How to: Kill a hanging application (Mac OS X, all versions)
Applications run fine most of the time. But sometimes (for what ever reason) an application gets stuck to a point where a user cannot exit out of it the normal way (Command+Q).
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Since Mac OS X is Linux based, a user has access to an area called the Terminal. This lets a user access the core operating system that Mac OS X ‘sits on’. The Terminal allows users to enter text commands to do some of the same commands that a user can do within Mac OS X.
One of these commands is called ‘KILLALL’. It’s almost the same as using the Command+Q option, but it also lets a user “kill” a hanging application. However, this command should not be used on a frequent basis, as the user could loose any unsaved data.
To use the Terminal and the killall command:
1. Open Finder.
2. Go to APPLICATIONS > UTILITIES.
3. Click on the Terminal icon.
A window will open with a text prompt. This is telling a user that the computer is waiting for the user to type in Linux commands. At the prompt, type in:
killall nameofapplicationtokill
So, let’s say you need to close the Text Edit app. The command would be:
killall textedit
Then press the [ENTER] (or Return) key. If the application’s icon is in the Dock, it should disappear when you issue the command.
To close the Terminal window, just issue the normal Command+Q option.
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