Can't Minimize Windows?!

wrxguy · Sep 24, 2005, 08:31 PM

For some reason i can't minimze any windows?!? the little yellow icon in the middle of the red and green icons isn't even there...Im not sure what happened but it is really annoying! any help please!?

igucl · Sep 24, 2005, 08:38 PM

Did you try double-clicking the title bar of the windows?

wrxguy · Sep 24, 2005, 08:40 PM

you mean the top of the window with the name of the prob at the top with the x-out icon and stuff? yea i did

eva01 · Sep 24, 2005, 08:41 PM

delete finder prefs?

tag · Sep 24, 2005, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrxguy

For some reason i can't minimze any windows?!? the little yellow icon in the middle of the red and green icons isn't even there...Im not sure what happened but it is really annoying! any help please!?

Oh my god, I had this exact same problem a few months ago, I couldn't figure it out for the life of me, its the weirdest thing ever isn't it?

To be honest I never figured out how it happened or a proper fix for it. But have you restarted your mac since this happened? For me once I restarted it went away. Freaked me out though for a bit heh.

igucl · Sep 24, 2005, 08:45 PM

I really don't know what to suggest, except that maybe you need to use a cleanup utility like OnyX to set things right if some important file became corrupted.

wrxguy · Sep 24, 2005, 09:28 PM

I restarted and BAM there it is again?! what the helL!??!?!

katie ta achoo · Sep 24, 2005, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrxguy

I restarted and BAM there it is again?! what the helL!??!?!

sometimes things just get a little wonky. Don't ask me how, but they do. A restart'll do ya good. Also, repairing permissions help things that go wonky (of reaaallyyyy slooowww) fix things. It's all good.

longwood · Sep 24, 2005, 10:07 PM

you can always use apple-h until you find a solution if it is bothering you that much.

dbrashler · Apr 2, 2009, 11:19 AM

I'm having the same issue -- interesting to note tho -- only Apple apps seem to be affected -- Mail, iCal, Safari -- Word and Firefox don't have the issue. I can restart the program or restart the machine and the problem is gone initially, but returns.

Big Pain!

Tallest Skil · Apr 2, 2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbrashler

I'm having the same issue -- interesting to note tho -- only Apple apps seem to be affected -- Mail, iCal, Safari -- Word and Firefox don't have the issue. I can restart the program or restart the machine and the problem is gone initially, but returns.

Big Pain!

Two thousand five, 'kay? Two. Thousand. Five.

This wouldn't even remotely be the same situation.

TheSudden · Apr 6, 2009, 03:03 PM

The same thing is happening now!

Guiyon · Apr 6, 2009, 03:15 PM

For some reason the OS seems to get disconnected from the Dock and disables the minimization. I haven't found a cause yet but I usually find that opening /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app and running:

Code:

killall -HUP Dock

fixes it. The only downside is that all windows which are currently having issues will not suddenly start working but all new windows will behave properly.

Mullum · Apr 24, 2009, 02:46 AM

This problems appears when you use Spaces.
It seems that Apple knows about the problem and is searching for the answer.

TheNorthWaves · May 5, 2009, 10:30 AM

same deal here. I can't minimize or close windows, and it's completely at random. I go click on something else randomly and come back to the x/- buttons and then they work. I really hope 10.5.7 fixes this. I have done a lot of cleaning, restarted, etc. Does not matter if i'm using an external mouse or the touchpad. Something is wrong with the OS.

kastenbrust · May 5, 2009, 10:32 AM

This thread is from 2005, it applies to a completely different operating system to what we use now.

Anyway i've begun to notice this issue after the last update, hopefully 10.5.7 will fix it.

Helo2050 · Mar 20, 2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kastenbrust

This thread is from 2005, it applies to a completely different operating system to what we use now.

Anyway i've begun to notice this issue after the last update, hopefully 10.5.7 will fix it.

I just had this exact issue. Used the "killall -HUP Dock" in terminal solution

walktovanish · Feb 12, 2011, 11:33 AM

The problem is actually caused by the way OS X handles full-screen applications like VMWare and VLC. To fix, open a movie in Quicktime, double-click to make fullscreen, and double-click again. When you go back to your window, the minimize icon should no longer be grey.

