Many users who have converted from Windows to Mac computers are often left wondering as to what is the Task Manager equivalent on a Mac and how to open it. In this article, we will be showing you how to open and use Task manager on Mac.
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Mac Equivalent of Task Manager
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The Task Manger on a Windows Computer is used to quit applications, whenever an application or program gets stuck or freezes on a Windows Computer.
Activity Monitor is the Mac’s version or the equivalent of Task Manager as found in Windows Computers. Similar to the Task Manager, Activity Monitor provides the details of the CPU or the Memory being used by Apps and services on your Mac.
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While the episodes of Apps and native Services freezing on a Mac are fewer compared to Windows Computers, Mac also provides a dedicated Force Quit Applications Manager, in addition to the Activity Monitor.
In case you do come across any App getting stuck on your Mac, you can make use of Force Quit Applications Manager to quit the offending App or make use of the Activity Manager to see more details about this app.
Open Task Manager On Mac
As mentioned above the Mac equivalent of Task Manger is known as Activity Manager and it provides detailed information about how much CPU, Memory, etc. an application or process is using up on your Mac.
1. Click on the Finder icon (Happy Face) from the left corner of the Dock on your Mac
2. On the next screen, click on Applications from the side menu (See image below)
3. In the Applications Folder, click on the Utilities Folder and open it (See image above)
4. In the Utilities Folder, click on Activity Monitor (which is usually the first item in the list)
5. On the next screen (Activity Monitor), you will be able to see the details of CPU being used by all the Apps and Services running on your Mac.
Pin Activity Monitor to Dock on Mac
You can avoid the long way of Opening Activity Monitor on your Mac by pinning the Activity Monitor to the Dock Bar.
1. Once you open the Activity Monitor on your Mac using above steps, it will be visible on the Dock Bar. Simply Right Click on the Activity Monitor icon in the Dock to launch a Menu (See image below)
2. Next, hover your mouse over Options and then click on Keep in Dock option in the side menu that appears (See image above).
From now on you will see the Activity Monitor Icon pinned to the Dock on your Mac and you will be able to access the Activity Monitor by simply clicking on its icon on the Dock.
How to Use Task Manager on Mac
Below is a short guide on how to use the Mac equivalent of Task Manager, known as the Activity Monitor on your Mac.
1. View CPU, Memory and Other System Resources Being Used on your Mac
Once you open Activity Monitor on you Mac, you will see a screen with five Tabs – CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk and Network (See image below).
CPU – Clicking on the CPU tab provides you information about the amount of CPU being used by the various Applications on your Mac.
Memory – Clicking on the Memory tab allows you to see the amount of Memory being used by the Apps and System Programs on your Mac. You will see the Apps using the highest Memory at the top of the list (See image below)
The Memory tab also provides a totals chart at the bottom, displaying an overview of the total Memory usage on your Mac.
Energy – Tapping on this tab will bring up the Energy Usage by the Apps and processes on your Mac. The Apps using the most energy (battery) in the last 8 hours or since your Mac has started up will be listed at the top.
At the bottom of the screen you will see how much battery is left, how long the battery is expected to last and how many hours has the battery been used for.
Disk – Tapping on the Disk tab will show you the amount of data that each application or process has read from your disk and written to your disk.
At the bottom of the Disk tab you will see the total amount of data read and total amount of data written by the disk including all processes and apps.
Network – Tapping on the Network tab will show you how much data each process is sending and receiving over your internet connection.
At the bottom, you will see the total amount of data received and total amount of data sent by your Mac computer.
View Info About an Application or Process
The Activity Monitor also allows you to view additional information about Application and Processes on your Mac.
1. Click on the Application or the process that you want to view more information about.
2. Next, click on the i button from the top left corner of the Activity Monitor window (See image below)
3. A window will pop-up showing you more information about the application or process.
Force Quit Applications in Activity Monitor
Follow the steps below to Force Quit Applications using the Activity Monitor on your Mac
1. Once you have opened the Activity Monitor on your Mac, click on the Application that you want to Force Quit (See image below)
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2. Next, click on the x button, located near the top left corner of the Activity Monitor window (See image above)
3. You may see a pop-up asking you to confirm that you do want to Quit the App. Click on Force Quit option in the pop-up to quit this App.
