My Mac Freezes When the Screen Is on Too Long
A computer freezing can cause you to lose your work and cause annoyance, but can be a sign of a more serious error. If your Mac is freezing after being left on for too long, it can indicate a system glitch, faulty hardware, overheating or another issue that may need to be looked at by Apple repair staff.
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Overheating
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When you first start your Mac, it runs quite cool. However, as it runs, heat will build up from the internal components, increasing internal temperature. It is important to keep your Mac well-ventilated and in a cool area, making sure that none of the vents are blocked and it can receive proper air flow. Normally a Mac will attempt to shut itself down if it overheats, but if it can't do that, or if the computer freezes first, it will remain frozen typically until you force a shut down.
System Glitch
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System glitches are the norm in complex operating systems. If your Mac freezes often, however, it could be a problem that needs to be repaired. Use Spotlight to open Disk Utility, click on "Macintosh HD" in the left sidebar, then click "Repair Disk Permissions." After that process is complete, click "Verify Disk" to see if there are any other serious errors on your computer that need to be repaired. Many errors and glitches can be fixed using this tool.
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Faulty Hardware
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If the hardware itself is faulty, then it will need to be replaced. Hardware cannot be repaired as simply as software issues, so if none of your other attempts at fixing the issue work, your best bet is to take your Mac to an Apple store to see if you can get the hardware replaced. If you're not under warranty anymore, you might want to look at an independent repair company, since repairs by Apple can be expensive.
Troubleshooting
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Almost everything short of hardware issues can typically be fixed by using tools built in to your operating system. If Disk Utility doesn't work, you can attempt to reset your Mac's PRAM by pressing and holding the "Command," "Option," "P" and "R" keys immediately after your computer starts up until you hear a second chime. This step is useful for clearing a lot of user-set information, and if any of this is corrupted for any reason, resetting it can help. As a last resort, you can wipe your disk and reinstall the operating system from scratch using your Mac OS X CDs. This is a lengthy process and will delete all your data, so if you opt for this, make sure to back up your files first.
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