Applications stay running after quit: Help!

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givemeabrake Author

Level 1

28 points

Applications stay running after quit: Help!

Hi,

Closing an application used to be simple:

Right click on the dock icon > then > "Quit"

Or menu bar > app name > "Quit ___"

But recently I discovered, after checking in the Activity Monitor app, that some apps just will retire its icon from the Dock, but they will still be running in the background actively consuming resourses (real mem, % CPU, CPU Time, etc.)

I have noticed that this can happen with other apps.

(So far) these others are: iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, AddressBook, QuickTime.

I need help to fix this problem.

It is disturbing to think that every time I have to close an app, I have to do it by using the "Quit Process" in the Activity Monitor utility.

Thank you very much for your help!

______________________________________________________________

Either the app is set to keep the icon in the dock or not, after closing the app, the icon's light indicator turns of or the icon removes itself from the dock acordingly, but the app will remaing running in the background.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on May 17, 2012 5:43 AM

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Answer 1

softwater

Level 5

5,556 points

May 17, 2012 5:49 AM in response to givemeabrake

Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal.app) and type

killall Dock

(that 'D' is case-sensitive). Press 'return'

Same problem?

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Answer 2

givemeabrake Author

Level 1

28 points

May 17, 2012 6:03 AM in response to softwater

Thank you for your prompt answer,

Will this be a permanent solution to the "bug" or it's just a "third" option to close apps that refuse to quit and remain running in the background?

Thank you again for your help!

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Answer 3

softwater

Level 5

5,556 points

May 17, 2012 6:14 AM in response to givemeabrake

No, it's not a way to close apps. It's a way to restart the Dock, which may be all you need to do.

If it doesn't work, you can try a couple of other things. But one at a time.

Did you try it yet?

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Answer 4

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,535 points

May 17, 2012 6:25 AM in response to givemeabrake

This is normal under Lion. "Quitting" an application doesn't necessarily terminate the underlying process. See below:

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion: the Ars Technica review | Ars Technica

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Answer 5

givemeabrake Author

Level 1

28 points

May 17, 2012 6:51 AM in response to softwater

@softwater

Thank you for your patience.

I have to make clear, that I (cannot) reproduce the bug.

I made what you recommended right away after your last post and I will be checking often to see if tis happens again.

Even though, I want to tell you, in case that we can go to the second step, that 3 days ago I have restarted the dock several times when refreshing my dock icons customizations. (Some of them went back to their default after updates last 6 months).

Yesterday, I found those apps running in the background!

To restart the dock I have used the script:

try

tell application "Dock" to quit

end try

delay 2

tell application "Dock" to activate

Should we continue to the next step?

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Answer 6

givemeabrake Author

Level 1

28 points

May 17, 2012 6:53 AM in response to Linc Davis

@Linc

Thank you!

Reading now.

I'll let you know.

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Answer 7

softwater

Level 5

5,556 points

May 17, 2012 7:11 AM in response to Linc Davis

Linc Davis wrote:

See below:

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion: the Ars Technica review | Ars Technica

Interesting reading, though I'm not sure why that would still show up in the Force Quit menu. Application background processes don't normally show in there. I also couldn't replicate the Ars Technica claim with Preview, TextEdit, Safari or Mail (the last two of which have been open and running several hours). You'd think if Lion was going to do that for anything, it would be something that had had recent heavy use.

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