The life expectancy of your MacBook Air is between 5 to 7 years. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t experience some problems along the way.

Macs are built to the highest standard and built to last. However, there are some MacBook Air problems that you should know about so that you know how to fix them.

Keep reading for 7 common issues, how to troubleshoot for problems, and most importantly — how to solve them.

1. Won’t Turn On

This is one of the most common Macbook Air problems and can be very disconcerting. Don’t panic just yet, there are a couple of reasons why this might be happening and it’s the first thing to learn in Macbook Air troubleshooting 101.

The first thing is to check for power issues. For example, your battery could be completely dead. Check different power cords if it isn’t charging as the problem might be with the cord.

Next, disconnect any accessories such as a mouse or smartphone to see if that corrects the problem.

If your MacBook beeps three times when you start it up and shows a black screen and then goes dead, it’s an indication of a RAM issue. This requires a logic board replacement, unfortunately.

It may also be a thermal sensor issue. If the fan is running high but the laptop isn’t turning on, it’s a thermal sensor issue. This also requires a logic board or motherboard replacement.

2. Showing Flashing Question Mark on Startup

Another common Mac problem is a flashing question mark appearing on the screen when you start the computer. This happens because the computer can’t find a bootable operating system.

The first and most common reason this may be happening is due to a bad operating system. To troubleshoot this problem you’ll boot off an OS CD and run Apple’s Disk Utility to repair the disk. If this doesn’t work you’ll need to reinstall the operating system.

If it’s not a case of a bad operating system then it might be that you don’t have enough RAM. It’s an uncommon problem that you can only fix by installing more RAM or downgrading your operating system.

Lastly, the flashing question mark might appear because the hard drive has been erased, corrupted, or damaged.

3. Screen Isn’t Working

Is your screen is completely blank but you can hear that the laptop is on and can see lights on the keyboard? Or perhaps your screen is flickering. Don’t worry, there are some Macbook troubleshooting steps that you can take to solve the problem.

Try to reset the computer by holding the power button down for at least 10 seconds before releasing it. Once you’ve done that, press the power button again, and hopefully, your screen will appear as normal.

If the screen remains black, known as the ‘black screen of death’ error, you’ll need to install a replacement display. Unfortunately, if the problem still persists then the only thing you can do is replace the logic board.

4. Battery Isn’t Charging Anymore

First things first with Mac troubleshooting battery issues is t check that it’s not caused by the adapter. Both your adapter and the cord may be to blame for your battery not charging. So, try using a different adapter and cord before anything else.

If it’s not an adapter or cord issue, check if you can see any noticeable damage to the charging port.

Try to switch electrical outlets or unplug the charger for a minute before plugging it back in. If none of this works, then there is likely damage to the charging port which you cannot see and you will need to take it to the experts to get it repaired.

5. Battery Draining Quickly

This is one of those Mac problems which presents after having the computer for a long time. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, and there are some quick fixes that may solve the problem.

First of all, check for updates in System Preferences. If there are any updates, then install and update them. Then, restart the computer and check if that corrected the problem.

It might be that there are apps running in the background that are draining your battery. Click the battery icon on your Mac to see which applications are using power. Shut down apps that are frequently on the list and that you don’t need to constantly use.

6. Keeps Restarting

If your Mac keeps restarting or constantly presents a message telling you to restart the computer, this is a problem called ‘kernel panic.’ This happens because your Mac is experiencing a problem that is serious enough that the computer cannot continue to run.

In this case, you need to heed the advice of your Mac and restart the device. If this continues to happen, though, you’ll need to do some serious troubleshooting to find the root cause and fix it.

An easy way to do this is by using Setapp which helps to identify software problems and fix them. For more information on fixing kernel panic check out this link: https://setapp.com/how-to/fix-a-kernel-panic.

7. It’s Overheating

Uh-oh, is your Mac running too hot and frequently overheating? While this is a common problem, it’s one you want to fix quickly so that it doesn’t damage your computer.

The first step is to check your Activity Monitor to see if there are hidden applications that are causing the computer to overheat. Check for anything abnormal in your CPU percentage and shut it down.

If that doesn’t work then it’s likely a fan problem. Try to hear for any unusual fan noises and run an Apple Diagnostics before fully shutting down your computer and restarting it.

Have You Experienced Any of These Macbook Air Problems?

If you’ve experienced any of these Macbook Air problems then you know how worrying it can be. But before you panic, troubleshoot for the root cause and attempt these solutions to try to correct the issues. Usually, it’s something you can resolve yourself.

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