If you’re a Mac user, you’ve likely appreciated the convenience of Quick Look – the feature that allows you to preview files without opening them fully. However, what happens when Quick Look stops working? It can be a perplexing situation, but fear not. In this article, we’ll explore why Quick Look may not be functioning as expected and provide you with five effective methods to get it back in action.
Why Quick Look Not Working on Mac
Before diving into solutions, let’s understand why Quick Look may suddenly stops working.
1. System Glitches: Sometimes, small glitches in the macOS can affect Quick Look’s performance.
2. Incompatible Plugins: If you’ve installed third-party plugins for Quick Look, they might not be compatible with your macOS version.
3. Corrupted Files: Quick Look may struggle when attempting to preview files that are corrupted or have issues.
4. Storage Space: Low disk space can also hinder Quick Look’s functionality.
5. System Updates: New macOS updates might render certain plugins incompatible or introduce bugs in Quick Look.
5 Ways to Restore Quick Look on Your Mac
Now, let’s explore five effective methods to restore Quick Look to its full glory.
1. Restart Quick Look
Sometimes, Quick Look just needs a nudge to wake up. You can restart it using Terminal.
1. Open Terminal from “Applications” > “Utilities.”
2. Type “qlmanage -r” and press “Enter.”
3. Try Quick Look again.
2. Remove Third-party Plugins
If you’ve installed third-party plugins, try removing them.
1. Go to “~/Library/QuickLook” in Finder.
2. Remove any plugins you’ve added.
3. Relaunch Quick Look.
3. Clear Quick Look Cache
Quick Look creates a cache, which, if corrupted, can cause issues. Clearing it may help.
1. In Terminal, type “qlmanage -r cache” and press “Enter.”
2. This clears the cache. Test Quick Look.
4. Check for File Corruption
Sometimes, Quick Look fails because it’s trying to preview a corrupted file.
1. Open the folder where you’re having issues.
2. Try to identify the problematic file. Delete or repair it.
5. Update Your macOS
If Quick Look stopped working after a macOS update, updating your system might resolve the issue.
1. Go to “Apple Menu” > “System Preferences.”
2. Select “Software Update” and install any pending updates.
3. Reboot your Mac.
Conclusion
Quick Look is an incredibly handy feature, and when it stops working, it can be frustrating. However, as we’ve seen, the issue could be due to various factors, such as system glitches, incompatible plugins, corrupted files, low storage space, or even recent system updates.
By using the five methods mentioned, you can troubleshoot and restore Quick Look to its former efficiency. So, next time Quick Look goes on a vacation, you’ll know just how to bring it back to work. Happy previewing!