How do I unfreeze my Mac from Remote Desktop?

RDC keeps freezing

Hello,

I have been able to use the RDC on my mac (MacOS Catalina) pretty smoothly now since June. However, the last couple days I have been dealing with my RDC freezing on me multiple times a day. Sometimes it happens as often as 4-5 times in a span of an hour. I'm not sure what's causing it but basically I still have control over my mouse but everything on my RDC screens are inaccessible/frozen. What I do then is force quit the RDC on my mac and log back in which takes me like 10 secs to do. I've checked my internet connection and network speed, not on a VPN, and my network connection speed doesn't seem to be the issue.

Please help.

Thank you.

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ElevenYu-MSFT · Jul 28, 2020 at 06:20 AM

Hi,

Have you checked the answer?Does it help?

And if there is any further question, please feel free to let us know.

Thanks,
Eleven

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ElevenYu-MSFT ElevenYu-MSFT · Jul 30, 2020 at 09:19 AM

Hi,

Since there is no update from you for some time, please let us know if your issue has been resolved.

If no more assistance is required, could you please help to accept our answer?

Of course, if you have further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Thanks,
Eleven

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ElevenYu-MSFT ElevenYu-MSFT · Aug 03, 2020 at 07:05 AM

Hi,

Have you checked if the answer helps?

If it helps, please do not forget to accept the answer.

Thanks,
Eleven

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Alexwhite-9135 · Aug 10, 2020 at 05:46 PM

I had the same problem 10.4.8 (I think it was 8) I have rolled back to 10.4.0 beta and this works, I have debugged this fairly well, for me if a modal dialog is presented in the RDC session it locks, so any message box that is not asking a question (yes/no) but has an ok button is enough to freeze the session, closing the session and restarting the session works, what is interesting is the button that causes the freeze closes the dialog box so when the session is restarted the box disappears.

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ElevenYu-MSFT answered • Jul 27, '20

Hi,

Please download and install the latest release of Microsoft remote desktop to see if the problem persists.
https://install.appcenter.ms/orgs/rdmacios-k2vy/apps/microsoft-remote-desktop-for-mac/distribution_groups/all-users-of-microsoft-remote-desktop-for-mac

If the problem still could not be resolved, we may need to configure below group policy on the remote desktop.

1. Local Computer policy->Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates->Windows Components->Remote Desktop Session Host->Connections->Select RDP transport protocols

1. Local Computer policy->Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates->Windows Components->Remote Desktop Session Host->Remote Session Environment->Use hardware graphics adapters for all Remote Desktop Services sessions.

Thanks,
Eleven

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luvSEARCHpl-4016 answered • Sep 17, '20

Hi Eleven,

I'm using a remote machine having Windows 10 through my local machine having the same Windows 10 on it, I'm connected through RDP. I also got the same issue, that the RDC session freezes(apart from the mouse cursor) when I use an application where 3D graphics is on based on Vulkan API. I applied your results mentioned above but still the session freezes.

Can you please help me out?

Thank you

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Lock or unlock a screen with Remote Desktop

You can lock a client computer’s screen, and then unlock it again. When you lock a screen, you can continue to perform certain administrative functions with computers using Remote Desktop after you’ve locked their screens.

When locked, a computer doesn’t accept keyboard or mouse input. By default, Remote Desktop displays a picture of a padlock on locked screens, but you can display a custom picture.

Main reasons your Mac is frozen

Macs are fairly powerful devices. But even a simple issue such as running too many programs, apps, and browser tabs can cause your Mac locking up and freezing over time. Like with any computer, when too much is stored and too many apps are fighting for CPU processing power, you're stuck with a spinning wheel, and your beloved Mac not responding to clicks and pleas.

Here are some of the main reasons Macs freeze most of the time.

• Too many apps running (this affects memory and CPU)
• Too many background processes (same)
• App crashing (even a single app crashing can seriously damage Mac’s performance)
• Sluggish browser (too many tabs open)
• Overworked email client (too many attachments)
• macOS loaded with system junk or needs an update
• Not enough free hard drive space
• Hardware problem with your disk or RAM (diagnostics required)
• Malware.

How to fix a frozen Mac

First, sigh out: don't panic, don't press every button —this won't help. In this part, we'll go over the best ways to unfreeze a Mac and prevent the issues in the future.

Force quit a frozen or unresponsive app

Apps crashing are some of the most common reasons behind a Mac freezing. Try to determine which apps cause the crash. Sometimes, an app that works in the background is at fault, so it might be hard to spot it. But start with this: when does the crash happen? If it's when you open or work in a specific app, it’s probably it.

FIX: Press Command + Option + Esc on your keyboard —this will bring up the Force Quit menu. Pick the app you want to quit and click the Force Quit button. If you have no idea which app causes the freezing, use Quit All to quit all processes, including the background ones, and see if it helps.

Uninstall or reset unresponsive apps

If you experience issues with unresponsive apps regularly, and your Mac keeps freezing because of them, force quitting is not the best solution. You’ll have to uninstall or reset those apps.

FIX: To remove apps completely, use a Mac optimizer app called CleanMyMac X, it has a specific Uninstaller module that can safely perform the task. CleanMyMac X is available with the Setapp membership, and you can use it for free during the trial period.

To uninstall apps with CleanMyMac X:

1. Open CleanMyMac X via Setapp
2. Click the Uninstaller tab
3. Find the app in question
4. Select the app and click Uninstall.

If you can’t delete the app because you need it for work or any other activities,try resetting it instead. To reset an app, repeat the first three steps with CleanMyMac X, and then right-click on the arrow near the app name, and select Reset. Resetting an app to default and cleaning up its cache can help solve the freezing.

Also, don't forget to check for the app's updates, there's a chance your problems sprout from an outdated version —CleanMyMac X has the Updater module that will help.

