Toolbar and dock shows application running, but no window shown?

[ryansim]

Hi guys,

(sorry if this has been brought up multiple times, but the problem seems to be so vague i cant think of a good keywords looking for this.)

i just got my macbook few weeks ago and i'm struggling with this problem :

sometimes when i start an application then minimize/hide/switch to other application, when trying to get back to it i cant seems to get the window to "maximize" back. this happens to many application, namely : ichat, iphoto, system preference etc... i know this application is still running because i can see the bluedot on the dock below its icon and the top toolbar still shows that application and its pulldown menu... however, clicking on the icon again, or goto expose, or go to cntrl-tab doesnt help maximize the window itself. another thing is- if i goto the application toolbar > windows, i noticed that "close" and "minimize" has been greyed out.

i believe the person who posted this thread (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/458600/
) has the same issue, but unfortunately everyone seems to not being able to understand his problem properly (not sure if i did a better job)

do lemme know if anyone has any leads or face similiar glitches.

thanks!


cheers,
Ryan.

 

[NAG]

Are you pressing the yellow button with the - symbol in it or are you pressing the red button with the x button in it to "minimize" it?

 

[matticus008]

If you minimized the window (yellow button), it'll be in your Dock next to the trash an. If you closed the window (red button), you'll have to open a window however the application handles that--a new document, or selecting one of the windows from the aptly named "Window" menu. If you hid the application window, you have to click on its Dock icon to get it back. It will not show up in Exposé.

 

[ryansim]

thanks for the response- Matticus008 and NAG...

i cant remember if it's the close button or the minimize button, but what i've got myself into is a situation where :
1. there's no minimized window next to the trashbin.
2. the application icon is showing bluedot underneath it on the dock.
3. the toolbar for the application is still active on top.
4. and when you ctrl-tab you can actually switch to that application.

but for all the criteria above, i cant see the window itself! tried the following but without success.
1. clicking on the icon in the dock again
2. ctrl-tab switching to the apps
3. no minimized (beside trashbin) icon
4. doing hide-all / show on that application's toolbar.

when i this happens, the only way getting out of this is to quit the application through the toolbar, then restarting it by clicking on the icon in the dock again. this doesnt kill me, but it annoys me greatly (along with the stupid RSS feed-date/showing error)

i'm quite surprised not many has experienced this problem though... it appeared quite early when i got my macbook which has had minimum software installed in it.

anyone?


(thanks in advance!)


cheers,
Ryan.

note to Steve : sometimes "it just (doesnt) works!". get the lazy team off their ass and start fixing things dammit!c

 

[dejo]

but for all the criteria above, i cant see the window itself! tried the following but without success.
1. clicking on the icon in the dock again...

When you click on the icon, does the menu bar change to show that app's name next to the apple?

 

[apfhex]

When you click on the icon, does the menu bar change to show that app's name next to the apple?

Erm...

3. the toolbar for the application is still active on top.

Are you, in fact, closing the window? Not all applications will open a new window by clicking their icon in the Dock and you will have to do as matticus008 suggested and open a new one.

 

[NAG]

Yeah, you still have yet to say what you're doing to "minimize" the windows. The red button with the x in it is in fact the button to close the window. This is a common mistake of windows users because there is no application window but rather there is only document windows (meaning an application can be open yet have no windows).

 

[merl1n]

Just out of curiosity...

Are you running Spaces (virtual desktops)? If so, are you sure the document window is not showing on another desktop?

 

[matticus008]

If the application name is showing in the menubar when you switch to it and the 'Minimize' and 'Close' options in the Window menu are greyed out, then there is no window open. Nothing is missing.

This is not a bug. Open a window in the application if you want to use it--most will continue to run without any open windows (including iPhoto, iTunes, Word, Mail, and Safari, among others). If this is what you're describing, it's no wonder no one seems to have experienced this problem, because it's not a problem.

To close an application, press Command-Q or choose "Quit" from the Application menu next to the Apple logo.

 

[ryansim]

Hi guys!

thanks for the comments and suggestion! (really appreciate it).

i'll try that again when i got back to my mac tonight.

have a good weekend ahead!


cheers,
Ryan.

 

[ruskiwi]

What do you see in the bottom of the "Window" menu of the problem application? Some of the applications you've mentioned (iPhoto, System Prefs) quit when you close the main window (clicking on the red button), so it wouldn't be a case of you clicking the wrong button there.