How to Fix Missing Columns in Activity Monitor on Mac

Having a hard time diagnosing an issue due to missing columns in your activity monitor?

The Activity Monitor is a handy tool that allows you to check the status of your Mac. This includes information about your CPU, memory, battery usage, network, and more. 

However, it can be a problem if you can’t find crucial data in the Activity Monitor.

If you are reading this, we can assume that some columns are missing in the Activity Monitor on your Mac. 

This issue is usually caused by improper ‘view’ configurations in Activity Monitor. On the other hand, it can also be due to temporary errors and faulty software versions. 

In this guide, we will show you how to fix missing columns in Activity Monitor on your Mac. 

Let’s get started!

1. Restart Your Mac. 

A temporary bug or error may have occurred on your system that caused some columns to disappear in the Activity Monitor. 

Try restarting your Mac to reload system resources. This should also flush your system memory, clearing unused and fragmented data on your RAM.

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen. 
2. Select Restart from the drop-down menu. 
3. In the dialog box, click Restart again to confirm your action. 

Once done, go back to Activity Monitor to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check Your Activity Monitor Settings. 

You can customize the Activity Monitor so you can easily track what’s important to you. If some system information is missing on your Mac, it’s probably disabled in the settings. 

Here’s how you can add columns in the Activity Monitor: 

1. Open the Activity Monitor on your Mac. 
2. Now, click on View in the upper left corner. 
3. Hover your cursor over the Columns option. 
4. From here, select the information you want to see in the Activity Monitor. 

Go back to the main screen and you should now see the missing column. 

3. Resize Activity Monitor Window. 

If you have a lot of columns selected in the Activity Monitor, your window might not have enough room to show all of them. 

In this case, you’d need to resize your window to show all columns.

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Go to Activity Monitor on your Mac. 
2. Now, press and hold the Option key on your keyboard. 
3. Click on the Green button in the upper left corner of the window. 

This should maximize the window, allowing more information to be displayed in the Activity Monitor. 

4. Scroll or Resize Columns. 

There are instances when maximizing the Activity Monitor is still not enough to display all columns at once. 

If this is the case, you can follow these tips to navigate the interface: 

• If you are using a MacBook, place your cursor anywhere in the main window. Using two fingers, swipe on the trackpad to the left to scroll through the columns. 

• You can also resize columns to view other information you need. Drag the divider next to the Processes Name column to the left. This should reveal hidden columns. 

Proceed to the next solution if you still can’t see some columns in the Activity Monitor. 

5. Delete Activity Monitor Preference File. 

The preference file or plist contains all the settings for an application. When a plist gets corrupted, it can cause problems with the application it’s related to. 

If the Activity Monitor is still missing some columns, reset your preference file by deleting it.

This should force your Mac to generate a new plist containing factory settings for the Activity Monitor.

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Close the Activity Monitor if it’s open. 
2. Now, open Finder and click the Go option in the menu bar. 
3. Click on Go to Folder and type the path below: 

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.ActivityMonitor.plist

4. Click Go to open the folder. 
5. Inside the Preferences folder, look for com.apple.activitymonitor.plist. 
6. Move the file to the Trash. 

Restart your Mac and check if the problem is solved. 

6. Update Your Mac. 

There might be an underlying issue with the version of macOS on your device. It’s possible that some system files are missing or there’s a bug within the Activity Monitor app. 

To rule this out, see the guide below to install the latest version of macOS: 

1. On your Mac, click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner. 
2. Choose System Preferences from the drop down list. 
3. Now, click on Software Update. 
4. If there’s an available update, click Update Now or Upgrade Now. 

Go back to the Activity Monitor afterward to confirm if the problem is solved. 

7. Boot in Safe Mode.

You can boot your Mac in safe mode if there are still missing columns in Activity Monitor. 

When starting your Mac in safe mode, it will prevent startup items and third-party software from loading. This also checks your startup disk and resolves any issues. 

Here’s how you can boot Macs with Apple Silicon in Safe Mode:

1. Open the Apple Menu and click on Shut Down. 
2. Wait for your Mac to turn off. You’ll know your Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and indicator lights are off. 
3. Now, press and hold the Power button until you see the ‘Loading Startup Options’ page on your screen.
4. Choose your boot drive (usually Macintosh HD). 
5. Press and hold the Shift key, then click Continue in Safe Mode. 

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If you are using an Intel-based Mac, here’s what you need to do:

1. Access the Apple Menu and choose Shut Down. 
2. Wait for your Mac to turn off. You’ll know your Mac is completely shut down when the screen is black and indicator lights are off. 
3. Turn on your Mac and hold the Shift key until you see the login window. 
4. Provide your credentials to log in to your Mac. 

Open the Activity Monitor to check if you still have missing columns. 

8. Reach Out to Apple.

If none of the solutions above worked, we recommend that you report the issue to Apple’s team. 

Head to Apple’s support page and look for the issue you’re experiencing on your Mac. If there are available solutions, you should see the results of your query along with related articles. 

For faster actions, you can contact Apple through chat or phone. You can also bring your Mac to the nearest Apple Store to have it checked. 

That wraps up our guide on how to fix missing columns in the Activity Monitor on your Mac. 

If you have questions regarding the solutions, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to respond. 

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