Having problems typing “Control-Alt-Delete” (also sometimes abbreviated as “Ctrl+Alt+Del”) in your Windows virtual machine on your Mac®? This article has everything you need to know about entering this important Windows shortcut.

You can use a VMware Fusion command to send the Ctrl-Alt-Delete keystroke combination to a Windows virtual machine. On a full-sized Mac keyboard, press Fwd Del+Ctrl+Option. The Forward Delete key is below the Help key. On a Mac laptop keyboard, press Fn+Ctrl+Option+Delete. Related tasks. Send Special Key Commands to a Windows or Linux. The third way to do the equivalent of control alt delete on a Mac keyboard is to click on the Apple menu and select Force Quit. This will bring up the Force Quit dialog box and you can select the unresponsive app from there. In my case the Control key was working, but the Alt and Delete keys didn’t work, even using the Fn key. I had to sacrifice two Mac keys to replace them with Alt and Delete.The Command key was acting as Windows key, so I made the left Windows key the new left Alt key. And of course, I sacrificed the Delete key which was acting as Backspace.I just swapped its function from Backspace to Delete.

See also: How to press Alt Key on Mac and other Windows shortcuts

Since I have already admitted one character flaw on this blog (font addiction), I might as well fess up about another: key combos. Unlike fonts—which I can’t get enough of—key combos are something that I just don’t use much at all. While they are speedy, they’re cumbersome, often require two hands, and for me, are hard to remember. I would much rather use a button on the Ribbon or choose a menu item than use a key combo.

So I’m rather fortunate that an extremely common key combo used in Windows, “Control-Alt-Delete,” has a menu alternative in Parallels Desktop® for Mac.

Sidebar: Why is “Control-Alt-Delete” so important in Windows?

“Control-Alt-Delete” is the ultimate non-hackable Windows control. (At least Microsoft hopes so and put in a great deal engineering work to make this true.) “Control-Alt-Delete” is used to get the log-on screen so that you can be sure you’re not being spoofed and your password is not being stolen. “Control-Alt-Delete” is also used to kill off an application that has hung or is otherwise running amok. There is no direct analog to “Control-Alt-Delete” on the Mac.

If you use a virtual machine in the Window view, just click on the reveal triangle in the window’s title bar to show the very useful status icons. (See Figure 1.)

(Figure 1.)

Then whenever you need “Control-Alt-Delete” in a Windows VM, click on the little keyboard status icon to see the many menu item equivalents of key combos. Since it’s so commonly used in Windows, “Control-Alt-Delete” is at the top of the menu. (See Figure 2.) No finger gymnastics needed.

(Figure 2.)

You don’t use Window View? If you use Coherence View, then just use the || menu in the Mac menu bar, as shown in Figure 3.

(Figure 3.)

You don’t use Window or Coherence view? If you use Full Screen view, then do the same thing as in Coherence after first moving your mouse cursor to the top edge of the screen in order to make the Mac menu bar appear, as shown in Figure 4.

(Figure 4.)

Use Picture-in-Picture view? Access to the keyboard menu is just the same as in Coherence.

Of course, if you are a finger gymnast, you can always enter “Control-Alt-Delete” with the same three-finger salute as PC users.

I hope this helps Mac users when they need to type “Control-Alt-Delete.”

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If you’ve used Windows you know that Ctrl + Alt + Delete—now “Ctrl + Shift + Delete“—is what you do when things aren’t going as expected. Like when you go to launch a program and you get a never-ending loading bar. Or when you’re browsing a webpage and the entire browser locks up. Or when nothing works right because you’re using a Windows PC and not a Mac.

But truth be told, even our shiny iMacs and our unibody MacBooks experience some not-so-smooth sailing. On a Windows PC you press three magic buttons to access the Task Manager. Here you can view running applications and processes and end them. But where are the three magic buttons on a Mac?

How to Ctrl Alt Delete on Mac

Turns out they are there—three magic buttons just like Windows. Command + Option (Alt) + Esc.

Pressing these three buttons simultaneously opens the “Force Quit Applications” window. Here you’ll see all your running applications and a button that says “Force Quit.”

