Every key restarts MacBook (interfering with SMC and NVRAM/PRAM resets?)

In the process of trying to do SMC and NVRAM/PRAM resets to attempt to fix some problems I've been having with my MacBook, I've discovered every key on my keyboard will restart my computer. I'm not talking about waking the computer from sleep. I mean I've clicked "shut down..." and the computer has in fact shut down. But then, pressing any key (I haven't tried literally all of them, but enough to catch the pattern) the computer will restart. At first I thought it was just the left command key doing it, because every time I attempted to press and hold the keys necessary for the resets, the computer would immediately restart. Which I assume means none of my resets have worked? It's hard to tell, but certainly none of the problems I was trying to address have been fixed.


The problems: the fan running constantly (and loudly); blocks of colors periodically flashing across the top of the screen (the kind of color flashes you get, or used to, when a computer suddenly crashes). These have both been going on for a while, at least a year. There's also (this is more recent) excruciating slow browser (Safari) processing, which a cache clearing doesn't seem to have done anything to fix. It feels like the computer is constantly working at maximum capacity, even though I'm not using power-hungry programs, nothing involving graphics. Just normal office software. In activity monitor, the main source of usage is consistently Sync (the program).


The computer: MacBook Air, 2020, 1.1 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, Sequoia 15.7.2



Posted on Dec 17, 2025 3:25 PM

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5 replies

Dec 17, 2025 3:38 PM in response to ethylmermaid

In the reset SMC procedure, it does show to start with it shut off, but also step 3 says, it says if your Mac is on it will shut off. Step 4 says Keep holding all 4 keys for another 7 seconds:

  • Keep holding all three keys for 7 seconds, then press and hold the power button as well. If your Mac is on, it will turn off as you hold the keys.
  • Keep holding all four keys for another 7 seconds, then release them.

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support


Have you tried that to see if the Mac does shut off while holding the keys? Some Macs do start on keypress.


Dec 17, 2025 5:41 PM in response to ethylmermaid

The NRAM is reset while it is starting up so it is OK for the Mac to start when holding those keys for 20 seconds.

Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support


Diagnostics are performed on your Mac by following these steps and again is performed while starting up.

Use Apple Diagnostics to test your Mac - Apple Support


The codes given in diagnostics are referenced in that Support Article and also available here:

Apple Diagnostics reference codes - Apple Support


Dec 17, 2025 8:33 PM in response to HWTech

ethylmermaid wrote:

In the process of trying to do SMC and NVRAM/PRAM resets to attempt to fix some problems I've been having with my MacBook, I've discovered every key on my keyboard will restart my computer. I'm not talking about waking the computer from sleep. I mean I've clicked "shut down..." and the computer has in fact shut down. But then, pressing any key (I haven't tried literally all of them, but enough to catch the pattern) the computer will restart.

Unfortunately this is the new normal for Macs. Even touching the Trackpad will wake up or power on the Mac now.


Also, connecting or disconnecting external devices may also wake up or power on the Macs.


All very annoying and pointless.


Provide Apple with product feedback here:

Product Feedback - Apple



The problems: the fan running constantly (and loudly); blocks of colors periodically flashing across the top of the screen (the kind of color flashes you get, or used to, when a computer suddenly crashes). These have both been going on for a while, at least a year. There's also (this is more recent) excruciating slow browser (Safari) processing, which a cache clearing doesn't seem to have done anything to fix. It feels like the computer is constantly working at maximum capacity, even though I'm not using power-hungry programs, nothing involving graphics. Just normal office software. In activity monitor, the main source of usage is consistently Sync (the program).

The computer: MacBook Air, 2020, 1.1 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, Sequoia 15.7.2

More than likely the Logic Board is failing which is common with the T2 Logic Boards, but especially with the Intel (USB-C models)MBAirs from 2018-2020 since they have a joke of a cooling system. While these MBAirs have a fan, the fan does not move air directly over the CPU heatsink.....in fact the CPU heatsink has no heatpipe which is used to allow a fan to cool the heatsink & CPU. Ask any repair tech and they will not be surprised these Logic Boards fail.


Even without the cooling issue, the T2 Logic Boards for all of these 2018-2020 Intel Macs tend to have a higher rate of failure than older non-USB-C Macs with some models having a muchhigher failure rate than others.


You can try to run the third party app EtreCheck and posting the complete report here so we can examine it for possible clues.....maybe you will get lucky & have issues with third party software.....maybe. However, the graphical glitches you are reporting sound a lot like a bad GPU which means a bad Logic Board. The EtreCheck report will probably show some Kernel Panic log summaries as well which may help to confirm.


If it is indeed a hardware issue as I suspect, then I do not recommend repairing this laptop (or any Intel Mac) for multiple reasons (already provided one above about the joke of a cooling system)....the money spent on repairs is much better put towards a new computer. The M-series Macs will run circles around your 2020 Intel MBAir.


Edit: @Mac Jim ID has also provided you with great information, so try those things out as well.

Every key restarts MacBook (interfering with SMC and NVRAM/PRAM resets?)

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