How to fix Mac that keeps restarting randomly or showing the spinning globe on startup

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Mac that keeps restarting randomly or showing the spinning globe on startup. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

If your Mac is restarting on its own, showing a spinning globe with a progress bar at startup, or getting stuck on the Apple logo, you're likely dealing with a software or firmware issue rather than a hardware fault. These symptoms are commonly caused by corrupted system caches, faulty NVRAM/PRAM settings, macOS update errors, or startup disk problems. The good news is that most of these issues can be resolved without an Apple Store visit using the built-in recovery tools covered below.

Work through the steps in order. Start with the quick fixes, then move to the deeper recovery options if the problem persists.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these solutions first, as they resolve the majority of startup and restart issues.

Force Restart Your Mac

1. Press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds until the Mac turns off completely.
2. Wait 10 seconds, then press the Power button again to start it up.
3. If the Mac boots normally, save your work and continue to the next step to prevent the issue recurring.

Reset NVRAM and SMC

Corrupted NVRAM (or PRAM on older Intel Macs) and SMC settings can cause startup loops and unexpected restarts.

For Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4):

Apple Silicon Macs do not require a manual NVRAM or SMC reset. These functions are handled automatically during the startup process. If you are experiencing issues, simply shut down the Mac completely, wait 30 seconds, and restart.

For Intel-based Macs:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press the Power button, then immediately press and hold Option + Command + P + R.
3. Hold the keys for about 20 seconds. Release them after the Apple logo appears and disappears a second time, or you hear the startup sound twice.
4. To reset the SMC on Intel Macs with a T2 chip, shut down the Mac, then hold Control + Option + Shift (left side) + Power button for 7 seconds, release all keys, then press Power to start up.

Boot into Safe Mode

Safe Mode clears system caches, runs disk checks, and disables third-party startup items, which can isolate the cause of restarts.

For Apple Silicon Macs:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the Power button until you see "Loading startup options".
3. Select your startup disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode.
4. Log in. You may need to log in twice.

For Intel-based Macs:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press the Power button, then immediately hold Shift.
3. Release the key when you see the login window.
4. Log in. You may need to log in twice.

If your Mac starts successfully in Safe Mode, restart normally. The system will clear its caches during this process. If the issue doesn't return in Safe Mode but does on a normal boot, a third-party login item or driver is likely the culprit.

Detailed Instructions

If the quick fixes didn't resolve the issue, work through these deeper troubleshooting steps.

Identify and Remove Problematic Login Items

1. Boot into Safe Mode (instructions above).
2. Open Apple menu > System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS).
3. Navigate to General > Login Items (or Users & Groups > Login Items on older versions).
4. Select each item and click the minus (-) button to remove it.
5. Restart your Mac normally and test whether the issue persists.
6. Re-add items one at a time to identify which one is causing the problem.

Check for macOS Updates

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update.
2. If an update is available, click Update Now or Upgrade Now.
3. Allow the update to download and install. Your Mac may restart several times.

Run Disk Utility First Aid

If your startup disk has directory errors, macOS may fail to boot or restart repeatedly.

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Start up in macOS Recovery: on Apple Silicon, hold the Power button until "Loading startup options" appears, then click Options > Continue. On Intel Macs, hold Command + R during startup.
3. Select your user account and click Next, then enter your password if prompted.
4. From the macOS Utilities window, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
5. Select your startup disk (usually named "Macintosh HD") in the sidebar.
6. Click First Aid in the toolbar, then click Run.
7. Wait for the process to complete. If errors are found, run First Aid again until it reports the disk is OK.
8. Quit Disk Utility and restart your Mac.

Reinstall macOS Without Erasing Data

If the issue persists, reinstalling macOS can replace corrupted system files while keeping your apps, documents, and settings intact.

1. Back up your data using Time Machine or another backup method before proceeding.
2. Start up in macOS Recovery (see instructions above).
3. Select Reinstall macOS from the macOS Utilities window and click Continue.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts and select your startup disk when asked.
5. Allow the installation to complete. Your Mac will restart automatically.

Troubleshooting

If your Mac still won't start normally after the steps above, use this section to diagnose the specific cause.

Check for Kernel Panic Logs

A kernel panic log can reveal whether your Mac is crashing due to software or hardware issues.

1. Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder.
2. Type /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/ and press Return.
3. Look for files ending in .panic or .ips with recent dates.
4. Open the most recent file in Console (found in Applications > Utilities) to review the crash details.

Common patterns to look for include:

• Third-party kext errors: Indicates a driver issue, often from security software, VPN clients, or USB peripherals.
• GPU-related crashes: May indicate graphics hardware problems, especially on older Intel Macs.
• Repeated identical panics: Often points to a specific app or peripheral.

Disconnect Peripherals

Faulty USB hubs, external drives, or third-party keyboards can cause power surges or driver conflicts that trigger restarts.

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Disconnect all external devices except for the power cable.
3. Restart the Mac. If the issue is resolved, reconnect devices one by one to identify the faulty hardware.

Still Having Issues?