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Why does the RED X minimize instead of close?

MarlboroLite

MarlboroLite

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 29, 2007
582
5
the 13 colonies
Ok so this has been bugging me ever since I made the switch. No this isn't a complaint about how the red X does not work like in Windows in closing an application. This is about hitting the red X to close the window which is what it's supposed to do, but then having the window go minimize in the dock instead of closing. Sometimes it takes two hits of the button after being minimized to finally close it.

This doesn't always happen but when it does it is annoying as hell. am I the only one experiencing this issue? Or is it purposely made that way?
 
I've only had that occur when I thought my mouse was over the area for the button and then double-clicked, minimizing the window. Actually clicking the red X will never minimize the window.
 
are you double clicking it or near it? if you do double clicking the top of a window will always minimize it.

those buttons only require one click much like the dock items.
 
The red X is supposed to close the window but it does sometime minimize instead. The two buttons are a little too close. I just use Cmd + W to close my windows. I never minimize applications either.
 
I'm pretty sure I'm clicking once....I guess the buttons are too small or close together then that mistakes happen. It sure annoys me a lot though!
 
Silver-Fox said:
it should close the window =/
Click to expand...
Some do, some don't. It depends upon the philosophy of the app in question. Usually, apps that can generate multiple windows at once, like Safari, will remain open even if the main window(s) are closed. But other apps that won't be of any use with the main window closed, like iPhoto or Photo Booth, close immediately when the red traffic light is clicked.

Just get in the habit of always using Cmd+Q to quit applications and you'll never have this confusion. I don't use the traffic lights at all, frankly, once you get used to keyboard shortcuts, they are completely useless.
 
The yellow one is minimize, not the red one. The close button does not close the app though, which I actually like more than how Windows handles the close button. Cmd + Q is awesome. Also, for minimizing the window, there's Cmd + M. I love how OS X has so many keyboard shortcuts. :D
 
i think what the OP is trying to say is that by clicking the red X on some programs, it still shows the little "shadow" under the dock icon, indicating it's still active, as opposed to quitting it which totally closes it.
 
I want to 3rd the idea of using keyboard shortcuts. CMD+Q to quit the program and CMD+W to close its window. Once you get in the habit it will become second nature and you will want to start learning new shortcuts. After all, you have one hand free, why not use both hands when possible?
 
I have this problem too, and no, it's not a matter of closing the window and the application continues running.

Since switching to Leopard, every once in a while clicking the red button will minimize (genie effect and all) the window to the dock, as if I had clicked the yellow button. I'm 100% certain I've clicked it only once and that I clicked the red, not yellow button.
 
I've been having this issue under Tiger, also, so I don't think it's a Leopard thing. Some windows will just randomly minimize instead of close, and I can't figure out why.

For those of you complaining, for some of these I'm not trying to close the application. Say I'm listening to music in iTunes, and I don't need the window open. I try to close it, but it just minimizes to the dock instead rather than closing. I can't seem to figure out why it only happens certain times, though.
 
When I first switched I found that this kept happening to me.

I realised that I was really double clicking the gap in between the two buttons which as said above will minimise the window.
 
I agree completely with this -

"I have this problem too, and no, it's not a matter of closing the window and the application continues running.

Since switching to Leopard, every once in a while clicking the red button will minimize (genie effect and all) the window to the dock, as if I had clicked the yellow button. I'm 100% certain I've clicked it only once and that I clicked the red, not yellow button."

It seems that this is more likely to happen when moving the mouse quickly to the red X, and is less frequent when moving the mouse very slowly over the red X. I'm certain I'm clicking the red X at any rate, however.

Probably the biggest annoyance since my switch to Mac, among a couple of others including not being able to print a selection from Safari...
 
me too

i get this same problem , thanks for info about using key board commands to close
 
pbrommer said:
I agree completely with this -

"I have this problem too, and no, it's not a matter of closing the window and the application continues running.

Since switching to Leopard, every once in a while clicking the red button will minimize (genie effect and all) the window to the dock, as if I had clicked the yellow button. I'm 100% certain I've clicked it only once and that I clicked the red, not yellow button."

It seems that this is more likely to happen when moving the mouse quickly to the red X, and is less frequent when moving the mouse very slowly over the red X. I'm certain I'm clicking the red X at any rate, however.

Probably the biggest annoyance since my switch to Mac, among a couple of others including not being able to print a selection from Safari...
Click to expand...

how can u move ur mouse quickly and hit the red button anyways? Its so small it takes pretty precise mouse movement to not miss.
 
Some apps minimize when clicking the red X. Azureus used to do that and had an option for quitting the app when you hit the button or minimizing it, it couldnt just "close." Its just poor programming.
 
So there is no one click to close an application; it is either Menu Quit application or Command Q? I guess I just got used to the extra steps to quit a program entirely, however there are benefits to just sending apps to the dock.
 
How to reproduce it

Hi,
I have the same problem, and I can give you instructions to reproduce it.
Click once in the space between the red and the yellow button and then exactly on the red button: on my macbook pro it minimizes the windows.
The problem is that the OS interprets even the click on the red button like a click on the title bar, so for it the complete action is a double click, and it minimizes the window. If you disable the "minimize the window with double click on title bar" (sorry for the translation) in the preference pane under "Aspect" and try to reproduce it, nothing happens.

Bye,
Francesco
 
stainlessliquid said:
Some apps minimize when clicking the red X. Azureus used to do that and had an option for quitting the app when you hit the button or minimizing it, it couldnt just "close." Its just poor programming.
Click to expand...

it's not due to poor programming.. some developers do this on purpose as to avoid accidentally closing programs that run for long periods of time.. like bittorent and other p2p apps. i've only seen that in windows though, can't say i've ever seen that in os x.
 
criticalb said:
I have this problem too, and no, it's not a matter of closing the window and the application continues running.

Since switching to Leopard, every once in a while clicking the red button will minimize (genie effect and all) the window to the dock, as if I had clicked the yellow button. I'm 100% certain I've clicked it only once and that I clicked the red, not yellow button.
Click to expand...

Just wanted to bump this thread and throw in my own complaint as well. This issue has plagued me since day 1 in OS X. 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, and even 10.5.5 I've had this problem. It's very strange. I don't think it's poor programming, but if it is I'm pretty sure it would be OS X's fault. And no, I'm not clicking minimize on accident or any simple mistake(s) like that.
 
Yo - Mac folks - the red X does not CLOSE the app

I'm a mac noob. trying to make the switch.
In my opinion the experienced MAC's pull an attitude whenever anyone has the nerve to point out something that's not really efficient.
I'm not thrilled about some of the 'features' on the MAC. offering up keyboard shortcuts to do things that should be done with the mouse is not really a solution. the whole point of the mouse is to make things faster. if I'm just browsing and reading, I don't want to have to take my hand off the mouse to hit a key sequence.
I use the menu bar at the top. IE "FIREFOX ->Quit Firefox". but that takes two mouse clicks - which is not bad, but . . . .
I see that the red X closes the windows, but leaves the app open. would it be too much to ask for there to be radio buttons on the bar at the top? But wait - that would be like Windows apps - wouldn't it. that CAN'T be good.
 
sds658052008 said:
offering up keyboard shortcuts to do things that should be done with the mouse is not really a solution. the whole point of the mouse is to make things faster
Click to expand...

I absolutely guarantee you that people who use keyboard shortcuts can work their way around a Mac and their apps much faster than than mousing or right-clicking. That's what using your left hand is for (if you're right-handed.)
 
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