Pressing Command+Tab no longer 'switches' among open apps

i press the Command+ Tab keys and I can see all open apps. but when I switch among these open apps....nothing happens. In other words, the window of the app I select does not show. I used to be able to 'switch' among them. Why no longer works?

Thanks for your suggestion.
I'm a fairly seasoned Mac user (going back to Mac Plus in 1987) and have tried my usual 'bag of tricks' to resolve this issue. However, nothing works including comments from CNET on deleting some prefs. What did work is my starting up from a week old clone of my internal hard drive stored on an external disk. The external worked flawlessly using the app switcher. So, something happened in the past week. It could be the newest update to iTunes or a Mac 'security' update. I just don't know. What I'm going to do is sit on the fence like a bird and watch the community. Others are having this issue and eventually Apple will figure out what is going on and resolve it with yet another update.
Or....worst case scenario, since the problem is not that serious, I'll wait a month or two for Lion and solve it with an install of a totally new system.

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Using command tab for application switcher no long cycles through all apps

Using command tab for application switcher use to work as it always has before Lion, and did in Lion for a few days. Now it stops at the last app. It always use to keep cycling through through all the apps. I figure I did something, but cannot figure out what. I have tried old tricks like force quitting dock using Activity Monitor, but that didnt work. Tried restarting, repairing permissions, and a new user account. I will great appreciate anyones help with this.
Thanks,
Mark C.

I was going to post my experience about application switcher as well, but i have the opposite problem: in SL it never worked, but now in Lion it does. Since I upgraded by installing over Lion, I'm assuming there must be a setting somewhere for this behavior. There is a place for setting keyboard keystrokes, looking there may help.

Every time i try to press new tab nothing happens it wont open, i need help on how to fix this

I'm unable to open a new tab in Firefox. I've tried restarting Firefox, pressing Ctrl t, and going to file and pressing new tab. but none of it is working. does anyone know ow to fix this

This issue can be caused by an extension that isn't working properly.
Start Firefox in <u>[[Safe Mode|Safe Mode]]</u> to check if one of the extensions (Firefox/Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Extensions) or if hardware acceleration is causing the problem (switch to the DEFAULT theme: Firefox/Firefox/Tools > Add-ons > Appearance).
*Do NOT click the Reset button on the Safe Mode start window.
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Safe+Mode
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Troubleshooting+extensions+and+themes
You can use the SearchReset extension to reset some preferences to the default values.
*https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/searchreset/
Note that the SearchReset extension only runs once and then uninstalls automatically, so it won't show on the "Firefox > Add-ons" page (about:addons).

Command, Tab option not showing all open applications

Hi,
Just upgraded to Mountain Lion and now when using the combination of Command+TAB not all open applications are displayed.
This seems like a bug or am I missing something

I want to add to list as having same issue... Even core Apple programs not showing up (Safari, iPhoto) in Command Tab. But Mail, iCal do show up in Command + Tab. Also noticed that only some applications "minimize window into the application icon", while others get minimized to bottom right of Dock. Additionally no "Show indicator lights for open application" appears for those missing programs. I attempted to select-unselect both of those in the Preferences -> Dock options and restart a few times, with no success.
The same programs missing from Command + Tab are also missing a graphic icon in Dashboard view (only Application Name appears).
Issue is new to OS X Mountion Lion, I did not have that problem before.

Why has cmd-tab has stopped switching between open applications?

why has cmd-tab stopped switching between open applications?

Have you tried rebooting your machine? Are you multitasking and running out of RAM perhaps? Reboot the machine and check to see if it works again.
If that doesn't work, go into system preferences and check your keyboard shortcuts.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343

Switching among opened songs VInst plugs every time reload sound data!!!

Why does this happen? Every time I switch between 2 opened songs I have to wait reloading sound data of plugs with waste of time. Isn't there a workaround to this?
Thanks

if they have similar sound samples, then make sure you have keep common samples in memory when switching songs.
if not, then don't have 2 large songs up at the same time - it's bad for your health anyway. if you need to transfer lots of nitty-griity data between the 2 songs then disable the audio driver. that'll speed up switching. when you're finished re-enable the driver and away you go.

Command/Tab no longer showing active application list since 10.6.8 update.

