MacBook Air keeps crashing

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Level 1

8 points

MacBook Air keeps crashing

I have a fairly new MacBook Air, brand new in June 2019, I think it was one model behind the latest one at the time.

I got a bunch of viruses on my computer while I was away at college, but tech support cleared most of it out. I come home and there's still viruses, so I have my boyfriend show me how to use MalwareBytes and my computer is virus free as of right now.

However, when all this started my computer would crash maybe 60% of the time when using Safari, and it would show this colorful static for a few seconds before crashing. I then have to restart the computer or else it'll keep crashing the same way every time I try to sign in. It doesn't do it as often now, maybe 30% of the time, but always with safari even if I just have like two tabs open.

Phone tech support has been useless and I can't replicate the crashing on command, so it's hard to pinpoint what's wrong.

Anyone know what I can do that won't cost me an arm and a leg?

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jul 25, 2020 6:59 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Axel Foley

Level 10

148,326 points

Jul 26, 2020 9:21 PM in response to novabird01

You will not lose anything that is backed up in iCloud. But, let's start with the relatively easy stuff first. Try all the steps below ONE at a TIME and advance further only if the crashing persists after a given step. NOTE that step 3 involves reinstalling of the macOS and not deleting or wiping out any data. Read the instructions carefully in the link and determine whether you would like to execute the plan.

Reset SMC by following the directions applicable to your MacBook here ➔ How to Reset SMC. If that does not solve things then-
Reset NVRAM/PRAM by following the directions applicable to your MacBook here ➔ How to Reset NVRAM/PRAM. If that does not solve things then-
Finally if none of the above works then you can enter ➔ macOS Recovery Mode and reinstall the macOS and see if that solves it.

Axel F.

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Answer 2

Axel Foley

Level 10

148,326 points

Jul 26, 2020 5:31 PM in response to novabird01

How valuable is the data to you that currently exists on your MacBook Air? I ask because my recommendation would be delete and wipe clean the entire drive and then reinstall the macOS with Catalina 10.15.6. Of course, then you will have to download your apps again among other things. I am not encouraging to back up your MacBook Air and then restoring from it because your current data might still be corrupt from the previous bout with Malware and Adware software.

Axel F.

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Answer 3

novabird01 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 26, 2020 8:41 PM in response to Axel Foley

I don’t really know what’s on my MacBook Air? My iPhone and MacBook are synced so I assume whatever I have on my MacBook is accessible through the cloud? How would I go about wiping it and reinstalling it? What is on my MacBook that isn’t on my phone that would be lost? I am not very tech savvy and this is the first laptop I’ve ever owned.

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