A couple of times since I got my new imac three weeks ago, when I try start an application, the icon just bounces up and down forever on the dock and the app will not open. Does this mean OS X has crashed? The only solutiion I have found until now is to restart the computer. Perhaps there is a less drastic solution?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Applications won't start
- Thread starter Eusebius
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Assuming that your Imac has the basic setup, please let us know which app are you trying to run. If you try to run any basic os X app, re install your computer with the disks included and that will work.
If you are trying to run heavier apps, maybe you need more RAM, faster HD's or better video resources.
Send more info and we can assist you better.
Well if you right click on the applications icon in the dock, you can select 'Force Quit' that will quit just that application. That will stop you from having to restart the entire system.
As for the continual bouncing....Not sure about that. How much RAM do you have? How many applications do you have open at once? To me it initially sounds like a lack-of-RAM problem.
Thank you for your comments. I have 1 GB RAM (24" imac) The bouncing has happened twice since getting the computer. Once, when trying to open system preferences, and this morning while trying to open the text edit program. I tried opening another program (Opera, maybe?) and its icon too happily bounced on the dock, but the app wouldn't open. I can't force-quit an appllication that isn't open. Still no answer as to why the bouncing happens. I see from the above link that restarting the computer is one of the suggested fixes. That's been my fix, but it is certainly a nuisance to have interrupt everything to restart the computer.
Well the idea is to try the others as well, and then coming back if none of them solve your problem.
And I do believe it's possible to force quit if the app is bouncing in the dock and you right-click the icon. If you can open Terminal, probably a way to kill the process or ten as well.