Ctrl + Alt + Delete Equivalent on Mac
In addition to the Activity Monitor, Mac computers also feature a Force Quit Applications Manager which allows you to force quit Apps.
The Force Quit Applications Manager on a Mac can be accessed by holding down Command + Option (Alt key) + Escape Keys on your Mac.
The Force Quit Applications Manager just allows you to Force Quit Apps and does not provide details like how much CPU or memory an application is using.
You will find below the steps to use Force Quit Applications Manager.
Open Force Quit Applications Manager on Mac
If your primary goal is to only Force Quit an application on your Mac and you do not care about how much CPU or Memory the application is using up, then you should make use of the Force Quit Applications Manager to perform this task.
There are 2 ways to open the Force Quit Application manager on your Mac
1. Click on the Apple icon in the top menu-bar on your Mac and then click on Force Quit… Option (See image below)
2. On the Force Quit Applications screen, click on the Application Name that you want to quit and then click on the Force Quit button (See image below).
3. Next, you will see a pop-up asking you to confirm that you do want to Force Quit this app. Click on Force Quit to quit this application.
In case an application is active, you can Force Quit the Application by clicking on the Apple icon in the top-menu bar of your Mac and then clicking on Force Quit (Application Name) from the drop-down menu (See image below).
Note: You can also use the Command + Alt + Esc key combination to launch the Force Quit Application Manager on your Mac.
Dec 21, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Mac's impressive library of apps gives you everything you need but let's face it: Windows has a far larger library.
Haven't you ever come across software native to Windows which endear themselves to you? But since they all come with the EXE file extension, your Mac is incapable of running them. Well, there are workarounds to this problem and you'll learn about them today.
It's possible to safely open and run EXE files on your Mac using mediums like Boot Camp, Remote Desktop, CrossOver, Virtual Machine, and WINE, to mention the most prominent ones. And you don't need to be an expert to do this. As long as you can follow simple instructions, you're all set.
Part 1: Can You Run an EXE File on a Mac?
Yes, you can. With how innovative and creative developers have become, it was only a matter of time before they devised a means to run EXE files on Mac, even though such files are incompatible with macOS.
What's an EXE file, though? It's a file extension that denotes an executable file format. Okay, but what's an executable file? It's any file capable of being executed as a program. To put it simply, it's what makes the installation and running of software possible.
EXE files are used in a few operating systems, the most notable of them being Microsoft Windows. You can think of EXE files as the Windows version of APP files (APP files, if you're unaware, are executable files under macOS).
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Running EXE files on Mac is very possible but only through backdoor means, so to speak. You need an emulator (WINE is by far the most popular), or you install a virtual machine software on your macOS to enable you to load Windows VM or make an extra partition on your disk where you can simultaneously have both macOS and Windows in your Mac.
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Part 2: How to Open EXE Files on Mac
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Again, you have several options to choose from when attempting this. So many software out there can help you open EXE files on Mac. You are advised to go with the Parallel Desktop.
Parallel Desktop
This software is simplistic and won't take up much on your time because it doesn't even require a Mac restart anytime you wish to run a Windows application. A copy of Microsoft Windows is required though. You have to install it on your hard disk but it's easy to do:
Step 1: Windows Installation
- Open up your Mac's Application folder and double-click on the 'Parallels' icon (you have to do this to install Windows).
- Click on 'File.'
- Click on 'New.'
- Click on 'Install Windows or another OS from DVD or image file.'
- Click on 'Continue.' You can easily install Windows either from a DVD or the more popular .iso disc image; or even a bootable USB drive.
- You can even switch to the manual mode, locate the source for the Windows installation, and choose it by clicking on 'Select a file…'
- Click on 'Continue'. You will be taken to a Windows product key window.
- Leave the 'Express installation' as it is, input the key and click 'Continue.'
- You will be asked to select how you wish to use Windows: Whether for productivity, games only, software development, design, etc. Once you're done selecting, click on 'Continue.'
- Type in a name for the virtual machine and select the directory or location for the Parallels Desktop.
- Click on 'Continue' and the Windows installation will commence. All Intel-based Macs are compatible with both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows: From Windows XP to Windows 10.
- Once the installation concludes you can open up Windows by clicking on the 'Power' button in the list of the Parallels Virtual Machine.