Sep 24, 2005, 08:31 PM	#1
wrxguy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Deepest Regions of Hell	Can't Minimize Windows?! For some reason i can't minimze any windows?!? the little yellow icon in the middle of the red and green icons isn't even there...Im not sure what happened but it is really annoying! any help please!? __________________ ...sometimes you need to go crazy and other times you need to go crazier... -Andrew W.K.
	0

Sep 24, 2005, 08:40 PM	#3
wrxguy Thread Starter macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Deepest Regions of Hell	you mean the top of the window with the name of the prob at the top with the x-out icon and stuff? yea i did __________________ ...sometimes you need to go crazy and other times you need to go crazier... -Andrew W.K.
	0

Sep 24, 2005, 08:41 PM	#4
eva01 macrumors 601 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Gah! Plymouth	delete finder prefs? __________________ If I go on a crazy non-sensical rant, it's the painkillers talking. If however I make perfect sense I take full credit.
	0

Sep 24, 2005, 09:28 PM	#7
wrxguy Thread Starter macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Deepest Regions of Hell	I restarted and BAM there it is again?! what the helL!??!?! __________________ ...sometimes you need to go crazy and other times you need to go crazier... -Andrew W.K.
	0

Sep 24, 2005, 10:07 PM	#9
longwood macrumors regular Join Date: May 2005	you can always use apple-h until you find a solution if it is bothering you that much. __________________ iPhone 4: [32GB] iPad 2: [16GB \| WiFi] MacBook: [13" \| 2.4Ghz \| 4GB \| 500GB]
	0

Sep 24, 2005, 08:38 PM	#2
igucl macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: WI	Did you try double-clicking the title bar of the windows?
	0

Sep 24, 2005, 08:45 PM	#6
igucl macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: WI	I really don't know what to suggest, except that maybe you need to use a cleanup utility like OnyX to set things right if some important file became corrupted.
	0

Apr 2, 2009, 11:19 AM	#10
dbrashler macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2007	Can't minimize I'm having the same issue -- interesting to note tho -- only Apple apps seem to be affected -- Mail, iCal, Safari -- Word and Firefox don't have the issue. I can restart the program or restart the machine and the problem is gone initially, but returns. Big Pain!
	0

Apr 6, 2009, 03:03 PM	#12
TheSudden macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Boston MA	Grr The same thing is happening now!
	0

Apr 6, 2009, 03:15 PM	#13
Guiyon macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: North Shore, MA	For some reason the OS seems to get disconnected from the Dock and disables the minimization. I haven't found a cause yet but I usually find that opening /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app and running: Code: killall -HUP Dock fixes it. The only downside is that all windows which are currently having issues will not suddenly start working but all new windows will behave properly. __________________ Make life easier if you have a programming question! http://www.sscce.org/
	0

Apr 24, 2009, 02:46 AM	#14
Mullum macrumors newbie Join Date: Apr 2009	This problems appears when you use Spaces. It seems that Apple knows about the problem and is searching for the answer.
	0

May 5, 2009, 10:30 AM	#15
TheNorthWaves macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA	same deal here. I can't minimize or close windows, and it's completely at random. I go click on something else randomly and come back to the x/- buttons and then they work. I really hope 10.5.7 fixes this. I have done a lot of cleaning, restarted, etc. Does not matter if i'm using an external mouse or the touchpad. Something is wrong with the OS.
	0

May 5, 2009, 10:32 AM	#16
kastenbrust Banned Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: North Korea	This thread is from 2005, it applies to a completely different operating system to what we use now. Anyway i've begun to notice this issue after the last update, hopefully 10.5.7 will fix it.
	0

Feb 12, 2011, 11:33 AM	#18
walktovanish macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2011	Simple Fix The problem is actually caused by the way OS X handles full-screen applications like VMWare and VLC. To fix, open a movie in Quicktime, double-click to make fullscreen, and double-click again. When you go back to your window, the minimize icon should no longer be grey.
	0


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