TextEdit files won't close!

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Level 1

10 points

TextEdit files won't close!

TextEdit is doing my head in.

Whenever I close a file, it doesn't seem to close properly... I hope I can explain this so it makes sense!

(Side-niggle now solved: If I open TextEdit and use it to type something in, then close TextEdit without saving the file, all the text will still be there next time I open TextEdit directly from the app icon on the dock. Why? I haven't saved anything, why is it still there?)

The most annoying problem:

If I open TextEdit then swipe to reveal all of the open app windows, it shows me ALL the files I've opened since I installed Lion! (Including files I've long since deleted!) I've tried clicking on each file to bring it up, then closing it properly clicking the X, but next time I open a TextEdit file and swipe, all the files are still showing as open. Quitting the app doesn't help; Force Quit doesn't help.

I don't understand this. If I open a Word file, then close it, then open a different Word file and swipe to show all open files, it will ONLY show the file that I've actually got open. It won't show me one I opened once upon a time. So why does TextEdit do this, and how do I permanently close TextEdit files until I actually want them to be open?!

Posted on Nov 1, 2011 1:58 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Don Archibald

Level 10

101,623 points

Nov 1, 2011 2:12 PM in response to jw84

If I open TextEdit and use it to type something in, then close TextEdit without saving the file, all the text will still be there next time I open TextEdit directly from the app icon on the dock. Why? I haven't saved anything, why is it stil there?

Because Lion uses an auto-save function. In order to keep an unsaved doc from re-opening when you start up TextEdit, close the file's window before quitting TextEdit, being sure to click the 'Don't save' button when asked.

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Answer 2

jw84 Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 1, 2011 2:17 PM in response to Don Archibald

Yep, tested that - thanks. So that problem was just down to my rudeness - I tend to bolt out of apps without saying goodbye politely 😝

But as for the other part - all the open files that won't go away even if I do close them the proper way - any ideas?

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Answer 3

Nov 1, 2011 11:20 PM in response to jw84

Have you tried going to the File menu in TextEdit, to the Open Recent item - in that submenu is an item to "Clear menu" meaning to remove items from its recent history listings.

When I selected that it did remove the few still showing in the Open Recent list. However, it did not remove the ones shown at the top of the popup menu when you right-click or Control-click on the TextEdit icon in the Dock. Right now I haven't found a way to make those disappear.

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Answer 4

jw84 Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 2, 2011 11:05 AM in response to Don Archibald

Really? This was all I had to do?! It's been driving me crazy for ages, I wish I'd asked on here sooner! Thanks very much for that. I know I should probably have more important things to spend my time worrying about but it was really bugging me not knowing why those files kept appearing, I thought they were all open, not just a quick view of recently viewed files... d'oh! 🙂

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Answer 5

Apr 9, 2013 8:03 AM in response to jw84

I just figured out how to close all the windows. If you hold command while going to File>Quit TextEdit. This should get rid of all the text files in dock's icon when you right click on it. 🙂

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Answer 6

Roscoe17

Level 1

15 points

Oct 6, 2013 8:05 PM in response to mstangswag

Sure they all close with cmd Q, but the next time I open Textedit they all open again. As for the suggestion to "Clear recent", that does work (thanks!) but that is not the intent of that menu...it's to allow one to quickly reopen a file, not open them automatically. This is clearly a bug that Apple is not acknowledging.

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