Troubleshooting Mac Startup Issues

Question 1

How do you start up a Mac with Apple silicon in macOS Recovery?

A. With the Mac shut down, press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears.

B. Turn on or restart the Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as it starts up.

C. Turn on or restart the Mac, then immediately press and hold Command-R until the Apple logo appears.

Answer 1

A. With the Mac shut down, press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears.
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Mac computers with Apple silicon use the power button for all options.

Question 2

What does safe mode prevent from loading when you start up a Mac?

A. Wi-Fi

B. System Settings

C. Login items

Answer 2

C. Login items

Safe mode prevents your Mac from loading login items, system extensions not required by macOS, and fonts not installed by macOS.

Question 3

What is a function of macOS Recovery?

A. macOS Recovery enables target disk mode.

B. macOS Recovery helps you repair or erase a hard disk.

C. macOS Recovery helps you restore your internet connection.

Answer 3

B. macOS Recovery helps you repair or erase a hard disk.

macOS Recovery helps you restore from Time Machine, reinstall macOS, get help online, repair or erase a hard disk, and more.

Question 4

What does it mean if a Mac has a folder with a flashing question mark on its screen?

Answer 4

Your computer’s startup disk is no longer available or doesn’t contain a working Mac operating system

Question 5

Your MDM administrator cannot disable starting in the recoveryOS environment on Mac computers with Apple silicon

A. True
B. False

Answer 5

B. False

Contact your MDM Administrator to get the password so that you can start in recoveryOS

Question 6

What are the steps to enter macOS Recovery

Answer 6

1. Press and hold power (up to 10s) button until Mac turns off
2. Turn on Mac by holding power button until “Loading startup options” appears
3. Click Options icon, then click Continue

Question 7

If your mac has Activation Lock and FileVault turned on, what do you need to do to continue to macOS Recovery

Answer 7

Select an Administrator account and input the password

Question 8

From the macOS Recovery screen, how do you find and run First Aid?

Answer 8

1. Select Disk Utility, click Continue
2. From the sidebar select the Macintosh HD, below Internal
3. Click the First Aid button.

You may be asked to enter your Mac administrator password to unlock Macintosh HD if it’s encrypted with FileVault

Question 9

While in Disk Utility, how do you restart your Mac?

Answer 9

Apple menu > Restart

Question 10

If Disk Utility found no errors or repaired all errors but your Mac doesn’t start up successfully, what should you do?

Answer 10

Attempt to reinstall macOS or Restore from a Time Machine backup.

Question 11

What are the steps to boot your Mac to Safe mode?

Answer 11

1. While Mac is turned off, hold Power button until Load startup options appears
2. Click the hard drive icon, then press and hold the Shift key and click the Continue in Safe Mode button

Question 12

What should you do if the issue continues while in safe mode, or your Mac restarts several times and then shuts down while starting in safe mode?

Answer 12

Reinstall macOS and make sure that all Apple software and third-party apps are up to date

Question 13

While using a Mac without Apple Silicon, how do you boot to Safe mode?

Answer 13

1. Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up. When you see the login window, release the Shift key.
2. You might see ”Safe Boot” in red text in the upper-right corner of the login window. It might appear on this login window or—if you’re asked to log in again—on the second login window.

Question 14

If you’re not sure whether your Mac started up in safe mode, how can you check?

Answer 14

Apple menu > hold Option key while choosing System Information > Click Software in the sidebar > look for “Boot Mode: Safe”

Question 15

If issues persist while in safe mode, what is the easiest and most likely solution?

Answer 15

Reinstall MacOS

Question 16

Which features do not work in Safe Mode?

Answer 16

Some features affecting video capture, graphics performance, file sharing, Wi-Fi, accessibility, audio devices, and devices connected via USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire

Question 17

Where can you remove login items to resolve start up problems?

Answer 17

Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions

Question 18

What does it mean if your Mac starts up to a circle with a line through it?

Answer 18

A circle with a line through it means that your startup disk contains a Mac operating system, but it’s not a macOS that your Mac can use

Question 19

What does it mean when your Mac starts up to an Apple logo or progress bar?

Answer 19

It found your built-in or external startup disk

Question 20

While your Mac laptop with Apple Silicon is turned off, how do you enter DFU mode?

Answer 20

1. Press and release the power button, then immediately press and hold Control+Option+Shift+Power buttons for about 10 seconds then release all keys except the power button
2. Keep holding the power button for up to 10 more seconds. When the other Mac shows a DFU window in the Finder/AppleConfigurator, release Power button

Question 21

Which of these Macs have the DFU port on the left-most side of the USB-C ports

A. Macbook Mini
B. Macbook Pro
C. Macbook Air

Answer 21

B. Macbook Pro

Everything else is right-most side

Question 22

What can you do if after setting up your computers, the affected Mac doesn’t appear in the Finder or Apple Configurator?

Answer 22

• If you’re using the Finder to revive or restore, choose Finder > Settings from the menu bar. Click Sidebar at the top of the settings window, then confirm that “CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices” is selected.
• Disconnect the USB-C cable from the affected Mac, then press and hold the power button for up to 10 seconds to turn off the affected Mac. Reconnect the USB-C cable to the DFU port, then try again to enter DFU mode. Proper timing of key presses is important.
• Try a different USB-C cable. It must support both data and charging

Question 23

What does it mean when your Mac starts up to Options with a gear icon?

Answer 23

The startup options window appears. It shows icons for each available startup disk, a gear icon labeled Options, and buttons for Shut Down and Restart

Question 24

What does it mean when your Mac starts up to an exclamation point in a circle?

Answer 24

The firmware of your Mac needs to be revived

Question 25

What does it mean when your Mac starts up to a lock icon?

Answer 25

If your Mac is using a firmware password, the lock icon appears when you try to start up from another disk or volume, such as an external drive or macOS Recovery. Enter the firmware password to continue.

Question 26

What does it mean when your Mac starts up to Activation Lock or system lock PIN code?

Answer 26

• If your previously owned Mac shows an Activation Lock window that asks for someone else’s Apple Account, the previous owner may need to remove Activation Lock for you.
• Your Mac might ask for a PIN code when it has been remotely locked using Find My because the owner thinks the Mac is lost or stolen. Enter the four-digit or six-digit passcode to continue.

Question 27

What does it mean when your Mac starts up to a Thunderbolt, USB, or FireWire symbol?

Answer 27

Your Mac is in target disk mode

If you have two Mac computers with USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt ports, you can connect them so that one of them appears as an external hard disk on the other. This is called target disk mode

Question 28

What are the steps to enable Activation Lock?

Answer 28

1. Apple menu > System Settings > Apple ID from the sidebar > iCloud

Click the Show More Apps button (or Show All button) on the right, then click Find My Mac and turn it on.