Repair for Mac randomly rebooting or shutting down. Updated 2023

Why is my Mac rebooting or shutting down?

The most common cause is called kernel panic and it occurs when your Mac’s operating system detects an issue that can be fixed by restarting.

Devices connected to your Mac or software installed can also cause unexpected restarts and it might even shut down your Mac eventually.

Improper placement of the Mac may result in a shutdown as the heat build-up may cause damage and by allowing proper airflow you should keep your Mac on a flat surface.

What steps can I take to prevent my Mac from rebooting or shutting down?

The first idea that comes to mind is to restart your Mac and even if it helps for the moment it will not prevent your Mac from shutting down again.

Try and reset the SMC and PRAM. Check out ZA Support’s simple SMC and PRAM reset guide on YouTube on how to reset the PRAM and SMC on your Mac.

If you have exhausted all the above steps and your Mac keeps shutting down or startup the next step would be to reinstall the macOS.

Finally:

Make sure you keep your Mac clean and perform regular check-ups as well as keep your macOS system up to date.

As you can see there are a lot of factors that can cause your Mac to reboot or shut down. If you need to book your Mac in for an Apple diagnostic click here.