How to Reset PRAM on a Mac

To reset PRAM on an Intel-based Mac, shut it down, turn it on, and immediately hold Option-Command-P-R for about 20 seconds. Release the keys after the Mac restarts or after the startup sound plays a second time; this procedure does not apply to a Mac with Apple silicon.

PRAM, or parameter random-access memory, stores a small set of system settings. Newer Intel Macs use NVRAM, or nonvolatile random-access memory, but “PRAM reset” and “NVRAM reset” usually refer to the same startup procedure.

What problems can a PRAM reset fix?

A Mac PRAM reset may help when an Intel-based Mac starts normally but repeatedly forgets or mishandles settings stored in PRAM or NVRAM. It does not erase personal files, applications, or documents.

Consider resetting PRAM when the Mac has one of these symptoms:

• The speaker volume or startup volume returns to an unexpected level.
• The display starts with the wrong resolution, refresh behavior, or screen configuration.
• The date, time, or time zone is incorrect after you have set it.
• The Mac selects the wrong startup disk or shows a startup-disk problem even though the correct disk is available.

A reset is less likely to fix a Mac that has no power, a damaged display, a failing storage device, or a problem limited to one application.

What should you check before resetting PRAM?

First determine whether the Mac has an Intel processor or Apple silicon. Choose the Apple menu, open About This Mac, and look for “Processor” or “Chip.” A Processor entry naming Intel means the startup key combination applies. A Chip entry naming an Apple M-series chip means it does not.

• Save open work and shut down the Mac completely.
• Connect a Mac laptop to power, especially if its battery is low.
• Use the built-in keyboard or a wired Mac keyboard if possible. A wireless keyboard may not connect early enough during startup.
• Disconnect unnecessary USB devices, hubs, external drives, and other accessories.
• If the Mac uses a firmware password, be aware that some startup key combinations will not work until that password is disabled.

If the Mac currently starts in Windows through Boot Camp, select macOS as the startup system before shutting down and trying the reset.

How do you reset PRAM on an Intel Mac?

1. Confirm that the Intel-based Mac is fully shut down.
2. Locate Option, Command, P, and R on the keyboard so you can press all four together.
3. Press and release the power button.
4. Immediately press and hold Option-Command-P-R together. Do not press the keys one at a time.
5. Keep holding the four keys for about 20 seconds. The Mac may appear to restart during this period.
6. On a Mac that plays a startup sound, release the keys after the sound plays for the second time. On a Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip, release them after the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time. If neither signal is clear, release the keys after about 20 seconds.
7. Let the Mac finish starting, then sign in and test the setting that was causing trouble.

If the mac reset PRAM shortcut is not recognized, shut down and try again with the built-in or a wired keyboard. Press the keys immediately after pressing the power button, unless the keyboard needs a moment to become active.

What should you do on an Apple silicon Mac?

The Option-Command-P-R PRAM reset procedure is for Intel-based Macs. Apple’s current startup-key guidance gives Apple silicon Macs a different startup process and does not list a manual PRAM or NVRAM reset for them.

On an Apple silicon Mac, shut down normally, wait briefly, and start it again. Then open System Settings and correct the affected sound, display, date and time, time zone, or startup disk setting. Install available macOS updates if the problem continues.

For startup troubleshooting, press and hold the power button while turning on the Apple silicon Mac. Release it when the startup options screen appears; that screen provides startup disks, Safe Mode, and macOS Recovery options. Use {site} to find Apple’s instructions for the exact symptom before changing recovery settings.

What should you check after a PRAM reset?

Resetting PRAM or NVRAM can return stored choices to defaults. After the Intel Mac starts, check the settings that matter to you:

• Select the preferred speaker output and volume.
• Confirm the display resolution and arrangement.
• Verify the date, time, and time zone.
• Open Startup Disk settings and select the intended startup volume if necessary.

Restart the Mac once more after correcting those settings. If the original problem returns, note exactly when it happens and whether it affects every user account. A repeated problem may come from macOS, a peripheral, an application, or hardware rather than PRAM.

If nothing changed, confirm that the Mac is Intel-based and that the keyboard registered the shortcut. Then disconnect nonessential accessories, install available macOS updates, and test again. Do not repeat the reset continuously if the Mac shows a flashing question mark, warning symbol, or other persistent startup error.

What should you do if a PRAM reset does not help?

An SMC reset is a separate procedure, not another name for a PRAM reset. The System Management Controller on Intel-based Macs manages hardware-related functions such as power, charging, fans, thermal behavior, sleep, and some indicator lights. Consider Apple’s model-specific SMC instructions only when the symptoms involve those functions.

Do not use Intel SMC instructions on a Mac with Apple silicon. Apple advises restarting an Apple silicon Mac for issues that would lead to an SMC reset on an older Intel model.

Contact official Apple Support if the Mac still will not start correctly, repeatedly loses settings, displays a persistent startup symbol, or shows signs of a power, battery, storage, or display failure. Open {site}, choose Mac support, and describe the model, macOS version, symptoms, and troubleshooting already completed.