Simply select the application(s) you want to go nuclear on and click “Force Quit.” Your Mac will take care of the rest.

Pro Tip: You can close multiple apps at once. To select a range of apps hold shift and click the starting and ending apps in the list. To select individual apps, hold command and select the apps you want to close. Then just click “Force Quit.”

Task Manager for Mac

Of course Windows also lets you view running processes in the Task Manager. What about Mac? Because Mac is Unix-based you could fire up the Terminal app. Or you could save yourself some work and open the Activity Monitor app.

Activity Monitor is a fantastic tool. You can view which processes are taking up the most memory, the most processing power, and even the most energy. You can also view disk and network statistics. The bottom of the window even provides a visual representation of the numbers.

If you ever hear your fan running faster than normal—or notice lag within your apps—Activity Monitor can help you identify which apps are hogging resources; and, even shut them down as needed. Just remember to be careful when closing processes and applications. Especially if you’re not sure what they do.

Click the headings to sort processes. When you want to end a process, you can use the force quit icon in the top-left of the window (it looks like a stop sign with an “x” in it). Just select the process you want to end and click that force quit icon.

Of course there’s always more than one way to bake a cake. In addition to Activity Monitor and the Force Quit Applications menu, you can also click and hold a non-responsive app in the dock and choose “Force Quit” from the contextual menu.

Ctrl-Alt Delete: An Origin Story

Many people think Ctrl-Alt-Delete started with Windows. Truth is it didn’t. Bill Gates adopted the shortcut from IBM. Early IBM computers utilized the keyboard shortcut to soft reboot devices. That being said, Gates has said it was a mistake and that he would’ve preferred a single button. Of course the rest of us probably just dream of a day where we don’t have to use it all.

Happy Easter

While pressing Ctrl + Alt (Option) + Delete on a Mac doesn’t do anything, you can use it in the macOS server login screen. Performing the command will present you with an Easter egg which reads “This is not DOS” before restarting the computer.

Other “Windows Shortcuts” on Mac

Here are a few other commands you might want to use that translate a little differently on macOS.

Formatting: Bold, Italic, Underline (Ctrl + B, I, or U)

Make a statement. Whether you’re using Pages or writing a quick email. Generally copying and pasting is pretty straight forward.

Command + B for bold, Command + I for italic, or Command + U for underline.

In-Browser Zoom (Ctrl + “-“ or “+”)

In Web browsers and some other applications you can zoom by holding Command and pressing either the plus (+) key to zoom in or the minus (-) key to zoom out.

In many apps—if you have a trackpad or Magic Mouse—you can use pinch-to-zoom to adjust the zoom. Usually Command + 0 will reset the zoom level.

Undo (Ctrl + Z)

Sometimes you just need to take back your last move. Many applications on Mac allow you to undo a command by pressing Command + Z.

Task Manager Mac

You may even be able to “redo” your last move by pressing Command + Shift + Z.

Copy, Cut, and Paste (Ctrl + C, X, or V)

Copying and pasting is a way of life for most people. It’s not so different on Mac. Just substitute the Command key where you see Ctrl.

Find (Ctrl + F) and Print (Ctrl + P)

Pretty much substituting any Ctrl with Command will work for most shortcuts. Command + F will let you search for words in many apps and browsers. And Command + P lets you print the current page if applicable.

Control Alt Delete For Mac Parallels

Final Thoughts

Control Alt Delete For Mac Keyboard

You’re sure to be more efficient if you can keep your Mac running smoothly and if you use shortcuts to improve your productivity.

Keep in mind, Command + Alt + Esc shouldn’t be used as a magic fix for all of your macOS problems. If you’re constantly having issues with your Mac, you may want to take a deeper look under the hood or speak with an Apple Certified Technician.

You can use Activity Monitor to help you see which apps are hogging resources and shut them down; and, if they’re apps that shouldn’t be there you may want to try removing them from your device.

As always, be careful you don’t remove system apps or other integral programs. Another way to avoid performance issues is to steer clear of malicious apps that disguise themselves as antivirus software.

Cltr Alt Delete Mac

Happy Ctrl + Alt + Delete-ing! Let us know in the comments—or on social media—what your favorite macOS shortcuts are.