Ok, I get it. There is no equivalent to the PC’s Ctrl+Alt+Del shortcut on a Mac® to force quit an application. So how do I quit that annoying program that’s not responding?
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I don’t want to delete the Google Drive app from my Mac, of course. I just want to stop it from automatically launching when I boot or log in. To stop Google Drive (or any other item in your own list), all I need to do is click once on its name to select it and then click the small minus button at the bottom of the list. Show All Running Apps On Mac Using Force Quit Applications Manager. Another method to check all the Running apps and programs on your Mac is through the Force Quit applications manager on Mac. Click on the Apple icon in the top menu bar of your Mac and then click on Force Quit Application in the drop-down menu (See image below).
Luckily, Apple® has you covered and gives you multiple options. The shortcut actually exists, and moreover, there are a few other extremely convenient ways to fight buggy apps. Today I’m going to list three easy ways to force-quit an application on a Mac, without harming the system.
Let’s dive in!
Is it Safe to Force Quit?
Forcing a frozen application to quit is the same as killing the symptoms when we get sick versus curing the virus. We need to see the bigger picture and understand what causes the problem and how to cure it while understanding how to avoid it from happening again.
The number one reason we have a problem with frozen applications in a Mac is insufficient RAM—or, in other words, a lack of computer memory to operate the system compared to the number of applications you usually open (including those numerous open tabs in a browser). So anytime your system utilizes all of its existing resourses to run the task, it becomes unresponsive. Think of RAM like a physical workbench. The more space (memory) you have to work, the more projects you can have out to work on. Less space? Less ability to work on multiple things at once.
Forcing Mac to quit the application does resolve the problem but may have downsides. When you close an application in the traditional manner, it will clean everything it runs in the background and alert you to save the work. When you force close on Mac, you may end up losing files and data, or mess things up on the drive. Although the effect will only be related to that one particular application that got stuck, sometimes it can hurt.
Using a smart app like Parallels Toolbox can help you to free up unused memory on the fly and prevent the applications from getting frozen over and over again. The package includes over 30+ useful apps for everyday needs that any Mac user will benefit from, including downloading videos and music from sites like YouTube, taking screenshot or record videos, optimize your Mac performance, free up extra space and so much more.
You can download Toolbox and try it out for free here (no registration needed).
1. Force Quit Using the Apple Menu
The most conventional and effective way to close frozen programs is to go to the macOS® menu bar, located along the top of the screen in the Finder menu.
To force quit an application, simply do the following:
- Click on the black apple icon in the upper-left corner.
- From the drop-down menu, select “Force Quit…”. You will be directed to the new window named “Force Quit Application” where all the magic happens.
- Now all you have to do is select the application you want to close and choose “Force Quit.”
If you don’t know which application is stuck, pay attention to the ones that have the note “Not Responding.” This usually appears next to frozen applications.
2. Force Quit with Mac Shortcut
To do the same thing but faster, use Mac shortcut keys to close frozen applications.
- On your keyboard, press and hold Command + Option + Esc. It will immediately bring up a “Force Quit Application” window.
- Select the frozen application from the dialogue box and select “Force Quit.”
This could be your go-to method if the mouse or trackpad is lagging.
3. Close Application from Activity Monitor (Ctrl+Alt+Del Alternative)
Here’s the pinnacle of this article.
Very few Apple owners know that macOS provides an almost identical alternative to the traditional PC Control+Alt+Delete shortcut—and does it better. Yes, we all know that in Windows that keyboard shortcut is often used to open the Task Manager window. (To be honest, it’s needed too often, which is why we’re on a Mac.) From Task Manager, you can track applications, services, performance, and processes, and kill some of them when they’re unresponsive.
You can easily do all of that and more on the macOS native application called Activity Monitor.
To kill an application using Activity Monitor, do the following.
1. On your keyboard, press Command + Space, or click on Spotlight in the top-right corner of the screen.
2. In the “Spotlight Search” window, start typing “Activity Monitor.”
3. Once Activity Monitor is highlighted, hit Enter.
4. In the Activity Monitor processes list, select the application you want to quit and click “Force a process to quit” in the left corner.
What to Do If Force Quit Isn’t Working?
If all the applications stop responding and you can’t quit them using one of the methods described above, you can force your Mac to restart. To do so, press and hold the Control+Command+Power buttons.
Doubled file mac app. Alternatively, you can force Mac to shut down by pressing and holding the power button, or use one of the many other shortcuts.
What’s the Solution?
