How to Use Control-Alt-Delete on a Mac

A key combination on a keyboard refers to pressing two or more keys simultaneously to perform a specific task or function. For instance, in the Windows operating system, pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete together allows you to force quit applications, restart your computer, or log in, among other things.

However, the keyboard shortcuts used in Windows or Linux do not perform the same function on a Mac. So, which key combination should you use to force quit an application on a Mac? Read on to find out.

What does “Control Alt Delete” mean?

Ctrl-Alt-Delete is a keyboard shortcut that is used to force the termination of a running program. In the Windows operating system, this key combination was first introduced in Windows 95. It allows users to view the status of all currently running programs and terminate any of them if necessary.

Pressing all three keys simultaneously can be used to end a program or reset a Windows operating system. This is a common troubleshooting technique, useful when a running software causes the computer to freeze and cannot be manually closed. The shortcut forces the termination of the unresponsive program.

The alternative key combination for "Control Alt Delete" on a Mac is "Command + Option + Escape." This will open the Force Quit Applications window, allowing you to force quit unresponsive programs.

In macOS, the Ctrl key is referred to as Command, and Alt is called Option. The equivalent of "Ctrl + Alt + Delete" on a Mac is "Command + Option + Escape." Here are the steps in detail:

Step 1: Press the “Command,” “Option,” and “Escape” keys at the same time.

Step 2: The Force Quit window will appear on your screen.

Step 3: Now select the program you want to force-quit.

Now let's look at some native ways to force quit apps.

Force quit from the menu bar:

Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen.

Step 2: Click on "Force Quit..." from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Select the troublesome app, then click "Force Quit" in the window that appears.

Force Quit via the Dock

Step 1. Right-click the app you want to close in the Dock.

Step 2: The "Force Quit" option should appear; click it to force the program to close.

There are many other keyboard shortcuts on the Mac.

As an extra tip, here's a list of some other common keyboard shortcuts for the Mac:

• Command + A: Select All items
• Command + C: Copy to clipboard (also works for files in Finder)
• Command + V: Paste from clipboard (also works for files in Finder)
• Command + S: Save current document
• Command + P: Print current document
• Command + F: Open Find window
• Shift + Command + G: Go back to previous location
• Command + Delete: Move selection to Trash
• Shift + Command + Delete: Empty Trash
• Option + Shift + Command + Delete: Empty Trash without confirmation dialog

How to Recover a File Deleted with a Shortcut on a Mac

There may be times when you delete some files using the Shift+Delete shortcut, and then realize that you need to get them back. Is there any way to recover deleted files? Yes, there is!

1. Files deleted using Command (⌘) + Delete

Using the Command (⌘) + Delete shortcut moves the file to the Trash. You can restore trashed files by following these steps:

Step 1: Click the Trash icon and open it.

Step 2: Preview the deleted files or folders and select the items you want to recover.

Step 3: Right-click the file you want to recover. A drop-down menu will appear.

Step 4: Click “Restore” to put the item back.

2. Files deleted using Option + Command (⌘) + Delete

If you used the Option+Command(⌘)+Delete shortcut, unfortunately, the files will bypass the Trash and be removed permanently. This means that you cannot use the Pull from Trash method to get them back. In this case, we advise you not to do anything and use a data recovery tool immediately, such as the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is software that scans and recovers deleted or lost data in three steps, in just two minutes. It can retrieve data permanently erased from the Trash, or files from damaged or formatted hard drives, partitions, or SD cards, and the like.

If you haven't lost too much data, the free version will suffice, as Data Recovery Wizard for Mac allows users to recover up to 2GB for free. You can upgrade to the pro version at a reasonable price if you want to lift the recovery limit.

Step 1: Select the scanning location

Launch the All-in-One Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and select the hard drive, SSD, SD card, USB flash drive, or TF card from where you lost your data. Click “Search Lost Files” to start scanning.

Note: Before data recovery, it's recommended that you click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to back up your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Filter Lost Mac Data

The software will automatically scan for lost data on your MacBook or iMac. Once the scan is complete, you can filter the required data using the "Type" and "Path" buttons.

Step 3: Recover Lost Data or Files

Preview the files and then click on the “Recover” button to restore the lost data to another location.

Conclusions

In this article, we discuss what keyboard shortcuts are and how to use the alternative for Ctrl+Alt+Delete on a Mac. The useful shortcut Command + Option + Escape comes in handy when your Mac is frozen or an application is unresponsive, as it allows you to force quit apps.

However, there is a risk involved with using this shortcut. Since it forces the application to stop, any unsaved changes might be lost or corrupted. Nevertheless, it's a useful shortcut to know and should only be used when necessary.