Oh, this here computer, my grandson got it for me. Fancy thing, calls it a “Mac”. It’s got this shiny strip at the top, they call it a Touch Bar, but sometimes it don’t work right. It just goes dark. Like my old TV when the power went out. Why is my Mac Touch Bar not working? Makes a body wonder.
My grandson, he’s a smart one with these things, he says it needs “updating”. Like getting a new dress, I reckon. He says I gotta click on a picture of an apple. Then find something called “System Settings”. Then find “General” and then “Software Update”. Sounds like a wild goose chase to me! But I do it, ’cause he says it might fix that Touch Bar thing. If there’s anything to install, I install it. Hope it does the trick.
Sometimes, the whole top part of the screen, the menubar, it just disappears! Gone! Like my old hen that flew the coop. But if I wiggle that little arrow thing, the cursor, up to the top, sometimes it comes back. If that’s what is happening, I gotta click that apple again, then “System Preferences”, then “General”. Then I gotta find a box that says “Automatically hide and show the menu bar” and uncheck it. Goodness me, so many steps! That makes my head spin. Why is it so complicated?
Now, this Touch Bar, it’s supposed to show me all sorts of things, depending on what I’m doing. But when it goes dark, it’s just… nothing. Like a blank stare. And I can’t do nothing with it. It’s supposed to respond when I touch it, but sometimes, it just doesn’t.
- It don’t respond when I touch it.
- It just goes black.
- I can’t do nothing with it.
One time my daughter, she said I should try “resetting” it. “Resetting” my Mac Touch Bar! What in the world does that mean? Sounds like taking the batteries out of the remote. She said I gotta “restart” it. Restart the Touch Bar on my MacBook Pro. More computer talk. I don’t know how to restart the Touch Bar! I’ll have to get my grandson to show me. Maybe that will fix it. He comes over every Sunday, brings me pie. Maybe he can fix this Mac touchy thingy too.
Another thing she said was to make sure my fingers are clean. And that Touch Bar thing too. Said I should use a clean cloth. Well, I keep a clean house, thank you very much! But I guess these computers are picky. Like that time I spilled coffee on my old keyboard. Messed it up good. So maybe she’s right. I gotta make sure that my fingers and that touchy thing are clean and dry. I keep it clean, I do.
Sometimes, my grandson says the programs, the “applications,” they’re acting up. He says I gotta “force quit” them. Sounds harsh. Like wringing a chicken’s neck. But he says it can help if the Mac Touch Bar is not responding. I don’t know how to do that, though. He showed me once, but I forget. Too many buttons to press. It’s all too much, I tell ya. I do not know how to force quit an application.
Most times, he says it’s just the “software” acting up. Says the “hardware” is probably fine. He says “hardware” is like the bones of the computer, and “software” is like the… well, I don’t know what it’s like. But he says the Touch Bar not working is usually a “software” problem. And that can be fixed, he says. Usually.
He says there are some “quick fixes” for this MacBook Touch Bar. He says they can “restore the functionality”. Sounds fancy. Like getting a new hip. I hope he’s right. I like that Touch Bar when it works. It’s like magic. I hope he can fix it. If he can “restore the functionality”, that would be just fine.
This whole thing is a mystery to me. Why is my Mac Touch Bar not working? Why does it go dark? Why do I gotta do all this clicking and updating? It’s all beyond me. But I trust my grandson. He knows about these things. He’ll get it working again. He always does. And if not, well, I guess I can always use the old mouse. At least that works most of the time. Unless the cat’s been playing with it again.
