enters Safe Mode itself without you pressing shift or using the Terminal, don’t panic. Your Mac may have detected an issue that it thinks needs repairing in Safe Mode. If this happens only once, then great, your Mac did its job and cleaned up the issue before it could cause any more problems.

If your Mac is stuck restarting in a Safe Mode loop, try entering another startup configuration, the Recovery Mode, by pressing Command (?) + R upon startup. This will perform a Disk Utility scan to check for issues, and, if that doesn’t work and you have backed up your files, you can try a reinstalling a clean copy of macOS to start fresh.

Tip: Check your keyboard is clean and that there is no debris beneath the keys. If the shift key has become stuck, your Mac will think it’s being pressed during startup to initiate a safe boot.

Safe Mode limitations

Unfortunately, the responsibility to locate software issues still resides with the user in Safe Mode. A safe boot will check for disk problems, but if it fails to turn anything up you may be resigned to shifting through your applications list to see what might be causing the problem.

Luckily, some helpful maintenance utilities can be run while in Safe Mode. CleanMyMac X is one of those so check it out. It clears through your junk before it can impact on your system, but if your macOS is starting to lag it might be time to perform a full clean-out of those unused applications. With an average of 62GB of junk cleaned from an average Mac, it's maybe just the tool you need to put your Mac back on track.

Mac users have a lot of doubts about the precious Safe Mode-like how to open it, why or when to use, and many more. In this post, I’ll tackle all these questions with this Guide about how to StartMac in Safe Mode. After going through this, you’ll realize that Safe Mode is capable of so many things.

Also, you’ll know that when and where you should seek help from the Safe Mode in order to keep your Mac healthy. Let’s begin.

Contents

• 1 Safe Mode in Mac [Guide]
• 2 How to Start Mac in Safe Mode?

Safe Mode in Mac [Guide]

This guide comprises all the information about the invaluable Safe Mode available on Mac. All the questions related to it are answered, along with the additional information. After going through this, you’ll be way ahead than millions of Mac users who still don’t know everything about using their Mac in Safe Mode.

What is the Safe Mode on Mac?

Safe mode, sometimes also known as Safe Boot, is a toned down way to start up your Mac so that it performs certain checks and prevents some software from automatically loading or opening. If you start your Mac in Safe Mode, the following things will be done:

• It will verify your startup disk and attempt to repair directory issues if needed.
• Mac will load only required kernel extensions.
• It will Prevent startup items and login items from opening automatically.
• The user-installed fonts are disabled.
• The font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files are deleted.

If your Mac has developed an issue that goes away when you start up in safe mode, you might be able to isolate the cause with its help.

Why Start Mac in Safe Mode?

The main benefit of using Mac in Safe Mode is that it can help you resolve issues that are stopping your Mac from starting up or any issues related to your startup disk. A lot of users believe that whenever there is an issue or error in your Mac, using the Safe Mode should be your first steps. This is most of the times effective also, as the caches are cleared in the safe mode, and these can become corrupted leading to the particular problems.

Some users also use the safe mode to uninstall apps that otherwise prove to be sticky. This means that they are impossible to delete in normal operating mode because they are attached to a system service that won’t terminate. In the safe mode, all non-essential services aren’t loaded, this overcomes the hurdle, and you’ll be able to get rid of the unwanted apps. While some users use the Safe Mode to speed things up as starting in Safe Mode will clear the cache.

Where to use Safe Mode?

Here are some of the common scenarios when you might need to use your Mac in Safe Mode:

• When your Mac gets stuck or freezes during startup.
• When an app is causing problems in your system leading to some issues.
• If you want to delete a certain app that won’t be uninstalled in normal mode.
• When your Mac is running very slowly or hanging.

Note:Remember that cleaning the caches using either method may make for a slower Mac in the first few reboots after it is cleared. As the sole purpose of caches is to make your system work faster.

• To check if you may have incompatible login items.
• In order to check the cause of certain issues. If after using Safe Mode, you reboot and the issue is gone, it is likely that the problem was related to a cache or directory issue that has been fixed by the Safe Mode.

How to Start Mac in Safe Mode?

Till now, you have learned what is Safe Mode, and why & where you shall use it. Now you’ll learn how to open or start Mac in Safe Mode. Follow these steps in order to start your Mac in Safe Mode:

Step-1: Start or Restart your Mac.

Step-2: Now immediately press and hold the Shift key. The Apple logo will appear.

Step-3:Release the shift key and log in when the login window appears.

Note: You may need to log in twice if you have FileVault turned on. First time to unlock the startup disk, and the second to log in to the Finder.

You can return to the Normal Mode by simply restarting your Mac without pressing any keys during the startup.

An Alternative Way to Open Mac in Safe Mode

If you don’t have a keyboard or your Shift key is not working, or if you just don’t want to use the Safe Mode from the startup, there is an alternative method present for you. Follow these steps in order to use Mac in Safe Mode from Terminal:

Step-1: Open Terminal by going to: Applications > Utilities > Terminal.

Step-2: In the Terminal Command line, copy & paste the following code and hit Enter:

sudo nvram boot –arg=”-x”

Step-3: Now enter your password to authorize your action.

You can return to Normal Mode by opening Terminal, pasting sudo nvram boot-args=”” and hitting Enter.

Macos Open App In Safe Mode

How to know if your Mac is in Safe Mode?

If you are unsure that whether your Mac has started in safe mode or not, you can use System Information to confirm. The Software section of System Information lists Boot Mode as Safe instead of Normal when you are using Mac in safe mode.

Also, the login window displays Safe Boot in the upper-right corner of the screen when your Mac is running in safe mode.

What are the features NOT available in Safe Mode?

Only essential components run under the Safe Mode, so there are some features that are not available when you boot your Mac in Safe Mode. Here are the most common ones:

• Movies can’t be played in DVD Player.
• Videos can’t be captured in iMovie and some other video apps.
• Certain audio input or output devices may not work.
• The USB, FireWire, and Thunderbolt devices might not be available.
• Wi-Fi networking will be limited or unavailable. This depends on the Mac and macOS version you’re using.
• Some Accessibility features might not work as expected, for example, VoiceOver.
• File sharing will be disabled.

What if Mac has problems even in Safe Mode?

If your Mac keeps restarting or shutting down continuously even in the Safe Mode, then you should consider contacting Apple’s Customer Support as soon as possible. They’ll be more than glad to help you out.

Done. That’s all. For any queries, doubts or suggestions, feel free to visit the comments section. Hope I helped you.

Open App In Safe Mode Mac Os