The main problem with System Preferences is that the icons are arranged haphazardly with no logical order. Select Apple Menu > System Preferences. Select an app you want to stop, then tap Force Stop. In some cases, System Preferences will repeatedly ask you for your Apple ID and iCloud password, even when you've typed it in properly.
If you don't want his data, you can choose to delete it. How to fix a Mac that won't shut down. Accompanying the Mac System Preferences not saving issue, other apps may also not working properly. Error message "System settings are currently busy". To have useful information handy at any point in time, don't hesitate to bookmark our extensive Mac Hub. Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. Get the person to sign in to iCloud via the web. Move it to the Trash. And then shut down using the power button. Perform an SMC reset procedure on MacBooks with Removable batteries. You will be ok, but don't use this method for every issue you run into. Step 1: On top menu -> Click on Apple logo and select restart. When it comes to your Mac, storage space and performance are very much interrelated with each other. Chapter in this post: Today I received an email from my reader Heinz, in which he sent me a screenshot of an error message that I have never seen before.
It is also available from the Apple menu at the top-left of the screen (click the Apple logo). In which case, you need to trash the settings file of System Preferences and the problematic apps. If there are available updates, Terminal displays the list of compatible updates. How do I turn restricted mode off? A Safe Mode boot deletes system caches, and that may help after a macOS or Mac OS X update or upgrade. Open a Terminal session ( MacintoshHD>Applications > Utilities) and type in the following commands one-by-one. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds. Perform an SMC reset procedure on Mac desktops. Typically open the App and choose Help > Update or App > Update Software. How do I fix Mac System Preferences not responding? Using Disk Utility here.
Troubleshoot in Safe Mode. Select the System & Network folder and click Continue. Sudo rm -rf /System/Library/Caches/*. Running Repair Disk Permissions is something you should be doing on a regular basis. Now, switch the tab to the privacy tab and then disable the checkbox against website tracking. The System Preferences error could result from some problematic guest accounts you have. After a Restart, Shut Down, Sleep, and Restart all work again! Delete Your iCloud Configuration Files. You can unplug all external accessories and restart your Mac in Safe Mode to clear caches and test whether it's third-party programs blocking you from accessing the Users & Groups preference pane. Adopting the layout from iPadOS, System Settings lists each setting on the left pane by category. Once your Mac is in a safe mood, restart it again to get your System Preference to respond.
Remember to paste the exact update name listed on Terminal and enclose it with single quotes. Do you frequently unplug your Mac or remove the battery to get your computer to shut down and power off fully? This article provides information about fixing a problem in macOS where the System Preferences app keeps showing an error message and fails to close. For an Intel-based Mac: - Go to Apple menu > Restart. The entry for Notifications is cleaner and easier to navigate as is the one for Sound (Figure D).
Then choose Force Quit from the drop-down list. If you haven't already upgraded to macOS Ventura, click the Apple icon, select About this Mac and then click the button for Software Update. If an unexpected problem occurs, you need to do some troubleshooting, which might include restarting your Mac and signing out of iCloud. Go back to the app and choose Uninstaller. It may now work correctly. Command + Option + Escape. We'll look at some of the reasons for this below. Now, it's a breeze to fix Mac preference errors. If system preferences won't quit, follow these fixes to close it.
Contact Apple support. Make a fresh backup of your Mac. You can enter your email address to get the download link and coupon code. For me, no more problems with my Mac shutting down normally after repairing my HDD. The steps below will show you how you can unfreeze Mac System Preference. The best way to stop the spinning wheel is to just wait it out, but if it lingers or keeps reappearing, there are a couple of ways you can stop it. If Mac System Preferences is not saving after making changes to it, it likely has a permission issue. How do I restore my MacBook Air to factory settings without CD? An example is the preferences plist for the Finder in the Library/Preferences/ folder of a user's home folder. Go to the security tab and select Choose Password. What I did: before I select 'restart' or 'shut down, ' I open the force quit window and force quit any app that had not managed to quit. Follow the prompts to fully erase your Mac. Now restart your Mac normally. Lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple Macs iPad What to Know Go to System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Sign Out to sign out.
This will indicate that something in that app needs your attention. Sometimes, System Preferences may not work properly and you may be having some trouble with the System Preferences saying that it's busy. Then turn it on holding Cmd + R keys to enter into Recovery Mode. Suppose the issue doesn't occur in the test account; then you can make a copy of the essential files on this account and transfer them to a new user account. To update your macOS software, select Upgrade Now. The app clears battery or memory issues only until you restart your phone. Keep on reading this article to learn how you can solve this particular issue. Repairing the permission will help your Mac save correctly. Check your internet connection.
Perform a Safe Boot. Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user. Take your cursor to Macintosh HD and click on it. You could encounter the "System Preferences could not load" error when opening different Preference Panes.
Verify Your Apple ID Details. Choose Apple menu > Restart, then immediately press and hold Command-R. Then chose Disk Utility, selected my Mac's main hard drive and clicked on Repair Disk. Try to use other apps and, if they're working fine, Force Quit out of the app that's freezing. Even the General setting is better arranged with options for Software Update, Storage, AirDrop, Time Machine, Startup Disk and other features (Figure E). How do I shut off apps running in the background? In the Background apps permissions section, under Let this app run in the background, select Never. Unfortunately, this process won't always be the solution. It's alarming to encounter this problem. Next, remove the account as you did before. However, if you are still having problems with it, read on….