The MacBook is a very powerful machine with extraordinary features. Many people love and own it because it is durable and guarantees high performance.
In addition, the Mac is known to have a very powerful sound system. Its speakers are so incredible. They offer impressive sound, which has quality and balance.
The mac owners know what I’m talking about. You’d want to hear music or sound while gaming, watching or working over and over.
The bad thing is that the volume does lock itself at times. However, this can be triggered accidentally or by other factors such as external audio devices.
Unlocking the volume is always quite troublesome for the new user and even the old users who have explored Mac’s setting well.
How To Unlock Volume On Mac
First, you have to be certain that the volume control in the application you are using is not completely turned down. Also, try to play a different type of DVD, CD or audio file.
Alternatively, you can test the disc or file from a different computer for clarity. Suppose the issue is your Mac. Try the following solutions.
- Unplug any external speakers such as headphones.
- Go to the Apple Menu.
- Navigate to “System Preferences,” click on “Sound,” and then “Output.”
- Adjust the slider of the “Output Volume.” Do not forget to select internal speakers.
Once you adjust the “Output Volume,” the volume will unlock. However, you should confirm the mute check box. It should not be selected.
External Speakers
This guide only applies to those who want to listen to sound or music through external speakers. But the volume is locked.
First, you need to be certain that the external speaker is correctly plugged into the audio port of the MacBook.
The external speaker should have enough power or be connected to a power source. Turn on the external speaker and adjust its volume.
Go to your MacBook “Apple Menu.” Then navigate to “System Preferences,” select “Sound,” and finally “Output.”
In the case where your MacBook only has one audio port, then you’ll have to choose the “Use audio port for.” After this, go to “Sound Output.” Do not forget to select “external speakers.”
If the external speakers still do not work. Check the speaker’s instruction manual.
Common MacBook Problems
Because of price and hype, most MacBook users do not expect their devices to have glitches or issues. Unluckily the issues do occur sporadically in the Mac system.
It includes things like missing backups, fast battery drainage and accidental data loss.
Such things do cause frustration and affect productivity. Here are some of the common MacBook issues and their solutions.
External Devices do not Connect Well.
For certainty that your Mac does not have an issue, you need to check and find out if the external device is functioning properly on other computers.
After confirming this, try the device on the Mac again. But this time, you should be keener; plugin the external device to the right port.
Also, confirm if the port has any damages. Then restart both the external device and the MacBook. If this trick does not work, check the compatibility of the device with your Mac.
The issue can be the ports. Using a new device on older ports and vice versa might be the cause of the problem.
Plugin another compatible device in the same port to find out whether the port has issues or not.
RAM Issues
The good thing is the Mac notifies you in case of any issues with the RAM. It beeps three times. This might mean that the RAM is faulty or you have insufficient RAM. Therefore it cannot boot.
However, do not worry; the RAM issue is not as serious. Meaning it’s simple and quick to fix. You will have to access the Mac’s RAM slot to be certain the RAM is properly installed.
If it contains two chips, reset them. So, if this process fails to work, try one chip at a time. You’ll be able to learn about the chip that is preventing the Mac from booting.
However, if all this fails to work, then the problem might be the logic board. Note that the speed of your Mac depends on the RAM capacity.
Therefore, always protect it from damages since it may slow down the performance of the MacBook.
Faulty Power Adapter
A bad adapter means that your Mac will drain the battery but will not charge. Diagnosing this issue while the battery is low is quite hard.
The best way to test this and be certain about it is by using a different battery or power adapter.
If the issue happens with a different power adapter, the problem might be the left I/O board. If it happens with a different battery, you probably need a new battery or check the logic board.
The MacBook Runs Slowly
The main cause of slow performance is doing multiple works at the same time. Lack of space in the hard drive is another cause of this issue. It makes your MacBook struggle reading and writing data efficiently and effectively.
The best ways of fixing the issue are by clearing unnecessary files from the hard drive, upgrading the mac system and opening fewer tabs when working. However, if you feel that the cause of the problem is more than this, there are other things you can try out.
- The simplest to do is restarting the Mac. If the issue persists after this, then the Mac does need some fixing.
- Update the machine, especially if it has been a while since you did an update.
- At times the issue can be caused by software or malware running in the background. The software might be using a lot of resources. You can use the “Activity Monitor.”
- It will inform you of any app that’s running. All you have to do after learning about the app is uninstalling it.
- Scan for viruses plus run the “Apple Diagnostics.” They might pick up some problems you never knew about.
- Suppose some unusual noise accompanies the slow performance. Take the Map to the nearby store. It might be an overheating issue.
Backlight
Several issues can cause the backlight malfunction. Bad inverter cables and the logic board can cause the backlight to not function.
The good thing is you can test for the damaged parts one by one. So you won’t spend money on a part that’s not destroyed. You will certainly replace the part that is damaged.
Faulty Hard Drive
A faulty drive means the drive may have been damaged, corrupted or erased. In the case where the drive is erased, you’ll have to format it as HFS+. After this, you reinstall the operating system.
But if it is corrupted or damaged, there is no other way out. You will have to replace it. If a hard drive is failing, it will display intermittent data showing it’s corrupt.
Again the hard drive starts producing noises. You will hear abnormal clicking sounds, but it’ll still be working.
This is a red flag. Once you experience this, immediately back up your hard drive and replace the hard drive if possible.
Best MacBook For You
Today the MacBook is in a different era. The shift was actualized in 2020. Mac announced that it would no longer be using Intel chips.
It now produces its chip known as M1, which Apple fully designs. This chip runs from the ARM architecture, giving the Apple company full control over the software and hardware used in their devices.
It also makes the laptops extra powerful and efficient in terms of power. Meaning the MacBook now has better performance and battery life.
Selecting the best MacBook is now difficult. Since almost all the models have great features, note that Apple Company does sell the models that run with Intel models.
It will take several years for them to transition to M1 fully. Do not worry if you own an Intel-powered model. MacBook still supports these models and will continue to do so.
However, if you need something better, here is the best choice you should put your money on.
Apple MacBook “Air”
This model was developed in 2020 and had the M1 processor. This processor is as great as Intel in high-end devices.
It’s even better than some of the Intel high-end MacBooks.
You can feel its difference, mostly when using apps that Apple has natively engineered. The battery of the MacBook Air is quite powerful.
It can last you more than approximately 13 hours when fully charged. Its design is unique too. The MacBook Air has no fan meaning it’s always whisper-quiet even when doing the toughest tasks.
It has a thermal heat spreader that dissipates heat. Its storage is 256 gigabytes, but you can certainly upgrade. The MacBook has other great features that make it one of the best Macs around.
Conclusion
As mentioned, the MacBook is a very powerful device. It’s pricey but packs some very great features. Like other electronics, the Mac also has its issues.
However, locking and unlocking the volume is not a serious issue. Mostly it does happen accidentally, and you can fix it by visiting the setting of your system.
In addition to this, we have listed some of the common issues that affect the Mac and the solutions. However, I would advise that you always take your Mac to an Apple store in case of any issues.
