8 Quick Solutions to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding on macOS Monterey

If you’re running macOS Monterey and experiencing issues with your Mac Finder not responding, don’t panic. In this article, we’ll share eight quick solutions to help you resolve the problem and get back to using your Mac as normal.

Quick Fixes for Mac Finder Not Responding

Click on the Apple menu located in the top left corner of the screen.
Select “Force Quit” from the drop-down menu.
Locate “Finder” and click on it.
Click on the “Relaunch” button.

Clear Cache and Preferences

Open Finder and click on “Go” in the menu bar.
Hold down the “Option” key and select “Library”.
Locate and open the “Caches” folder.
Drag the “com.apple.finder” folder to the trash.
Go back to the “Library” folder and open the “Preferences” folder.
Locate and delete the “com.apple.finder.plist” file.
Restart your Mac.

Disable iCloud Syncing

Click on the Apple menu located in the top left corner of the screen.
Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
Click on “Apple ID”.
Uncheck the “Finder” checkbox.
Restart your Mac.

Reset SMC and PRAM

Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold the “Shift + Control + Option” keys and the power button at the same time.
Release all keys and turn on your Mac.

Update macOS

Click on the Apple menu located in the top left corner of the screen.
Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
Click on “Software Update”.
Click on the “Update Now” button.
Follow the on-screen instructions to update your macOS.

Run Disk Utility

Click on the Apple menu located in the top left corner of the screen.
Select “Restart” from the drop-down menu while holding down the “Command + R” keys.
Select “Disk Utility” from the macOS Utilities window and click “Continue”.
Select your startup disk and click on “First Aid”.
Click on the “Run” button and wait for the process to complete.
Restart your Mac.

Remove Third-Party Extensions

Click on the Apple menu located in the top left corner of the screen.
Select “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
Click on “Extensions”.
Uncheck all third-party extensions.
Restart your Mac.

Reset NVRAM or PRAM

Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold the “Command + Option + P + R” keys at the same time.
Hold the keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound twice.

Restart your Mac – This can often solve the issue of Finder not responding. Simply click on the Apple logo in the top left corner and select “Restart” from the drop-down menu.

Restarting Your Computer to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding

If your Mac Finder is not responding, restarting your computer may be a quick solution. To do this, click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select Restart. Alternatively, hold down the Control + Command + Eject keys to restart.

If the Finder still isn’t responding after the restart, try force quitting it. To do this, hold down the Option key and right-click on the Finder icon in the Dock. Select Force Quit and then relaunch the Finder.

If the issue persists, you can try resetting the Apple Finder plist by following these steps:

1. Open the Finder
2. Click on the “Go” menu and select “Go to Folder”
3. Type “~/Library/Preferences/”
4. Locate the file named “com.apple.finder.plist”
5. Drag it to the Trash
6. Restart your computer

Hopefully, one of these methods will help to fix the issue and get your Mac Finder back to working properly.

When the Mac Finder stops responding, it can be frustrating and disruptive to your workflow.

Force Quitting Finder and Restarting the App to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding

If your Mac Finder is not responding, force quitting the app and restarting it can be a quick solution. Here’s how:

1. Press Command + Option + Esc to open the Force Quit Applications window.
2. Select Finder from the list of applications.
3. Click on the Relaunch button to restart Finder.

This should fix any issues with Finder not responding. If the problem persists, try restarting your Mac or resetting the Apple Finder plist file. Avoid using large files or folders on Finder, and make sure your Mac is updated to the latest macOS Monterey version.

Other apps like OneDrive, Preview, and SharePoint can also cause issues with Finder search or syncing. Check for updates or try uninstalling and reinstalling the apps if needed. Lastly, check your Finder sidebar settings to make sure they’re not causing any conflicts.

Checking for 3rd Party Plugins/Apps to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding

If the Mac Finder is not responding, the issue may be caused by third-party plugins or apps. To fix this, you can check for any third-party apps that may be interfering with Finder’s performance.

First, quit all apps and restart your Mac. Then, launch Finder and see if it’s working normally. If not, go to System Preferences > Users & Groups > Login Items and remove any third-party apps that may be causing the issue.

You can also try disabling third-party plugins such as OneDrive, SharePoint, Preview, or any other apps that are integrated with Finder. If you’re using OneDrive, try disabling the OneDrive Folder sync or uninstalling the app altogether.

Finally, you can try resetting the Finder Sidebar by going to Finder > Preferences > Sidebar and unchecking and rechecking the boxes next to the items in the sidebar.

By checking for third-party plugins and apps that may be interfering with Finder’s performance, you can quickly fix the issue and get back to using your MacBook Pro with ease.

Killing the Process from Activity Monitor to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding

To kill the process from Activity Monitor and fix Mac Finder not responding on macOS Monterey:

1. Open Activity Monitor by searching for it in the finder search or through Spotlight.

2. Look for the Finder process and select it.

3. Click on the “X” button in the toolbar or choose “Force Quit” from the “View” menu.

4. Confirm that you want to force quit the process.

5. Wait a few seconds for the Finder process to restart automatically.

6. Check if the issue is resolved.

If the problem persists, try restarting your Mac or resetting the NVRAM/PRAM by holding down Command + Option + P + R during startup. Alternatively, you can try disabling any third-party extensions or clearing the cache. If you’re having trouble with files in your onedrive folder, try pausing onedrive sync temporarily. These solutions should help you fix the issue and get your macbook pro working smoothly again.

Power Cycling Your Computer to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding

One quick solution to fix Mac Finder not responding on macOS Monterey is to power cycle your computer.

Here’s how:

1. Click on the Apple menu and select “Restart.”
2. Wait for your computer to shut down and turn back on.
3. Once your computer has restarted, check if Mac Finder is now responding.

Power cycling your computer can help resolve any software issues that may be causing Mac Finder to not respond. If this solution doesn’t work, you can try other quick fixes like clearing the cache, resetting the PRAM or NVRAM, or disabling third-party extensions.

Remember to save any unsaved work before attempting any fixes. If the issue persists, you may need to seek further assistance or consult with a professional.

Clearing Storage and Resetting Mac to Factory Settings to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding

Method	Steps
Clearing Storage	Open the Apple menu and select “About This Mac.” Click on the “Storage” tab. Click on “Manage.” Select the files you want to delete and click on “Delete.” Empty the trash bin to permanently remove the files.
Resetting Mac to Factory Settings	Back up all your important files to an external hard drive or cloud storage. Restart your Mac and hold down the Command and R keys until the Apple logo appears. Select “Disk Utility” and click on “Continue.” Select your startup disk and click on “Erase.” Reinstall macOS Monterey by selecting “Reinstall macOS” and following the prompts.

William Howarth

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