Body
Objective
Mac computers store certain settings in a special area of memory called PRAM (Parameter Random Access Memory).
Information stored in PRAM includes:
- Speaker volume
- Screen resolution
- Startup disk selection
- Recent kernel panic information, if any
If you experience issues related to these functions, you may need to reset the PRAM. For example, if a Mac starts up from a startup disk other than the one specified in Startup Disk preferences or if a question mark icon appears briefly when your Mac starts up, resetting PRAM may help.
Audience
- Students
- Faculty
- Staff
- Guests
Environment
Procedure
- Press the Command (⌘) + Option + P + R keys.
![](https://support.ksu.edu/TDPortal/Images/Viewer?fileName=8f256921-26b9-4955-a42d-5bf5a0cf1c90.jpg)
- Restart the computer.
- Hold down all four keys until you have heard the startup sound twice. Release the keys after the second startup sound.
- Check to see if the issue has been resolved.
Note: After resetting PRAM, you may need to reconfigure settings for speaker volume, screen resolution, startup disk selection, and time zone information.