That's it - an easy 5-step process, as promised.Īpple recommends to print out the instructions to keep them close at hand and make sure you don't miss any step. If any problems are found, you'll see the options of solutions and an error code.Īfter that, you can either repeat the test, get more information, restart or shut down the Mac.

Wait for about 2-5 minutes until the checking is completed.

Press and hold the D key until you see a list of different languages on the screen.

Make sure your Mac is connected to mains power and the internet.

Disconnect all the peripheral devices (printer, cables, external DVD drive) except the keyboard, mouse, display, and speakers.

Running a hardware test on Mac may seem like a complicated process, but believe us - that's not: And if it doesn't have a fix for it - there are more advanced tools that you can use to troubleshoot Mac issues. AHT is used in Macs released in 2012 or earlier, while AD is a more advanced analog that works with newer Macs.Įssentially, a Mac hardware test is the great tool to help you understand the problem. Mainly, the results of AHT aren't conclusive and descriptive. This is an older brother of Apple Diagnostics (AD), and they have some minor differences. When referring to Mac hardware test, you might also hear about Apple Hardware Test (AHT). You can write out the error codes (known as reference codes), and either do the research on/ your own or contact Apple. The whole process will take about 2-5 minutes - but ultimately saves hours of your time.Ī great feature of Apple test is that after hardware checking, it displays an error code, offers you clear solutions, and the assistance of Apple Support. And the easy part is that you can run Apple Diagnostics in just a few steps. The test checks RAM, power controller, logic board, battery, and other wireless modules. What is Apple Diagnostics?Īpple Diagnostics is a built-in test that helps detect what hardware components are causing the problem, and find system failures.

Whether you are a techie or not, you'll get everything easily. It will help you reveal the process that causes the problem and lowers Mac productivity.Īpple Diagnostics is an easy-to-understand tool that provides detailed results and suggestions with the next steps. When we deal with the hardware problem, the first thing to try is to perform Apple Diagnostics (or Apple Hardware Test). Identifying whether the issue is a hardware or software one will determine the possible actions and next steps. That will save your time and money, and prevent serious system crashes. Before taking it to the nearest Apple service, you can try to identify the problem by yourself. But it might happen so that your Mac underperforms and unpredictable issues occur. We associate a Mac with quality, capacity, speed, and reliability. Make your Mac fast and secure with CleanMyMac X.

Mac diagnostic boot options