Ok Mac users stop what you’re doing and pay attention. This is important. The information I’m about to bestow upon you could very well save your computer one day. Or at the very least save you a lot of headache. There’s a portion of your Mac computer’s memory called PRAM (parameter random access memory) and it is responsible for storing settings for very quick use. Most of these “parameters” are things like device settings or the startup disk, and even speaker volume.

So when would resetting your PRAM come in handy? For the most part it’s when you’re troubleshooting some type of device failure or settings issue. Ethernet port stops picking up an IP for no apparent reason? Reset the PRAM. Did the sound randomly stop working? Reset the PRAM. Does your display resolution keep adjusting without being prompted to? You guessed it. So the next time you’re dealing with similar issues try the steps below. They’re not a guaranteed fix for everything but they can at least get you started with the troubleshooting.

These steps are pulled directly from an Apple Support Article: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14222?viewlocale=en_US

1. Shut down your Mac.

2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Option, Command (⌘), P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.

3. Turn on your Mac.

4. Immediately press and hold the Option-Command-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.

5. Continue holding the keys down until your Mac restarts, and you hear the startup sound for the second time.

6. Release the keys.

At this point your Mac will (or should) go through it’s boot sequence and load your desktop. From here you just need to test the variable that you were trying to correct by resetting the PRAM.

Questions? Post them in the comments section.