nonfunctional dock - hep!

[Doug Lassiter]

OK, all of a sudden my iMac 10.11.6 has gone into a mode where, when I click on an application in my dock, it doesn't open the application, but instead opens the Applications folder, offering me the opportunity to click on the application there to launch it. Duh ??? I restarted Finder. No joy. I rebooted No joy.

I want to launch the application when I click on it in the dock. I mean, that's why it's there in the dock!

Help!!!

 

[Doug Lassiter]

Holy crap. Then as soon as I finish this post, I go back, and everything is working properly, after struggling with it for 20 minutes. OK, I guess it isn't "Help!!!" anymore, but is there some reason why this happens, and when it happens, is there an easy fix?

 

[ferrarr]

The next time it happens, repeat all the steps you followed today, you can even post to this thread, I hope the fix wasn't creating a new thread? Hmm

 

[Doug Lassiter]

Well, it happened again right after my re-post. I quickly rebooted to a backup and gosh almighty, it was still happening!! So it appeared to be in hardware, rather than software. I was dumbfounded. Then I remembered that before it happened, I did my monthly crumb-catcher keyboard cleaning, in which I tap the keyboard and pile up the crumbs. So I shook the keyboard, and swiped my hand over all the keys to exercise them. Problem fixed. I think I may have had a key that was stuck partly depressed. In fact, now that I test it out, the Apple/Command key does precisely this. Anyone know that? You hold the command key down, and when you click on an app in the dock it opens the application folder with the icon for that app highlighted.

 

[badshoehabit]

I do the crumb thing!

 

[chscag]

I do the crumb thing!

And keep the cats off the keyboard. LOL.

 

[Slydude]

Thanks for9 posting back with the fix Doug. I can't say for sure whether I never knew that tip or if I knew it and had forgotten it. In any case I tested it and it works exactly as you described it.

 

[chscag]

Hey Sly.... Material for the Sunday Nite Chat?

 

[Slydude]

Yeah. I think I'm going to link to one of those keyboard shortcut lists. There are many of them that I forget because I rarely use some of the more unusual ones.

 

[pm-r]

Good grief… monthly crumb-catcher keyboard cleaning???

What's next???… other than maybe wear a bib, and eat less crispy bread/buns, and maybe don't eat over the keyboard - or maybe buy a protective cover. Gheese…




- Patrick
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[pm-r]

And keep the cats off the keyboard. LOL.

Or get a pet squirrel instead and let it get and clean up any spilt crumbs. No cat would be so humbled… or even bother…




- Patrick
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