This article shows you how to force shutdown a Mac. This is a quick way to shut down the system without having to use the mouse or trackpad. This method should only be used in critical situations, for example when the operating system is blocked and no longer responds to commands or in the presence of a malfunction. If after performing a forced shutdown the problem persists, refer to the last section of the article to find solutions to the most common problems.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Force Shutdown any Mac Model
Step 1. Be aware that forcibly shutting down a Mac can cause a variety of problems
If there are any programs running while the computer is shutting down, they will be closed instantly, so all unsaved data will be lost. In some more serious cases, the forced shutdown of the system can cause corruption of the files related to the running programs.
To prevent this from happening, try closing all running programs in a controlled manner before shutting down your Mac
Step 2. Locate the Mac's "Power" on / off button
Most Macs have a physical on and off button with the following symbol
that you will need to use to forcefully shut down your computer:
- MacBook without Touch Bar - the "Power" button is located at the top right of the computer keyboard;
- MacBook equipped with Touch Bar - the "Power" button is located inside the "Touch ID" section on the far right of the Touch Bar;
- iMac - The "Power" button is located at the bottom left of the computer screen.
Step 3. Press and hold the "Power" button
Once you have located the position of the "Power" button, hold it down for 5 seconds.
Step 4. After 5 seconds, release the "Power" button
At this point the Mac should shut down.
If a pop-up window appears asking you to confirm your action, it means that you have not pressed the "Power" button for the indicated time
Step 5. Wait at least one minute before turning your Mac back on
This will give your computer time to shut down completely before the next reboot.
Method 2 of 3: Force Shutdown a Locked Mac
Step 1. Determine the severity of the situation
If your Mac is completely frozen and no longer responding to any commands or if you can only move the mouse pointer, skip the next two steps.
If you still have the ability to interact with some elements on your computer screen, you can try to locate the program that is causing the problem and stop it manually (either controlled or forcibly)
Step 2. Try to force quit the program that is causing the problem
If your Mac crashed after opening a specific application, you can try to forcefully stop the program in question by following these instructions to solve the problem:
- Press the key combination ⌘ Command + ⌥ Option + Esc to display the "Force Quit" dialog box;
- Select the program you want to stop;
- Push the button Forced exit placed at the bottom of the window;
- If prompted, press the button again Forced exit.
Step 3. Try to save all your data
If you have tried to forcefully shut down the program that is causing the problem, but have not been successful, save the unsaved data of all programs that are running and still responding to your commands. Normally it is possible to do this by simply pressing the key combination ⌘ Command + S while the window of the program in question is active.
- Since force shutdown of the Mac also causes all running programs to close immediately, unsaved data will be lost.
- Many programs such as those belonging to the Microsoft Office suite of products come with an automatic user data backup feature, so when your Mac restarts you will have the option to restore all the files you were working on at the time the problem.
Step 4. Locate the Mac's "Power" on / off button
Most Macs have a physical on and off button with the following symbol
that you will need to use to forcefully shut down your computer:
- MacBook without Touch Bar - the "Power" button is located at the top right of the computer keyboard;
- MacBook equipped with Touch Bar - the "Power" button is located inside the "Touch ID" section on the far right of the Touch Bar;
- iMac - The "Power" button is located at the bottom left of the computer screen.
Step 5. Press and hold the "Power" button
Once you have located the location of the "Power" button, hold it down until the screen turns off.
Step 6. Release the "Power" button as soon as the Mac screen turns off
This means that the computer has been shut down successfully.
It may take up to a minute to complete the shutdown process, so make sure there is no more sound or noise coming from your Mac before continuing
Step 7. Restart your Mac after one minute has elapsed
To restart your computer, simply press the "Power" button. At the end of the boot phase, your Mac should work normally.
If after you forcefully shut down your Mac and restart it, the problem persists, refer to this section of the article
Method 3 of 3: Troubleshoot Forced System Shutdown
Step 1. Start your Mac in safe mode
If after performing a forced reboot the computer continues to freeze, restart it again, then hold down the ⇧ Shift key as soon as the screen turns off and release it when you see the Apple logo appear. The Mac will start in safe mode and will attempt to automatically repair the problems on the hard drive.
Many of the applications on the Mac cannot be used in safe mode. Follow the instructions in the next two steps, then restart your Mac as normal
Step 2. Disable programs from running automatically on Mac startup
In safe mode, autorun programs do not start after the Mac is turned on. To disable autorun for one or more programs, follow these instructions:
-
Access the menu Apple clicking the icon
Macapple1 and choose the option System Preferences;
- Click the icon Users and Groups;
- Select your user account from the box on the left of the window that appeared;
- Access the card Login elements;
- Select the program that is causing the problem;
- Press the - button below the box where the list of autorun programs is displayed.
Step 3. Uninstall the program that is causing the problem
If you've found that a specific application is causing your Mac to keep freezing, uninstall it (and try reinstalling it if you need to) to fix the problem. Follow these instructions:
-
Open a Finder window by clicking the icon
Macfinder2 ;
- Select the folder Applications (alternatively access the menu Go and choose the option Applications from the list that will appear);
- Find the program that is causing your Mac to freeze;
- Drag the icon of the selected program into the system recycle bin.
Step 4. Repair the logical structure of the disk
If the problem persists and therefore does not appear to be caused by a specific app or program, follow these instructions to perform the automatic disk repair:
- Restart the computer and hold down the key combination ⌘ Command + R during the boot phase;
- Select the option Disk Utility from the dialog box MacOS utility;
- Push the button Continues;
- Select the boot drive and press the button Repair disk;
- Wait for the automatic repair process to finish (this may take some time), then restart your Mac.
Step 5. Reset the SMC of the Mac
The disk management controller or SMC (English "System Management Controller") is in charge of managing many of the physical components of your Mac. A problem with the computer's SMC can cause the Mac's "Power" button to malfunction. more generally, it can cause a drop in system performance. If none of the above solutions solved the problem, try resetting the SMC of the Mac by following these instructions:
- Laptop with built-in battery - turn off your computer and connect it to the mains using the battery charger. Using the left side of the keyboard, hold down the key combination ⇧ Shift + Control + ⌥ Option while pressing the "Power" button. Release all indicated keys, then press the "Power" button again to start the Mac.
- Laptop with a removable battery - turn off your Mac. Disconnect it from the power supply and charger, then remove the battery from its bay. At this point, press and hold the "Power" button for 5 seconds. After the indicated time has elapsed, release the "Power" button, reinstall the battery in its compartment and connect the Mac to the mains. At the end of the procedure press the "Power" button to start the computer.
- Desktop - turn off your iMac and unplug it from the mains. Wait 15 seconds, then plug it back in. Wait another 5 seconds and press the "Power" button to boot the system.
Advice
- Holding down the ⌥ Option + Control + ⌘ Command key combination while pressing the "Power" shutdown button will instruct the Mac operating system to try to shut down any programs that are still running in a controlled manner before shutting down the computer.
- If the mouse cursor turns into a multicolored spherical shape and rotates on itself, it might be worth waiting a few minutes to see if the Mac can successfully finish the operations that are causing the problem. If your Mac is equipped with a mechanical hard drive and you hear the classic noise emitted by the reading arms moving and the magnetic platters rotating, it is another sign that the computer is working intensively (on the contrary if the Mac is equipped with SSD drive you will not hear any noise). In this case it is good to wait to see if the operating system can solve the problem on its own.
- If you have connected a normal external keyboard to your Mac (the ones that are usually found on Windows computers to be clear) you will need to use the alt="Image" key in place of the ⌥ Option key and the ⊞ Win key instead of the ⌘ Command key.
