Please Help: Macbook Air Overheating, battery drainage, and trackpad issues

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Level 1

4 points

Please Help: Macbook Air Overheating, battery drainage, and trackpad issues

I have had my Macbook Air for around four years and have recently started having issues following the Sonoma Update. I use the laptop for both school and general browsing but manage my storage and delete anything I no longer need. I have noticed that it runs hot when I use it, sometimes to very high levels. The fans will run constantly and even when I close the laptop it continues to run hot. When I open it back up, the trackpad does not turn on the screen and I can only activate it with the power button. Sometimes, the trackpad appears to be stuck and not click. It will also drain my battery if not plugged in, even when closed. I have turned all battery saving preferences on, checked my activty, and reset the laptop multiple times and still can not figure out why it is having these issues. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 14.5

Posted on Jun 8, 2024 8:31 PM

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Answer 1

WheelieNick

Level 8

47,209 points

Jun 9, 2024 2:54 AM in response to gni189

Try and boot the Mac in the safe mode to see if the issues persist. If the issues do not persist in the safe mode they're most likely caused by an external piece of software, you might want to evaluate the software installed to your Mac

Start up your Mac with Apple silicon in safe mode

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > Shut Down.
Wait for your Mac to shut down completely. A Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and any lights (including in the Touch Bar) are off.
Press and hold the power button on your Mac until “Loading startup options” appears.
Select a volume.
Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode.
The computer restarts automatically. When the login window appears, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.

Start up your Intel-based Mac in safe mode

Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window.
Log in to your Mac.
You might be asked to log in again.
On either the first or second login window, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar.

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Answer 2

gni189 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 9, 2024 10:12 AM in response to WheelieNick

Thanks for the reply. I tried to follow these instructions but my laptop seemed to have issues powering on when I hold the button. It only powers on when I press it and crashes when I hold it for any longer than a second or so. This could be what is causing my issues. I appreciate your suggestions.

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Answer 3

Tesserax

Level 10

160,740 points

Jun 9, 2024 10:54 AM in response to gni189

Which exact model is your MacBook Air?

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Answer 4

gni189 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 9, 2024 4:03 PM in response to Tesserax

It's a 2020 13-Inch Retina display Air. Have had it for a few years with relatively no issues before this. Brought it in about a month back and got it cleaned out but they said no glaring issues.

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Please Help: Macbook Air Overheating, battery drainage, and trackpad issues

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