How to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac- 7 Best Ways

Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac is a process that we use for quitting any program when it gets stuck or unresponsive. Sometimes, the program under process goes unresponsive, and a rainbow-colored spinning wheel is showing on the screen, and we have nothing to know, what to do? Have you also experienced the same situation?

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lossThe only solution to this irritating situation is to Force Quit the program. One thing to to keep in mind, during the Force Quite process, you may lose some unsaved work. The autosave function can save us from this loss, if it could be active at the moment.

What are the Reasons to use Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac?

The program or app becomes unresponsive

The system starts running slowly The system becomes frozen. The loading of the app or program slow

How to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac

We use the Ctrl-Alt-Delete command on Windows if we have to face the situation, but on Mac, you can use any of the following to quit from the program;

Method1: Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac

Using keyboard shortcuts for the ‘Force Quit’ option on Mac is the quickest and best alternative to the Ctrl-Alt-Delete option. Here is how it works;

Open the ‘Force Quit’ menu by pressing the Command + Option + Escape keys.

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It will open the Force Quit windows with the list of all programs and apps.

Select your required app or program and click on the Force Quit option.

Method 2: Use Dock to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac

Open Dock on your system, and locate the app or program you want to quit.

Click the icon of the app to open the contextual menu.

From the bottom of the contextual menu select the ‘Quit’ option.

You can alternatively use the Alt-Option keys to ‘Force Quit’.

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Method 3: Use Apple Menu to Ctrl-Alt-Delete

Click on the Apple logo from the top left of the screen.

Select the ‘Force Quit’ option and a pop-up menu will appear.

Select your required app or program from the list.

Click on the ‘Force Quit’ option.

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Method 4: Use Activity Monitor to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac

Activity Monitor in macOS offers services the same as Task Manager in Windows. It manages your apps, programs, and processes. It displays any running program in a separate window. You can check your unresponsive apps easily using the Activity Monitor.

Go to the Finder app, and click on the Applications option from the side pane.

Select Utilities to open the Activity Monitor.

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Select your required program or app from the list of installed apps.

Click on the X button from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Click on the Force Quit option.

Method 5: Use Terminal to Ctrl-Alt-Delete

 Go to the Finder app, and click on the Applications option from the side pane.

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Select Utilities to open the Terminal.

Enter the following command and hit the Enter key.

top

Locate your required unresponsive app, and note down its PID number.

Next, enter the given command and hit the Enter key.

    q

Enter the following command and hit the Enter key.

   Kill (type PID number while replacing 111).

Method 6: Restart your Mac to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on the Mac

Click on the Apple menu from the top of the screen.

Select the Restart option, and deselect the re-open window option to avoid auto-opening the unresponsive app.

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Or you can force a shutdown by pressing the Power button, and holding it down until the computer shuts down by itself.

Method 7: Use CleanMyMac X to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac

CleanMyMac X is a freeware utility to offers multiple services for Mac. It offers the CleanMyMac Menu tool that you can use to quit unresponsive apps. Here is how it works;

Go to the official website of CleanMyMac X and install it on your computer.

Launch the program, and select the iMac icon from the top menu bar.

Click the icon and open the Menu.

You will find limitless running processes of your system here.

Select your required app or program, and Force Quite while following the on-screen instructions.

How to Recover Deleted Files

When we use the Force Quit option to get out from any unresponsive app, or even from our frozen system. It can cause some damage to our system such as we could lose some important files. If you have been struck in confusion like this, don’t worry, we also have the solution for you. It is Disk Drill, one of the most authentic backup tools for recovering your lost material. Follow the steps given;

Go to the official website of Disk Drill, and install it by following the on-screen instructions.

Launch the app, and go to the main screen.

From the left side pane, click on the Storage Devices option.

Select Mac’s drive from the drop-down menu.

Click on the Search for lost data option.

Click on the Review found items after completing the scanning process.

Click the box next to the file you want to restore.

Click on the Recover button when the file is opened.

Click on the OK button after selecting the destination for saving the file.

How to Avoid Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac

Here we will mention some simple tips and tricks for your ease to avoid the irritating process of Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac;

  • Update your Mac and apps on time. Because a late updating process can cause instability and threats of malware or hackers.
  • Apply the Restart option commonly, especially after updating process. It will give a fresh start to your applications.
  • Use a disk cleaner such as Disk Drill for removing all unnecessary material from your Mac to keep it clean and clear.

Bottom Lines

So friends, you don’t show any confusion or hurry in case of frozen of your system. Simply select any method from the list aforementioned, and apply it. You need only to follow all step-by-step instructions, and everything will be all right.

FAQs

Q: What is easy and quick way to perform Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac?

Keyboard shortcuts Command + Option + Escape are the easy and quick way to Force Quit on your system.

Q: How to Ctrl-Alt-Delete on Mac to change password?

Press FN + Control + Option + Delete keys from your keyboard to change the password on a Mac Remote Desktop.

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