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HomeSystem TutorialMACHow to fix force quit not working on Mac

Mac systems allow multiple applications to be opened at the same time and ready to use at any time. However, depending on the performance of your Mac, opening 5 apps simultaneously is very different from opening 15 apps. It is generally recommended to keep the number of open applications to a minimum so that the Mac can allocate all its resources to those applications.

You can press Command Q key to exit any application on your Mac. If the app is stuck or cannot exit, you can force it out by right-clicking on the Dock icon and selecting "Force Exit".

Another way to force exit the application is to open the "Force exit application" window, which you can press Option Command Esc Do this by clicking the Apple icon in the menu bar and selecting "Force Exit...". There you can select any open application and click "Force Exit".

How to fix force quit not working on Mac

Sometimes, you may find that the forced exit feature on your Mac doesn't work as expected. Why does this happen and how to solve it?

Why does force exit not work?

If you see a rotating hourglass icon because an app stops responding and you cannot use the force exit option for the Mac above, it means that the app or utility is affecting other areas of the Mac. You may see your Mac slow down and even stop responding altogether. This is why finding a stronger “force” forced exit method is so important.

But why does force exit on Mac sometimes not work?

  • Your Mac may have insufficient memory
  • Errors in the application have spread throughout the system
  • Applications are incompatible with macOS
  • The CPU is not enough to handle the request (because other applications consume most of the CPU)

Solutions to the problem of force exit on Mac not working

There are several ways to override the error where forced exit does not work. You can use third-party applications (recommended). Alternatively, you can use Activity Monitor or Terminal commands. We'll look at these three methods.

Smart alternative to forced exit

If you want a powerful one-click Mac forced exit feature, you should try QuitAll.

QuitAll is a useful menu bar utility that makes it easy to exit a specific application, and even quits all applications at once for a full reset. You can even use Control Option Esc Shortcut keys to call the application and use Control Option Command Q Shortcut keys to force quit all applications - it's like restarting without restarting your Mac. The app's menu also shows how much CPU is consumed per application, so you don't have to turn on Activity Monitor.

How to fix force quit not working on Mac

Another powerful solution for unresponsive applications - CleanMyMac X.

CleanMyMac X is the most powerful system optimizer for Mac. It features a variety of one-click scanning features, from malware to junk file removal to privacy checks, which can help you keep your Mac at its best with ease. Additionally, you can completely uninstall and update applications, smash files, clean hard-to-reach areas of your Mac, and more.

To force exit from an application, CleanMyMac X provides a powerful menu bar monitor that tells you which applications consume the most CPU and allows you to exit them with one click.

To fix the error where forced exit does not work using CleanMyMac X:

  1. Click CleanMyMac's menu bar icon
  2. Select CPU
  3. Exit any frozen or unresponsive application

How to fix force quit not working on Mac

How to use Activity Monitor to exit an application that cannot be forced to exit

If you want to use built-in system tools to resolve forced exit errors, you can start with Activity Monitor, a utility that tracks all the important Mac system information.

Here is how to force exit from your Mac using Activity Monitor:

  1. Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities
  2. In the CPU tab, find the process associated with the frozen application
  3. Click the Stop icon
  4. Select "Force Exit"

How to fix force quit not working on Mac

How to use the terminal to stop an application that cannot be exited

The most powerful option to force exit on a Mac is to use a terminal. Since doing wrong actions in the terminal can break the way your Mac works, we recommend you try the above options.

However, if the other methods don't work, here's how to fix the problem of forced exit on your Mac using the terminal:

  1. Start the terminal from Applications > Utility
  2. enter ps -ax And press Enter to view all running processes on your Mac
  3. Find unresponsive applications by scanning a list of rows starting with /Applications/
  4. Note the PID number in the left column
  5. enter kill PID , replace the PID with the number you just recorded
  6. Press Enter

How to fix force quit not working on Mac

Forced exit on Mac is not working

The last way we recommend to fix an application that cannot be forced to exit is to restart your Mac—it's that simple. Simply go to the Apple menu icon and click Reboot, or manually restart your Mac by holding down the power button. When you restart your Mac, it forces exit and resets all processes, which will most likely solve the problem you encountered in the first place. The only reason to avoid restarting your Mac is the fear of losing any unsaved work - then absolutely rely on the tips above first.

Try using QuitAll to force exit any or all applications via shortcut keys. Monitor Mac performance and exit any application using CleanMyMac's menu bar information center. Use Activity Monitor as the default Mac tool to force exit the application, or try using a terminal as a last resort.

Most importantly, QuitAll and CleanMyMac X are available for free for seven days through the trial version of Setapp, a platform with over 240 carefully selected applications for Mac and iOS. You can find the best version of anything on Setapp, from the Screenshot app (CleanShot X) to the Menu Bar Organizer (Bartender). Try each Setapp application for free and save your favorites!

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