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Lion cmd-tab doesn't bring the application windows to the foreground

When I switch between apps using Command-Tab the system brings the correct application to the foreground (as indicated by the menu bar) but the application's windows often remain in the background behind another app that is running in the same space.

e.g. if I have Mail and Preview running in Space 1 and Safari in Space 2, using command-tab to switch from Safari to Mail will often leave me seeing Mail's menus at the top of the screen, but looking at windows from open Preview documents. To get the correct windows to the foreground I often have to then either do a three-finger up swipe to get Mission Control and click on Mail, or use Command-Tab again and re-select Mail from the apps listed.

The App Switcher (Command-Tab) should bring the selected app AND its windows to the foreground, but this often doesn't happen - I say often because the behaviour is inconsistent, sometimes it works as it should, but often it doesn't.

Please, please don't reply to this query if all you have to offer is an alternative method of app switching - I know there are other ways to switch between apps but I've been using Command-Tab for years (and Macs for 20+ years) and I want to figure out how to fix this problem, not just work around it.

I'm working on an 11" MacBook Air with Lion 10.7.2

Thanks for your help!

Posted on Nov 2, 2011 2:12 PM

42 replies

nvt

Level 1

26 points

Sep 7, 2012 6:30 AM in response to NorrinRadd

Hmmm - never had this problem until I installed Mountain Lion so it does not seem that Mountain lion fixes....

All was fien until I had to runa disk repair using the Disk Utility and then ran onyx to clean up the detritus of several motnhs

Now CMD-Tab does nothing and I have nto foudn a solution

nvt

Level 1

26 points

Sep 7, 2012 6:34 AM in response to nvt

I'll add this from the Macrumors post did solve the problem

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=575405

killall dock did not do it exactly but as one poster pointed out

ps -ef | grep -i dock

Allowed you to detemine the actual command which should be

killall Dock

This restored the Cmd-Tab fucntion for now but no idea id I will have to do that after every reboot?

vicdroid

Level 1

0 points

Oct 18, 2012 2:25 PM in response to Neil Youngson

So, Ive working with this crappy bug since Lion came out. I read here that Mountain Lion fixes the problem, so I upgraded,and it worked BUT only if the app you've selected to switch to is on your current desktop.

The CMD+TAB command won't switch desktops (spaces).

I have Lightroom 4 running on an entire desktop and PSCS6 on another, when I try to switch to either one from my main desktop (where I'm running Chrome,itunes, finder etc), or from any desktop actually, to an app thats in a different desktop IT WON'T SWTICH!!

Its pretty annoying. But I guess Im stuck with CTRL-Arrowing 'till theres a fix.

Good day guys.🙂

Dec 4, 2012 2:07 PM in response to Neil Youngson

Is anyone still having this problem? I'm experiencing this after upgrading from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion just last week. I can tab from regular apps TO fullscreen apps but I cannot tab FROM full screen apps to regular apps.

Dec 4, 2012 3:41 PM in response to pinknoize

Upgrading to Mountain Lion completely solved my problems wether apps are full-screen or not or a mixture. If you can't switch at all from full screen apps to regular apps using Cmd-Tab then something is wrong with your particular Mac, perhaps a corrupted prefs file or a permissions problem. I suggest starting with a Permissions fix in Disk Utility.

However you don't say exactly what happens when you try. My problem was that the switching would occur but the appropriate windows would not always come to the front. I never experienced the inability to switch using Cmd-Tab.

Dec 5, 2012 7:08 AM in response to Neil Youngson

Let me clarify then that my Cmd-Tab function itself still works (the toolbar for whatever application I switch to appears at the top) but the window itself does not slide back into view (fullscreen apps).

I can tab from fullscreen apps to regular screen apps and the regular screen (and application) slides into view. But when I tab back into a fullscreen app, only the toolbar changes. The screen itself does NOT slide back into view.

Another noteworthy observation is that I CAN tab between two fullscreen applications. The toolbar and window both slide into view like normal.

So the problem ONLY presents itself when I try to switch from regular screen to fullscreen apps. I already restarted numerous times and also repaired disk permissions twice.

mamiano

Level 1

0 points

Dec 8, 2012 6:08 AM in response to Byzandinos

It doesn't help. You have completely misunderstood the issue that is being discussed. Did you even read the thread?

Dec 13, 2012 7:56 AM in response to Neil Youngson

For anyone still stuck on this problem like I was, I finally found a solution. Doing a clean install of Mountain Lion and then using Migration Assistant DID NOT solve the problem. I had to do a clean install of Mountain Lion and then MANUALLY bring back my personal files and applications (not using Migration Assistant).

renekist

Level 1

0 points

Mar 27, 2013 3:37 AM in response to Neil Youngson

I have the same problem as original poster. However, I can't upgrade because I'm on a 2008 MacBook that won't run MLion. Any suggestions to fix it in Lion?

2008 Polycarb MacBook, Lion 10.7.5

May 17, 2013 11:18 AM in response to Neil Youngson

I also have this problem, cmd+Tab is inconsistent, it doesn't work properly in about 10% of the times. The only thing I have to contibure is informing you guys that I'm in a brand new 2013 MacBook Pro running MLion from factory. There's no new updates to install.

Rbug16

Level 1

0 points

May 21, 2013 6:31 AM in response to Neil Youngson

Finally the answer is in system pref, mission control and tick the "when switching to an application, switich to a space with an open windows for the application" and it sort out the issue. It seems to have been added on one of the recent updates. Thanks to superuser.com

http://superuser.com/questions/404228/mac-os-x-command-tab-doesnt-switch-back-to -fullscreen-app

May 21, 2013 3:41 PM in response to Rbug16

Wrong.

read the posts. the problem is it goes to the WRONG window. not that it isn't going to a window at all.

Jul 14, 2013 8:41 PM in response to Neil Youngson

If you press cmd+w to close/hide Mail, You're actually closing the Message Viewer...

So when you switch to Mail, no windows open up.

If you press cmd + 0 after you've selected Mail via tabbing..., the viewer will come back.

Hope this helps.

renekist

Level 1

0 points

Jul 15, 2013 4:07 AM in response to PrintHook

PrintHook: that is true, but OSX is supposed to behave that way if you cmd+w.

The issue occurs when you simply cmd+tab away from e.g. Mail, without closing any windows. When you try to cmd+tab back to Mail, you end up seeing another program's window instead.

I will add that when this problem occurs, subsequently cmd+tabbing back and forth once using cmd+tab+arrow keys (i.e. cmd+tab+right,left) _will_ show the right window. But this is very unproductive.

Jul 15, 2013 10:13 AM in response to renekist

"The issue occurs when you simply cmd+tab away from e.g. Mail, without closing any windows. When you try to cmd+tab back to Mail, you end up seeing another program's window instead."

Precisely. And to confirm, do you see this on Mountain Lion as well as Lion?

Specifically: The focus doesn't return to the application that is re-selected. Moving away and back does set the focus.

Lion cmd-tab doesn't bring the application windows to the foreground