"App not open anymore" - intermittent trouble opening apps in Ventura

I'm far from an expert, but I'm starting to suspect more and more that this is actually potentially a RAM issue for the following reasons:

• The issue seems app-agnostic in that it applies to any/all apps regardless of origin, suggesting that, rather than an issue with an individual app's plist file or other corruption, the issue is more global in nature
• If this "global" issue were inherent in software, the OS reinstall I did would have fixed it (and would seemingly yield the same result as a full wipe and TM restore), leading me to think that it's more likely to be hardware based than software
• Seeing as both Drive Dx and Disk Utility are convinced that the startup drive itself is healthy, I naturally set my sights on RAM as the culprit
• In my 15 or so years of using Macs, I've had three separate issues (intermittent kernel panics, boot issues, etc.) and they ALL turned out to be RAM related after trouble shooting every other possible avenue. This may just be confirmation bias here, but I have every reason to think that this new problem is indeed RAM related as well.

Does this sound reasonable to you, Jack? (Not that I'll hold you responsible if it's not RAM - Just looking for another opinion on the matter). It's just so hard for me to conceive of a software issue NOT inherent in the OS itself that would have this kind of bleed over effect on other apps and would only do so after the computer has been on for a while. The more I turn it over in my head, the more it starts to feel like RAM to me...

Uninstalling (fully via manufacturer instructions) and restarting in Safe mode then restarting normally unfortunately did not solve the problem (though it did significantly speed up my boot process!)

Luckily, this time, I had the foresight to open both Activity Monitor and Terminal before the issue reared it's head so I got a bit more information.

Firstly, when the unceasing hopping icon disappears after a click, I notice that there does appear to still be a process running (this time, the app in question was QuickTime Player), though it wasn't drawing any actual processor power according to the screenshot below:

If I attempt to re-open the app via Terminal, I get the following mysterious error message (computer and username redacted to protect my identity):

If I first quit the process via Activity monitor and attempt to reopen the app via Terminal, I get no message or any other indicator on Terminal that anything is amiss - I just get he usual "App not open anymore" pop up and the app doesn't open.

Looks like the "-600" error typically points to specific apps being corrupted in some way, but - again - this happens with any/all apps not currently open every 5 or 6 days and the apps function normal before and after (post-reboot) these messages.

At this point, it feels very much like a hardware issue to me, so I've ordered a new set of OWC RAM to install. While I'm waiting, if there are other troubleshooting steps you think we can take or if you have any further insight, I'd love to hear what you think!

Did you ever get this solved? I did not - my workaround is to set (via Terminal) a twice weekly reboot. It "works" in the sense that the Mac reboots before the invisible countdown concludes and the issue starts, but it's kind of annoying to wake up to my login screen and have to wait before doing anything on my machine. Also annoying when the occasional app (usually chat program LINE) blocks the shutdown and I wake up to that screen...

I think I discarded the original 4GB Apple RAM after using the new ones for more than a year with no issue (at least, I can't seem to find them now, so I presume I pitched them).

I can at least remove the newly returned 8GB pair and see how it runs with the 16GBs that always seemed to work until now.

I live in Japan, so I'll have to see if OWC will ship here or source a local vendor.

When you say a full OS install, you mean wiping the drive entirely, then restoring data from a TimeMachine backup or do you mean wiping, then manually restoring just the necessary data? The former is time consuming but doable, the latter is such a nightmare for me that I'd rather just reboot once a week, to be honest...

Thanks kindly, Jack! I'm using Corsair RAM. I'd had two 8GB and two 16GB installed for years and all was good. Upgraded the two 8GB to match the 16GB (same brand and all) and things ran great for about a year until I had trouble hanging at boot. I returned the 8GB back where they were prior to this new issue coming up. Could be a coincidence, but does this sound like an issue with RAM? I suppose anything could be RAM, really...

Anyway, I recently used the built in Disk Utility to check on the health of the startup drive and everything checked out. I'll try DriveDX and post the results shortly.

Thanks again!

Thanks!

So, I do have some apps that fit that definition - Intego's free "VirusScanner" app and a VPN app from Unlocator. Even of these apps aren't running, are you suggesting that their mere presence on my hard drive could cause this? I could understand if I'd just recently installed them, but these are apps that I've had for years and used with absolutely no issue (and continue to use on my other Macs with no issue) so it doesn't feel like they're likely to be the culprit.

That said, I'll try anything once, so I'll remove these two (probably one at a time, as I don't care so much about the virus scanner, but DO use the VPN on occasion), reboot in safe mode, and cross my fingers that I don't run into the app issue again after a week or so.

I can uninstall and see what happens. I agree that virus software is pretty unnecessary, but the VPN does serve a very specific function for me that can't be replicated through the Mac's own OS, so it's a stretch to say they offer nothing but instability. That said, I understand what you're getting at.

Though the idea that these apps would not cause issues until steeping for multiple years seems unlikely, I've got nothing to lose at this point...

I just don't want you to think I'm some senior citizen who's been haphazardly downloading "search bars" for his browsers or "cleaning apps" and other nonsense. Believe me, I've had to help my dad with those kinds of issues.

I'd like to think I'm more savvy than that... ;)

According to DriveDX, all indicators are green and nothing shows up in the error log...