So now that you have had your shiny new MacBook Pro or even your desktop Mac for a while, you might have noticed that your prized possession is showing signs of wear and tear, slowing down a bit and growing long in the tooth. This is when you need to reset NVRAM on your Mac so that your computer regains its edge.
NVRAM stands for non-volatile random access memory. NVRAM occupies a small part of the memory of the Mac; it can store few settings in a certain location which can be accessed by Mac OS very quickly. It can store some settings on your Mac; like speaker volume, screen resolution, etc.
If your Mac is not working properly; that means you can not see all the drives or if the ports of the Mac are unable to connect devices, then, resetting the NVRAM may become a solution to this. If you are having any serious issue in PC/Laptop, it can be due to defective RAM. Here is how to check defective RAM.
So, I know that was quite a lot of technical jargon to digest in the matter of a few minutes so let me just talk you through the procedure before we jump headfirst into it. This is a relatively simple procedure, and while we will be delving into your BIOS, we would access the GUI or change anything in it.
In fact, all that we would need to do is just switch off the computer and while we turn it on, press and hold a few keys and wala we are done! Seems simple right? It is very simple! So let’s not waste any more time and get right into the procedure!
For your convenience, we have divided the process into three parts with each one addressing a major Apple computer lineup.
How to Reset NVRAM on Your Mac?
Let’s come to the point about resetting NVRAM. Why do we need to reset NVRAM? Sometimes when your Mac does not work properly, as in drives not appearing or ports not connecting external devices, etc.; to solve these problems we may start by resetting NVRAM. If there is any problem with any settings which is included within NVRAM, then reset it and see if this helps you.
Follow the steps below to proceed:
Step 1.
Shut down the Mac.
Step 2.
On your Mac keyboard, look for the command option (⌘), find P and R keys also.
Step 3.
Then turn your Mac on.
Step 4.
At the moment you hear the startup sound, hold the command option (⌘) key, P and R keys of keyboard together.
Step 5.
You need to hold these keys till your Mac take a restart. Eventually, you will get to hear the startup sound once again.
Step 6.
When you hear the second time startup sound, release those keys.
These way, the NVRAM can be restarted. Hope your problems would be resolved too.
When resetting of NVRAM is done, those settings related to it may need a new configuration. It includes screen resolution, time zone information, speaker volume, startup disk selection, etc.
How to reset NVRAM on latest MacBook Pro models?
For the models of Mac which are late 2016, follow the steps below to proceed:
Step 1.
Shut down the Mac.
Step 2.
On your Mac keyboard, look for the command option (⌘), find P and R keys also.
Step 3.
Then turn your Mac on.
Step 4.
At the moment you hear the startup sound, hold the command option (⌘) key, P and R keys of keyboard together.
Step 5.
You need to hold these keys till your Mac take a restart. Hold it for minimum 20 secs. Eventually, you will get to hear the startup sound once again.
Step 6.
When you hear the second time startup sound, release those keys.
These way, the NVRAM can be restarted.
When resetting of NVRAM is done, those settings related to it may need a new configuration. It includes screen resolution, time zone information, speaker volume, startup disk selection, etc. If you are looking to reset MacBook pro, you can see the link but that may not reset the NVRAM.
How to Reset PRAM on Your Mac?
PRAM is much similar to the NVRAM. PRAM is parameter RAM (random access memory). It had been used in previous models of Mac.
Resetting it is called zapping the PRAM. The PRAM stores some info that is needed by the Mac to load the operating system.
Nowadays the modern Macs have no use of this PRAM. NVRAM is used in place of PRAM.
Follow the steps below to proceed:
Step 1.
Shut down the Mac totally.
Step 2.
On your Mac keyboard, look for the command option (⌘), find P and R keys also.
Step 3.
Then turn your Mac on.
Step 4.
At the moment you hear the startup sound, hold the command option (⌘) key, P and R keys of keyboard together.
Step 5.
You need to hold these keys till your Mac take a restart. Eventually, you will get to hear the startup sound once again.
Step 6.
When you hear the second time startup sound, release those keys.
These way, the PRAM can be restarted. Hope your problems would be resolved too.
When resetting of PRAM is done, those settings related to it may need a new configuration. It includes screen resolution or display, date, and time zone information of System Preferences, speaker volume, startup disk selection, etc. Configure these settings in your way.
Wrapping Up
So now you know how to reset NVRAM on your Mac. The best part of going with this is, it can be done within few minutes. The total process will take merely 2 to 3 minutes. This is a good option for you to fix the problems of your Mac.
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