Quit all when too many apps are running at once

It’s possible there’s no particular app that causes all the trouble —maybe it’s just too many apps working simultaneously. Quit All will help you fix the problem in this case.

FIX: Click the Quit All icon in the menu bar > Settings > View background processes > Quit All.

If you notice your Mac freeze on startup, there could be too many apps launching with your Mac. You can get rid of those using CleanMyMac X > Optimization > Login Items & Launch Agents > Remove.

Stop demanding processes

Apple seems to be jumping over its own head, producing ever more powerful processors for Macs every year. But even the mightiest processor can be hampered by a bunch of background processes that put too much pressure on the CPU.

FIX: App Tamer can help you tame background processes automatically. It monitors CPU consumption per app and tames those processes that slow down your Mac.

Free up disk space

An overloaded drive can be an answer to the question of why my Mac keeps freezing. You can check if it's the problem by clicking the Apple icon > About this Mac > Storage. If there are not too many GB left, time to clean up.

The easy way to get rid of extra files and give your system a polish is to use CleanMyMac X. Its cleaning module is everything you want from a good app: it has a one-click solution and a bunch of semi-automated options for picking out and removing large old files.

FIX: To clean your hard drive, in CleanMyMac X, click Smart Scan > Scan, and then remove the junk that CleanMyMac X finds on your drive.

If you take a few moments to carefully clean up Large and Old files, you'll be gigabytes and gigabytes out, you can't imagine how much garbage hangs in there. From personal experience, it takes about half a year to clutter a Mac with random stuff.

1. Click Large & Old Files and click Scan.
2. Find what you'd like to remove in there.
3. Hit Remove.

Now, here are a few other app suggestions to free up more space:

Gemini — removes duplicated images and similar photos.

Dropshare — lets you quickly move files into the cloud.

Clean your desktop

A cluttered desktop can seriously slow down your Mac, and can also cause many problems. That is because every icon on your desktop is an image, not just a link, and it's redrawn each time you start your Mac.

FIX: To clean up your desktop, use Spotless app. Simply drag your files onto the Spotless pop-up drawer in your menu bar and instantly create a rule to organize them in their own folder or delete them. You can automate tidying up with Spotless rules so that all your new files at the end of the day or week get placed into their designated folders.

Try a virus scan

If you don’t see any trouble with unresponsive apps or hard drive space, there could be some kind of malware hindering your Mac’s performance.

FIX: In our beloved CleanMyMac X, navigate to Malware Removal and click Scan. If CleanMyMac X finds any malicious files, make sure you remove them right away.

Reset the SMC

The System Management Controller (SMC) is a circuit in Intel Macs, responsible for things like fan control, power management, and more. Resetting the SMC might help fix some of the Mac glitches, including freezing problems.

FIX: To reset the SMC on an Intel Mac, shut down your Mac and disconnect all peripherals except for the power cable, press and hold the power button + Shift + Control + Option for about 10 seconds. Release the keys and turn on your Mac.

On M1 Macs, you can’t reset the SMC, but some sources say you could try shutting down your Mac for 30 seconds, and then turning it back on.

Reset NVRAM

Resetting non-volatile RAM or NVRAM (formerly known as PRAM) could help, too. Again, this primarily relates to the owners of Intel Macs. M1 Macs function a bit differently — basically, the system will reset NVRAM automatically if there’s such a need —so feel free to skip this step if you have an M1 Mac.

FIX: Restart your Mac, then press and hold Command + Option + P + R, and wait for about 20 seconds. You can release the keys if you hear the startup chime for the second time, or when the Apple logo appears and disappears for the second time (on Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip).

How to retrieve lost data after a freezing issue

What if you resurrected your Mac and realized some of the files are missing? Don't worry just yet, install Disk Drill, the world's premier data recovery software for macOS. It was created for the cases when Mac crashes and you lose data, as well as when you accidentally delete files.

FIX: In Disk Drill, scan the chosen drive or partition for lost files. Once the scan is done, preview the files and restore those you need.

What to do when Mac freezes but the mouse still moves

A rare case that can signal two things: your Mac is nevertheless locked up and you can try out all the regular solutions (restart, find problematic apps, clean the hard drive) or there's a hardware problem.

There's a way you can check if the latter is the case without taking your Mac to a service store. Install iStat Menus and use its indicators to see if there's an ongoing problem with your drives or battery. Pay attention to the CPU temperature and battery life in particular.

Another way to diagnose your Mac would be to run a specific hardware test administered by Apple itself.

Run Apple Diagnostics

Preparation: disconnect all external devices except for the keyboard, mouse, display, and power cable. Put your Mac on a table or anything flat (a soft bed would be a poor choice). Shut down your Mac.

If you have an M1 Mac:

1. Turn on your Mac while holding the power button

2. Release the power button when you see the startup options screen

3. Press Command + D.

If you have an Intel Mac:

1. Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the D key

2. Release when you see the progress bar or language picker.

Upon completion of the Apple Diagnostics scan, take a look at the lower part of the window and study the results. To quit, hit Restart or Shut Down at the bottom.

How Do I Reset My Mac Desktop To Factory Settings?

To reset your Mac, first restart your computer. Then press and hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo. Next, go to Disk Utility > View > View all devices, and choose the top drive. Next, click Erase, fill out the required details, and hit Erase again.

Why Is My Mac Not Responding?

Reboot your Mac If you can’t Force Quit an unresponsive application, then it’s time for a reboot. … How to reboot a Mac that is not responding: Hold down the power button for several seconds. If that doesn’t work, Press the Control-Command keys down, then press the Power button.

Symptoms

It is impossible to stop/restart a virtual machine from the Parallels Desktop User Interface because all the buttons are grayed out.