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Asked: 2024-09-22T01:23:25+05:30 In:

How can I terminate a running process on macOS? I’m looking for the most effective methods to achieve this.

Hey everyone!

I’m having a bit of a tough time with my Mac. There’s this stubborn process that’s been running for way too long, and I really need to terminate it to free up some system resources. I’ve tried a couple of things, but nothing seems to work. I’m curious to know: what are the most effective methods you all have used to terminate a running process on macOS?

If you have any tips, tricks, or steps that have worked for you, I’d really appreciate your input. Thanks in advance!

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    3 Answers



    1. Terminate a Stubborn Process on macOS

      How to Terminate a Stubborn Process on macOS

      Hi there!

      I totally understand your frustration with that stubborn process. Here are some effective methods I’ve used to terminate processes on macOS:

      1. Using Activity Monitor

      1. Open Activity Monitor by searching for it in Spotlight (press Command + Space and type “Activity Monitor”).
      2. Look for the process you want to terminate in the list.
      3. Select the process, then click the stop sign icon (usually located in the top left).
      4. Choose Quit to attempt a graceful termination, or Force Quit if that doesn’t work.

      2. Using Terminal

      1. Open Terminal (you can find it in Applications > Utilities, or search in Spotlight).
      2. Type ps aux to see a list of all running processes.
      3. Find the process you want to terminate and note its PID (the number in the second column).
      4. Use the command kill -9 PID, replacing PID with the actual process ID. This forges an immediate termination.

      3. Using Force Quit

      1. Press Command + Option + Escape to bring up the Force Quit Applications window.
      2. Select the troublesome application.
      3. Click on Force Quit.

      4. Restarting Your Mac

      If all else fails and the process is still running, a simple restart might be the most effective solution. This will clear out any running processes and free up system resources.

      I hope these tips help you out! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!







    2. How to Terminate a Process on macOS

      How to Terminate a Stubborn Process on macOS

      Hey there!

      I totally understand how frustrating it is to deal with a stubborn process on your Mac. Here are some methods that you can try to terminate that pesky process:

      Method 1: Use Activity Monitor

      1. Open Activity Monitor. You can find it in the Applications folder, under Utilities.
      2. In the Activity Monitor window, look for the process that’s giving you trouble. You can use the search bar at the top right to make it easier.
      3. Select the process by clicking on it.
      4. Click the “X” button in the top left corner of the Activity Monitor window.
      5. Choose “Quit” or “Force Quit” to terminate the process.

      Method 2: Use Terminal

      1. Open Terminal. You can find it in the Applications folder, under Utilities.
      2. Type top and press Enter. This will show all the running processes.
      3. Find the PID (Process ID) of the process you want to terminate. It’s usually a number in the left column.
      4. Press q to exit the top view.
      5. Now, type kill [PID] (replace [PID] with the actual number) and press Enter. This will try to terminate the process.
      6. If that doesn’t work, you can force terminate it by typing kill -9 [PID].

      Method 3: Restart Your Mac

      If all else fails, a simple restart can sometimes clear up stubborn processes. Just save your work and restart your Mac.

      I hope one of these methods helps you out! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Good luck!


    3. “`html

      Terminating a stubborn process on macOS can be accomplished through several effective methods. First, the Activity Monitor app is a powerful tool that allows you to view and manage processes running on your machine. Open Activity Monitor from the Applications > Utilities folder, locate the process that is giving you trouble, and click on the “X” button in the top-left corner of the window. This provides an option to “Quit” or “Force Quit” the application, with the latter being suitable for processes that are unresponsive.

      Another method at your disposal is the Terminal, which offers a more hands-on approach. You can use the `kill` command followed by the process ID (PID) to terminate the process. First, find the PID by executing the command ps aux | grep [process_name] where [process_name] is the name of the process. Once you have the PID, use kill [PID] to terminate it gracefully or kill -9 [PID] for a forceful termination if the process remains persistent. Additionally, if you’re comfortable with scripting, consider automating the process termination using a shell script, giving you a straightforward control over recurring issues.

      “`

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