Step 2: Using Parallels Desktop
- The very first time Windows restarts, 'Parallels Tools' will be installed. This will be what ultimately integrates your Mac with your Windows desktops. After the installation is done, you will be asked to restart Windows.
- Open up your Parallels Desktop from 'Spotlight.'
- Click on 'Virtual Machine.'
- Select 'Configure' in the drop-down menu which appears.
- Click on 'Options.'
- Click on 'Shared Folders.'
- Click on 'Add.'
- Click on 'Choose.' Doing this will add a location from your Mac's desktop to the virtual machine. Simply put any EXE file in this location to enable Windows to access and install them
Part 3: How to Run Windows APPs on Mac
The question now is not whether you want to run EXE files on your Mac, but rather how to go about it conveniently. There are countless of great Windows apps that never made it to macOS, and they probably never will. A lot of them have very attractive features that make Windows the envy of all Mac owners.
Running EXE files on Mac is made easy and convenient via Boot Camp and Remote Desktop. You can use any. It depends on preference and what you find more convenient.
Boot Camp
This application makes it possible for you to install Windows on your Mac. Switching between macOS and Windows thus becomes a matter of you restarting your system and deciding which OS to log into.
Step 1: Windows Installation File
- Boot Camp is compatible with Windows 8,8.1. and 10 (you will need an ISO file of any of these three releases).
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Step 2: Launch Your Mac's Utilities folder
- Type in 'Utilities' in your Mac's search bar, then click it.
Step 3: Launch Boot Camp Assistant
- The app's icon looks like a grey hard drive. Click it.
Step 4: On-screen Instructions
- You will be instructed to choose the Windows ISO, the drive you intend to install it on, and restart your Mac.
Step 5: Your Mac Will Restart
- Once you're done setting up Boot Camp, you will be asked to restart Mac.
- After that, you will be taken to the Windows installer screen.
Step 6: Install Windows
- Follow the instructions to install the version of Windows you chose.
Step 7: Startup Manager
- Once the install has been completed, your system will restart. Press and hold the 'Option' key while this happens and the 'Startup Manager' will appear.
- Let go of the 'Option' key and you will see all the drives you can boot your Mac from.
Step 8: Boot Camp
- Select 'Boot Camp' and click on 'Return'.
- Your Mac will now be loaded into Windows.
- Navigate to your EXE file and run it.
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Remote Desktop
This free tool does what many others fail at: lets you take full advantage of your Windows apps from your Mac. That's pretty convenient, don't you agree? Even though you'll need Mac and PC to use the Remote Desktop, it's still a great software that deserves praise. Here's how you use it:
Step 1: Get Your PC Ready
- Open the start menu and navigate to 'Settings', then 'System', then 'Remote Desktop.'
- Turn 'Enable Remote Desktop' on and 'Confirm.'
Step 2: Know Your IP Address & PC Name
- Still on the 'Remote Desktop' menu, and below the 'How to connect to this PC', jot down your PC name.
- Go to your 'Settings', then 'Network & Internet'.
- Click 'Wi-Fi' and select the network you're connected to. This will bring up the network connection properties screen. At the bottom of the page is your 'IPv4 address'. Jot it down.
Step 3: Install the Mac Version of Microsoft Remote Desktop
- Pick up your Mac and open up your Mac App Store, then search for 'Microsoft Remote Desktop.'
- Download and install it.
Step 4: Open Add Your PC to Remote Desktop
- Open up Remote Desktop on your Mac.
- Click on 'Add Desktop.'
- A dialogue box will pop up. Type in the PC Name you jotted down; if it doesn't work, type in the IP address.
- Click 'Save'.
Step 5: You Can Now Connect
- Keep your PC turned on and make sure it is connected to the network your Mac is connected to.
- Remote Desktop will now show your computer below 'Saved Desktops.'
- Double-click on it to connect.
- You will be required to enter your username and password.
- Click 'OK.'
- A security warning will pop up. Since you're on a private network, ignore the warning and click 'Continue.'
- That's the last step. You can now view and use your Windows on your Mac via Remote Desktop.
Closing Words
Well, there you have it. Running your EXE files via your Mac is now a thing of the past. As long as you have the right tools, you can do it in a matter of minutes.
These tools make your Mac more versatile than even Apple intended and anticipated because they enable you to go beyond what your Mac is capable of doing. You can achieve an end goal that would have otherwise been impossible. That's the power of a Mac for you.
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