How do I stop OS X automatically switching apps?

[alexjholland]

I have a mid 2010 iMac i7 with 12Gb RAM, that is getting a little slower than I think it should be for its performance.

The most repugnant, disgusting behaviour OSX has, is how it likes to switch to an application that seems to have become active.

Unfortunately, this isn't a predictable, or consistent behaviour. The reality is that I boot into OSX (slowly) and as I'm starting to use say, Safari, I'll have an app that is taking ages to load that REPEATEDLY pulls my window over to it, again and again.

It's one of the most unpleasant, irritating and absolutely unacceptable niggles I've ever experienced in software.

How do I turn it off?

Thanks

 

[DeltaMac]

Could you sleep your iMac, rather than shutting down?
A lot of users rarely shut their Mac down.

Or, you could look through your apps that start up while booting, and prune the list down to just what you need (maybe even none )
Some of those will be in your System Preferences/Users & Groups pane/Login Items (not every app that opens at login will be in that pane, however)
You can go into System Preferences, General pane, and Check Close Windows when Quitting an Application. Don't forget to Quit your apps before you shut down.
UNCHECK the box in the Shutdown confirmation window: Reopen windows when logging back in.
Again, consider sleeping your iMac, not shutting down.

 

[n-evo]

I honestly have no idea what you're describing here. In those 11 years I've been a full time OS X user I never experienced something like that.

Sounds like you installed a poorly written piece of software that somehow made its way into your login items.

 

[chrfr]

Unfortunately, this isn't a predictable, or consistent behaviour. The reality is that I boot into OSX (slowly) and as I'm starting to use say, Safari, I'll have an app that is taking ages to load that REPEATEDLY pulls my window over to it, again and again.

This definitely isn't normal operation for OS X. What application is it that's doing this?

 

[YanniDepp]

This definitely isn't normal operation for OS X. What application is it that's doing this?

Avira antivirus for Mac does this. Every time it auto-updates, it steals focus twice. It's irritating if you're in a full-screen app and it suddenly, uncontrollably "slides away" to the desktop. Then does it again when the update finishes.

So, yeah. That got uninstalled pretty quickly.

 

[alexjholland]

Interesting. I shall have to investigate.. I have a feeling it may be a little program I have that allows my iPad to talk to my Ableton Live (music production) software.