If you’re a Mac user, you already know how important the Finder is. As your desktop, or the ‘front-end’ of the computer, it manages and stores files; a pivotal part of the overall user experience. Sometimes, the Finder may not be working as it should, and you can run into situations where the Finder is not responding at all. What can you do when that happens? Is there a way to solve the issues? Let’s find out.
Restart your device
A restart might seem like overkill, but it can genuinely help. Not only will it possibly solve the Finder issue, but might actually speed up your workflow. A restart is always the first thing to try before any other option.
Relaunch your Finder
If your Mac’s Finder is proving problematic, you can relaunch it by pressing and holding the Option key, and then right clicking the Finder icon in the Dock. A menu will appear; press Relaunch. Usually, this is the best way to restart the Finder and will cause fewest secondary problems.
Repair any disk permissions
This is best done with a Mac cleanup tool. Aside from removing files that you are not using and performing various repairs, a Mac cleanup tool can also repair file permissions. If you haven’t done this ever, or for a long time, repairing disk permissions can be helpful. The process can take some time, but is great for general maintenance.
Force quit your Finder
Force-quit the Finder by pressing and holding Command+Option+Escape. Select Finder. Press Relaunch. That restarts the Finder with a ‘clean slate,’ and may remove any issues you are experiencing..
Delete system junk
System junk can be problematic with the potential to cause issues on occasion. Use a Mac cleanup tool to help remove any files that could be problematic.
Use the Terminal to relaunch your Finder
The Terminal is one a ‘pro user’ application that can be very effective when your Mac is experiencing problems. Although often seen as complex and difficult to use, it’s actually very easy. Open the Terminal, and type “killall Finder.” Press Return and you’ll notice that the Finder app gets killed and relaunches.
Why is the Finder app not responding?
You might be running too many apps or there may be enough resources allocated to the Finder. Sometimes the operation of older apps or those that are not optimised to the latest version of the operating system can cause problems.
If you follow the steps above, at least one should help return your Mac to normal operations. Good luck.
