With the discharge of the primary Apple silicon Macs, Apple dramatically cut back troubleshooting modes and key sequences from what was beforehand obtainable. Since the corporate not has to combine completely different elements wanted with Intel-based Macs, Apple deliberately simplified facets of the system to cut back the potential for issues to go mistaken. That’s truly good. (Compare this list for an Intel Mac and this for an M1 Mac.)
But it might go away you scratching your head, like reaching for a screwdriver and discovering the toolbox empty. Here’s how Intel behaviors map to M1 Macs, and which of them at the moment are lacking or changed.
Recovery mode is invoked otherwise
Intel Macs had a number of methods to get into Recovery mode by holding completely different mixtures, like Command-R and Command-Shift-R. Those have all been collapsed right into a single restart operation.
To begin your M1 Mac into Recovery mode, shut it down. Then energy on the Mac, however maintain the ability key till “Loading startup options” seems. Then proceed as wanted.
Get more details and see screen captures about Recovery mode.
Internet Recovery is gone
Intel Macs may very well be induced to begin off from a built-in ROM that allowed a Mac to join to the web and obtain recoveryOS and bootstrap reinstalling macOS. With an M1 Mac, that course of is managed completely with recoveryOS, and the backup fallback recoveryOS described within the article linked above.
If you’ll be able to’t get both of these recoveryOS variations to begin up, then you’ve got to revive or restore your firmware, described in my article from early March. Those strategies additionally contact the web to obtain essential items and substitute Internet Recovery.
Choose a startup quantity earlier than beginning up
You could be an aficionado of holding down the Option key after restarting or beginning up a Mac, then deciding on a startup quantity from an inventory that seems. That’s not an possibility. Instead, you both use the Startup Disk desire pane whereas macOS is lively, otherwise you boot into recoveryOS and choose a drive there, as I describe subsequent.
Use the Startup Disk system desire to set a startup quantity on Apple silicon Macs.
Apple
Firmware password is gone
You might select to allow a firmware password in recoveryOS with Intel Macs to forestall a Mac from being restarted from an exterior drive as a safety measure. Apple did away with this with the M1 Macs, as the method for selecting an exterior startup quantity now requires authentication both inside macOS (within the Startup Disk desire pane) or in recoveryOS when deciding on an alternate quantity.
Apple additionally solely permits an M1 Mac by default to begin up with an Apple-validated copy of both the newest working system put in on the M1 Mac inside quantity or the very newest model launched by Apple. This prevents somebody farther from one way or the other booting your Mac with a compromised system.
Target Disk Mode is now Share Disk
Previously, you might have one Mac act like a mounted quantity on one other by deciding on that possibility from the Startup Disk desire pane or invoking it with a key at startup. With an M1 Mac, that possibility has shifted to permitting a Mac to seem as a community shared quantity on one other Mac.
To set that up, you want to join the 2 computer systems with a USB Type-A, USB three over USB-C, or Thunderbolt three cable, and the restart into recoveryOS as described above. Click Options, enter an account password, after which select Utilities > Start Sharing. On the opposite Mac, use Go > Network to find the shared Mac’s volumes. Eject the shared quantity when completed and earlier than restarting the shared Mac simply as with Target Disk Mode.
Safe mode requires a distinct course of
On an M1 Mac, you solely want Safe mode if you end up having issues with third-party kernel extensions, which some apps require to faucet into low-level system assets. Rogue Amoeba, for example, requires a plug-in, ACE, that Apple treats like a kernel extension for many of its audio software program to work. (To even set up kernel extensions, you’ve got to decrease system safety. Rogue Amoeba provides a delightful illustrated step by step guide.)
However, in case you are having startup or stability issues, Safe mode enables you to restart with kernel extensions disabled for troubleshooting. It was only a key at startup with an Intel Mac, however on an M1 system, it’s a couple of steps.
First, restart into recoveryOS as describe above. Then, wait till your startup quantity seems in the primary display subsequent to the Options icon. Hover over the amount and maintain down the Shift key, and a label seems. Click Continue in Safe Mode and launch the Shift key. Your Mac restarts with out kernel extensions. If that solves the issue, comply with the developer’s directions to take away extensions till you find the perpetrator.
Restarting after being in Safe mode brings up macOS with kernel extensions enabled, if any stay.
No SMC to reset, no NVRAM to zap (largely)
Standard troubleshooting on Intel Macs for system and {hardware} weirdness usually requires zapping the non-volatile reminiscence (NVRAM) that shops sure settings even when a Mac is powered down, or the System Memory Controller (SMC), which manages {hardware} parameters, together with fan velocity and different components.
There’s no separate SMC within the M1 Macs; its capabilities are constructed into Apple’s processor. NVRAM nonetheless exists, however it might’t be reset by a key mixture at startup, and messing with it utilizing Terminal instructions might require a revive or restore of your Mac’s startup firmware! As a outcome, specialists counsel not trying to manipulate NVRAM in any respect.
Diagnostics Mode is hidden
Apple gives a means to begin up a Mac and take a look at its {hardware} robotically. That was a key mixture for an Intel Mac, however with an Apple silicon Mac, you want to restart into recoveryOS as described above, and as quickly as you see the Options icon, press and maintain Command-D. Apple tech assist may additionally information you thru this when you’ve referred to as for assist.
Ask Mac 911
We’ve compiled an inventory of the questions we get requested most steadily together with solutions and hyperlinks to columns: read our super FAQ to see in case your query is roofed. If not, we’re all the time searching for new issues to remedy! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com together with display captures as applicable, and whether or not you need your full identify used. Not every query will probably be answered, we don’t reply to e mail, and we can not present direct troubleshooting recommendation.
