Red X to close program doesnt work

Hi guys,


Since quiet a while I have a small problem with the Red X in the upper left corner of a window.

When I want to close a window, I click on the red X, but sometimes it does not respond to the click and nothing happens. What I need to do then in order to get it to work, I have to take my cursor off of the red X and back on it again and click, sometimes this works and sometimes I need to repeat this step in order to close that window.. (and this is for all windows no matter what application I am using)

Does anybody have any idea whats wrong?

Thanks in advance,


Dennis Rademaker

First thing you might want to do is try using another pointing device. Test with another mouse - any mouse should work as long as it's USB connected.

Just tested with an USB mouse, same problem...

Does only the clicking on the red X not take or does clicking on other places also require multiple clicks?

Regards

When was the last time you repaired permissions and/or restarted your Mac? Did you notice this starting after you installed anything new or was it just random?

@Razoredge;

I dont know, I actually never use the - or + button, when the problem is there again, I will try.

@Schweb;

I just repaird permissions today (what does it actually do?), It seemed random, but I cant tell for sure..

Thanks for your help this far!

I actually have the same problem, sometimes the red x just doesn't respond (same with the yellow/green buttons) and I need to click somewhere else then click it again.

Tried different mouses and happens with the trackpad (always has happened, figured it was just one of those quirks).

I get a similar problem with the chess game. The red button isn't even red. I have to go to chess>quit. It's been like that for ages.

Advice: Stop using the red button. For anything.

This is a bad habit left over from Windows. On the Mac, the red button (inconsistently) closes a program's WINDOW, and generally doesn't actually quit the program. There are some exceptions to this (shakes fist at Apple) but generally speaking this is how it works.

So, instead of the red button, learn to properly quit the program. There are multiple ways to do this: command-q, Application menu -> Quit, click and hold on the dock icon, choose quit, etc.

Back in the olden days when programs took forever to get going, it made sense to leave programs open. These days, opening a program from scratch should take maybe 2 seconds, or 1 second if you have previously opened the program during this session. So when you're not using a program, it's a "best practice" to properly quit it -- particularly if you don't have an excessive amount of RAM.

Excuse me for my delayed answer,

The problem is not really 'closing' the program, but for example closing a window or such..

It is really annoying that when you hove your mouse over the red ball with the X and you hit the mouse button, it won't do anything..

Any other suggestions?

Remember: problem is on trackpad as well as normal mice

I refer you back to my previous post.

DeNnZ said:

Excuse me for my delayed answer,

The problem is not really 'closing' the program, but for example closing a window or such..

It is really annoying that when you hove your mouse over the red ball with the X and you hit the mouse button, it won't do anything..

Any other suggestions?

Remember: problem is on trackpad as well as normal mice

Click to expand...

This is an interesting problem. With all due respect to chas, I strongly disagree that this should be disregarded just because keyboard combos work. It's aberrant behavior and could be a sign of other issues.

Actually let me ask… does using CMD-W close the window the first time you try it, or does it require multiple attempts like clicking does?

Try using Onyx to see if any of its cache cleaning utilities may help here. If not, boot from your install DVD and verify the disk, repair disk if need be.
Mac OS X - Using Disk Utility to Repair a Disk

Thanks for your answer,

Yes cmd+W does the job in the first try...

I have to MBP's and both have the problem, but let me check that!

lifeisabeach:

In my experience with Macs, the reason I usually suggest people simply stop using the red "close" button (besides the reasons I outlined above) are:

1. For some users, their eyesight isn't as good as it once was, and the exact place you have to click the red button (and the part of the mouse where this will actually register) is very small. Some of us aren't as good at it as perhaps younger people are.

2. If the window in question is not in "focus," clicking the red button (even precisely) doesn't ALWAYS work. Call this a bug in OS X if you want, but it happens.

The fact that CMD-W works for the OP tells me nothing is amiss with the system in this regard.

I pretty much gave up using all of those stupid buttons about 4 years ago. They are not consistent with every application. Don't ask me why - don't have a clue.

The red button quits some apps but not others. The maximize button takes some apps full screen but not others. What kind of screwed up deal is that? And yeah, yeah, I haven't been around this long and not heard of the "it only maximizes it to the size it takes to view the whole thing" answer.

