Another way to recover from application freezes

Jan 04, '12 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: voicemailradio

When the rainbow pinwheel spins over a specific application's window, but changes to a pointer or cursor or finger etc. over every other applications' windows, I figure that app has frozen. I'll usually give it a minute or two to see if it'll thaw on its own. If not, traditionally, I would get my Force Quit window open before I start clicking around on any other app's windows for fear that the freeze might spread. But recently I tried something that has also worked for me a few times since, even with entire system freezes.

However, for reasons that will become obvious in the hint, I can only recommend you try this with a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air. Though you may have success with desktops by inducing a similar state; I have not tried.

Simply close the computer. Wait for it to go to sleep, as indicated by the pulsing light on the front of the case. I will usually wait a bit longer (around 5min).. I find that the more desperate i am for it to work, the longer i'm willing to wait. When I open it back up the rainbow pinwheel is gone. I'll often find an alert window wanting me to confirm an error or stop some unresponsive script or something, but without having having to Force Quit anything. I've got control back, and/or I didn't lose anything except some minutes -- sometimes.

I don't expect this trick to work for every freeze, and neither should you. But it's worked for me enough times that it's worth a try every time.

[crarko adds: I remember doing this sort of thing all the way back to the PowerBook 5300, and it's always been about 50/50 with success. One thing that does happen when putting the machine to sleep is that AirPort also goes inactive, leading to the method of this hint. I might try that first before putting the machine to sleep.]

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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120101093329572