Since your Mac doesn’t have enough space to run all those applications you need, the most obvious step would be to increase the RAM. If you own an iMac® or the older generation of MacBook Pro®, you can simply buy memory and upgrade your existing computer. With the new Mac generation, you don’t have that option anymore because the RAM is glued and soldered to the motherboard. You either buy a new computer or struggle.
Alternatively, you can clean your memory to free up space using Parallels® Toolbox. Parallels designed a tool set for macOS and PC users to efficiently manage their computer with just a few clicks—without any professional knowledge needed. Within the application (which is available to try for free), you can easily free up unused computer memory, clean your drive, and help your Mac run at max speed with a dozen other useful utilities.
If you’re interested in learning how easily one click can save precious disk space, check out how much space I took back with the Parallels Toolbox tool Clean Drive:
In one click (and about 10 seconds), I successfully removed 4 GB of clutter and reclaimed space on my hard drive.
So there you have it. Take care of your Mac with those quick tips, and remember to always save your work!
One of the easiest ways to slow down your Mac is by overloading on launch applications. After a year or so, you might not even realize what apps are starting in the background. While apps like Spotify jump up front and center when they launch, alerting the user, other apps are happy to chug away in the menubar with nary a user interaction for months. If you find that your Mac doesn’t start as quickly as it used to, or your mouse is non-responsive when first turning on and logging in to your computer, you should check for unnecessary launch items. Stop these programs from running on startup, and you might speed up your Mac’s launch process significantly.
Try This First: Login Items and App-Controlled Behavior
Apps can start at login through two obvious ways: they are launched by the system at login, or the program automatically adds itself to the login items. https://cleverstorm835.weebly.com/swish-gesture-mac-app.html.
1. Open System Preferences, then navigate to “Users & Groups.”
2. Choose the user you want to modify in the list, and click the “Login Items” tab.
3. Select the app you want to remove from login, and press the “—” at the bottom of the list.
For apps that control their startup behavior from within the app, you’ll want to visit the app directly. Apps failed to install mac os sierra. Look for an item in the app’s preferences about starting at login. Uncheck that box, and the app will not run at login in the future.
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/3/4/1/134154286/532292966.png)
This app-controlled behavior isn’t preferred by the operating system, but it isn’t completely uncommon with advanced apps or menubar apps. In most cases, these boxes control whether or not the app is added to the launchd processes mentioned below. Removing those processes from launchd without telling the app will often just result in their reinstallation the next time the app opens.
The Big Guns: Agents and Dæmons
Login processes can also be started using launchd. This service runs in the background, firing off windowless processes when you log in. An agent runs on behalf of the logged-in user, while a daemon runs under the root user.
In most cases, you’ll be looking for agents, which are found in “~/Library/LaunchAgents” and run on behalf of the logged-in user. “/Library/LaunchDaemons” holds daemons that run with root permissions. If your app backs up files or adjusts system processes, it could be stored in this location instead. The distinction really isn’t all that important for this particular use case, and you should avoid digging into those folders if at all possible. https://cleverstorm835.weebly.com/comixology-app-on-mac.html.
Before you try anything, quit the application completely. If necessary, check in Activity Monitor for any leftover helper or agent applications that might be running in the background. If you find the app partially launching even after you’ve deleted it, this is an especially important step.
When all else fails, The easiest to remove startup agents and daemons is by deleting the app completely. If you can’t stop the app from starting within the app or in Login Items, your only recourse may be to completely delete the app, but this is a rare circumstance. You can delete the app and all its accessory files using a tool like AppCleaner or searching through the “~/Library” folder for the application’s name and developer’s name.
If you can’t turn off the agent through the app and can’t find the daemon on your hard drive, you can remove it from launchctl directly. However, if the app is still installed on your Mac, it will likely be reinstalled on next launch. So, in general, you want to remove processes after uninstalling the application.
To see what’s currently running in the background, run launchctl list in Terminal. Search through this list with the grep command for a process with the offending application’s name.
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If you’re unfamiliar with those commands, you might want a refresher on launchctl and grep.
Once you’ve found the app, you can remove it from launchctl using the unload command.
Once you’ve found and unloaded the application from launchctl, delete the associated plist file and any scripts the plist file references.
Conclusion
The simplest way to remove the application from startup is through the application itself. If that setting doesn’t exist, the Users & Groups preference pane should be your next step. Only if both fail should you explore the harder options, since they’re more challenging to implement correctly and there’s more than can trip you up.
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