Some apps the red button just quits the window and leaves the app open, while with others, it quits the program. What kind of screwed up thing is this Apple? And yes, it's not only 3rd party apps, it's Apple's own applications that do not consistently do the same thing here. Try using that red button on Disk Utility if you haven't run into the problem.

Sorry, I've got better things to do than try to figure out what that red button does (and remember it or keep a written list to look it up) on all 200+ apps I have on my Mac.

If I want to quit an app now, I use one of the 3 methods chas noted.

Most of the time, however, I do not want to quit the app, I just want the window off my screen. For this, a double click on the top bar of the window does it. And it does it exactly the same in every app. Plus, it's a lot bigger area to hit than one of those little bitty buttons.

chas_m said:

In my experience with Macs, the reason I usually suggest people simply stop using the red "close" button (besides the reasons I outlined above) are:

1. For some users, their eyesight isn't as good as it once was, and the exact place you have to click the red button (and the part of the mouse where this will actually register) is very small. Some of us aren't as good at it as perhaps younger people are.

Click to expand...

A fair point, but only the OP can really answer if he has a problem with his eyesight. His post does suggest though that this hasn't always been a problem for him. If it truly hasn't been, then something is amiss. Heck, part of the troubleshooting may require an eye exam.

2. If the window in question is not in "focus," clicking the red button (even precisely) doesn't ALWAYS work. Call this a bug in OS X if you want, but it happens.

The fact that CMD-W works for the OP tells me nothing is amiss with the system in this regard.

Click to expand...

Now that you mention it, it seems it didn't work for me on occasion years in the past. I use and prefer CMD-W myself and have for some time, so that's a little fuzzy. I still use the yellow button to minimize quite a bit (yes, I know of CMD-M) and never have an issue. Unless the close button is the only one subject to not working correctly, then it would seem that this bug is squashed.

Back to the OP though… any problems with the other buttons? Which version of OS X and what model Mac are you using? When the mouse is over the button correctly, then the button colors should change in their tone a bit and display X, -, and + signs. If you are having this problem on multiple Macs, I'm inclined to agree with Chas. Take note of my signature also...

bobtomay said:

Most of the time, however, I do not want to quit the app, I just want to minimize the window. For this a double click on the top bar of the window does it. And it does it exactly the same in every app. Plus, it's a lot bigger area to hit than that one of those little bitty buttons.

Click to expand...

I don't understand... double clicking where exactly to minimise any app?
I never heard of this, and tried on a couple off apps and got nothing!

6string said:

I don't understand... double clicking where exactly to minimise any app?
I never heard of this, and tried on a couple off apps and got nothing!

Click to expand...

Anywhere on the top row of the app where those 3 buttons sit. Just double click and it will minimize the window.

bobtomay said:

Some apps the red button just quits the window and leaves the app open, while with others, it quits the program. What kind of screwed up thing is this Apple? And yes, it's not only 3rd party apps, it's Apple's own applications that do not consistently do the same thing here. Try using that red button on Disk Utility if you haven't run into the problem.

Click to expand...

That used to aggravate the heck outta me when I first got a Mac. When I mentioned it in a Mac-focused newsgroup on usenet, someone pointed out that it only closes the window so you don't constantly quit and re-open the app when done with, say, a document. This saves time on loading the program and easing hard drive access a little. Admittedly, this is far less of an issue with today's systems.

Also… in Windows, in something like Word, you have a big gray blank window that serves one function: to host the "Quit" button up top. The document windows have their own buttons for closing the document, and really, I realized what a ridiculous UI decision that is once they pointed it out. Understanding the buttons in OS X is pretty simple: if it's an app that supports multiple windows/documents, then closing the window doesn't quit the app. If it doesn't support multiple windows/instances (like Disk Utility) or otherwise have a need to run in the background, then closing the window does close the app.

I'm with you… I don't really like to "think" about it, and that's largely why I don't use the buttons myself, but I understand it and accept it. I also accept that I'm more adept at keyboarding than a lot of people are. I show people quick tricks at work with the keyboard that can cut my workflows in half (type in a text box, then tab to the next, for example), and they all, without an exception, continue to use the mouse for everything (type in a box, then grab mouse, click in next box, then type). Encouraging people to use methods that we are comfortable with and proficient with is certainly a positive thing, but in the end, they have to decide what they are comfortable doing.

bobtomay said:

Anywhere on the top row of the app where those 3 buttons sit. Just double click and it will minimize the window.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, not on my Mac :/