The usual troubleshooting procedures that you go through when your Mac starts acting up are: restarting the Mac, running Disk Utility and sometimes you might perform the Safe Boot. But there are two other procedures that eliminate some inscrutable problems. These procedures are resetting the SMC and zapping the NVRAM.
Here, in this article, we will show you the steps to zap the NVRAM and reset the SMC.
SMC in Macs
SMC or the System Management Controller is a chip in the Intel-based Macs. Many physical parts of the Mac are run by it, including LED indicators, keyboards, and many other peripherals, power buttons, and cooling fans. Even the behavior of your hard drive, be it how the Mac behaves in sleep mode and the power supply, depend on this.
Whenever you find your computer's hardware behaving in a strange way, you should try resetting the SMC but there are some other more specific symptoms when you can reset the SMC.
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If the status lights and the battery behave strangely.
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If the backlight of the keyboard doesn't work properly.
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When you open your Macbook, it doesn't turn on.
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If your Mac doesn't connect to Wi-Fi.
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If your Mac becomes slow, even when there is less CPU load.
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If your Mac is very slow shutting down.
Also, if your Mac doesn't boot, then too, resetting the SMC is highly recommended.
Resetting the SMC on Mac
Depending on what kind of Mac you have got, there are a few different ways to perform an SMC reset. For instance, the process to reset an iMac are different from resetting a MacBook Pro.
Try closing all your open apps and restarting your computer, before you begin. This can fix many problems by itself.
On M1 Macbook
On a MacBook Pro, iMac, MacBook Air, or Mac Mini powered by Apple Silicon, you don't need to reset the SMC. As Apple's chip does not have a system management controller, you can't reset the SMC on these devices.
On Intel MacBook
On a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air with the Apple T2 Security Chip, you can reset the SMC by following the given steps:
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First, shut down your computer.
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For 10 seconds, press and hold the power button and then restart.
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Turn the computer off again, if that doesn't fix the problem.
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Then, for seven seconds, press and hold the right Shift key, the left Control key and the left Option key.
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While you press and hold the Power button for seven seconds, keep these keys pressed.
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Then wait for a few seconds as you release all the keys and restart your MacBook.
On a Mac with a non-removable battery you can reset the SMC by following the given steps:
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First, shut down your computer.
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Then, on the left side of the keyboard, press and hold the Shift, Control and Option buttons. Then press and hold the Power button.
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Press the keys down for 10 seconds.
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Release the keys and then turn on your MacBook.
On a Mac with a removable battery, you can reset the SMC by following the given steps:
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Shut down your computer.
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Remove the battery.
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For five seconds, press and hold down the power button.
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Turn on your Mac after you reconnect the battery.
On iMac, Mac Mini, or Mac Pro
On a desktop Mac with a T2 chip, you can reset the SMC by following the given steps:
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Shut down your computer.
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Then, hold the power button down for 10 seconds.
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After releasing the power button, wait for a few seconds and then restart the computer.
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Turn the Mac off again, if the problem hasn't gone yet.
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Wait for 15 seconds after you unplug the power cord.
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Then wait for 5 more seconds after you reconnect the power.
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Turn on your Mac.
On older Macs (mostly before 2018), you can reset the SMC by following the given steps:
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Shut down your computer.
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Unplug the power cord and wait for 15 seconds.
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Wait for five seconds after you reconnect the power cord.
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Turn your Mac on.
PRAM and NVRAM in Macs
All the information about the configuration of a Mac, including the date and time, as well as desktop, mouse and other control settings, is held by the PRAM (parameter random access memory) and NVRAM (non-volatile random access memory).
To make sure that these settings don't get lost every time you turn your computer off, these areas of memory are powered by a small battery.
The older PowerPC Macs have PRAM while the Intel-based Macs have NVRAM. They can both be reset in the same manner.
The PRAM or NVRAM problems are mostly software-related. There could be connectivity problems or your computer might forget certain settings due to a problem with this memory. There are some specific symptoms when you can reset the PRAM or NVRAM.
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If the volume isn't responding properly.
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If the mouse works in a strange manner with its scrolling and clicking.
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If your keyboard is not responding properly.
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If the clock or the timezone is wrong.
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AirPort problems
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If your Mac is very slow to shut down.
Resetting the PRAM or NVRAM on Mac
You don't need to reset the NVRAM if you have got an M1 Mac. The process will happen automatically if needed and whenever you start the computer.
You don't need to know if yours has NVRAM or PRAM for the older Macs, as they can both be reset using the same process:
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Shut down your computer.
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Press the power button.
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Press the Cmd, Option, P, and R keys at the same time, before the grey screen appears.
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Until you hear the startup sound for a second time, keep holding the keys.
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Until the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time, keep holding the keys on Macs with the T2 Security Chip.
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Release the keys.
You will notice that some of your settings, like the time, volume, mouse settings, etc, are lost after you reset the NVRAM or PRAM. You will be able to get it back to normal in a few minutes if you remember the previous computer settings.
Conclusion
Resetting NVRAM, PRAM, and SMC on a Mac can resolve a variety of problems. These easy methods can assist you in resolving issues such as sluggish performance, battery issues, and faulty connections. If you experience any of these issues, use the methods in this guide to reset the NVRAM, PRAM, and SMC and restore your Mac to peak performance. Always make a backup of your data before completing these steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What exactly is NVRAM, and how do I clear it on a Mac?
Non-volatile random-access memory (NVRAM) is a tiny quantity of memory on a Mac that saves system settings. To reset it, restart the Mac and press and hold the Command + Option + P + R buttons simultaneously until you hear the starting sound twice.
Q: What exactly is PRAM, and how do I clear it on a Mac?
Another form of memory that saves system settings on a Mac is PRAM (parameter random-access memory). To reset it, restart the Mac and press and hold the Command + Option + P + R buttons simultaneously until you hear the starting sound twice.
Q: What is SMC, and how do I reset it on a Mac?
SMC (System Management Controller) is a chip on the logic board that controls various hardware functions on a Mac. To reset it, shut down the Mac, press and hold the Shift + Control + Option keys, and then press and hold the power button for 10 seconds. Release all keys and turn on the Mac.
Q: When should I reset NVRAM, PRAM, or SMC on my Mac?
You should reset NVRAM or PRAM if you experience issues with settings such as volume, display resolution, or startup disk selection. You should reset SMC if you experience issues with power, battery, fans, or other hardware-related problems.