Any ideas where this has gone?

updating.. It looks as though as soon as I open an app, the icon disappears.
I looked in console, (whose icon disappeared) and these messages showed
3/24/11 Mar 24, 2:45:15 PM Dock[165] DockUtilCreateImageFromIcon: PlotIconRefInContext failed -2582
3/24/11 Mar 24, 2:48:50 PM Dock[165] DockUtilCreateImageFromIcon: PlotIconRefInContext failed -2582
3/24/11 Mar 24, 2:59:53 PM Dock[165] DockUtilCreateImageFromIcon: PlotIconRefInContext failed -2582
3/24/11 Mar 24, 3:03:09 PM Dock[165] DockUtilCreateImageFromIcon: PlotIconRefInContext failed -2582
Message was edited by: Hanuman Hoffman

This morning the computer completely froze. In the previous weeks the mouse had been not working strongly. I followed advice seen in this community and pressed Command Tab together. It worked. Does anyone know what the actual problem was? Thank you.

Complete freezing of computer and solution IMAC 21 5/3 500 GB 9400 N

Hi, John. Welcome to the Discussions.
1. You wrote: "I get the same pinwheel/apple screen that is "loading" (according to the pinwheel) forever"The "pinwheel" is known as a "spinning gear progress indicator."
This, combined with the other issues you've reported, sounds like problems with the hard drive. I suggest you begin troubleshooting using the Procedure specified in my "Resolving Disk, Permission, and Cache Corruption" FAQ. Perform the steps therein in the order specified.
2. You wrote: "...the shortcut bar (the tray at the bottom for programs, i don't know what mac users call it)"It's called the Dock. See "Mac OS X: About the Dock."
3. You wrote: "...this is my first mac..."My "Learning About Mac OS X" FAQ has a number of resources that you will find helpful including books, online training, and more.
4. You wrote: "...Macs: rarely break, when they do, support needed, but support from apple expires 12 days ago, not easily fixed..."You should have bought the AppleCare Protection Plan (ACPP) before your warranty expired. The ACPP provides a two-year extension on the warranty and three years of telephone support.
PS: Word to the Wise: watch the language. I appreciate your frustration, but don't let it into your posts. These forums are "family friendly" and a good way to get banned from them is to rant, use profanity (including profane abbreviations), etc. What passes for "acceptable behavior" on most PC/Windows forums is not tolerated here.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

Safari hangs on new tab and slows switching full screen apps..

Hey guys,having problems with safari,when a new tab is open which displays all the most visited sites,it lags wayyyy toooo much when switching to other full screen apps,this happens only in new tab and while showing visited sites not when another website is open...i have updated to the latest os 10.8.3,and this just started happening a month back,just yesterday safari was hanging with everypage,i did a full reset and then the same problem,please help..i don like to use other web browsers at all..

I agree with everything you said about full screen apps, mission control and launchpad. For apps that made sense to run full screen, they already could under SL. Launchpad is totally unnecessary and Mission Control is a mere shadow of Expose and Spaces.
However, I feel you have not given due credit to Spaces. The point of Spaces is to let one organise logical desktops for different tasks, not just a way to reduce the number of windows on display. For example, I have a Space for software development where I run Xcode and the iPhone simulator, a Firefox window showing perhaps documentation or some other websites pertaining to software development, a Finder window that is opened in the folder with my design docs. I have another Space where I have the remote login sessions, yet another Space with another Firefox window where I do general surfing and emailing. I can switch between these spaces using a keyboard shortcut, which is much quicker than having to lift my hand off the keyboard, move it over to the mouse, move the mouse pointer over the Dock, find the app and click on it, only to find that it has switched to the wrong window of the app.
Without Spaces, organisation of my desktop is disrupted each time I want to switch task, whereas Spaces allows me to drop everything I am doing, go and do something completely different for a while and go back to my exact previous environment. I have a 27" iMac so am not short of screen space but I use Spaces extensively. BTW, switching Spaces using a keyboard shortcut is a lot faster on SL than the equivalent on Lion, thanks to the gratuitous screen animation of the latter.

Command-C no longer works in some apps

All of a sudden command-c isn't copying! Choosing Copy from the Edit menu does work, but that's hardly convenient.
While this true in almost all apps (Pages, TextEdit, Excel, Outlook, etc.), in one, at least, (MarinerWrite) command-c does work! I've changed keyboards, but that doesn't help.
Anyone got any ideas?

just adding on to what SilverSkyRat wrote.
System Preferences -> Keyboard.
Then the "Shortcuts" tab, look for warning sign, yellow triangle, in the left pane.

Command-tab issue

I'm not sure if it's a feature, but sometimes I press Command+Tab and only the icons for apps in that space show. If I let go and try it again, I get the whole list of apps open system-wide.
I've done some searching but can't find any answers. I sthis a feature?

guitar4542 - My question wasn't how to get the app switcher up, thanks.
Carolyn - I can't see anything in there for switching with command-tab at all. The basic feature I know, but this whole switching between apps that are only in that space is something that seems to be new, since Leopard has Spaces and previous releases of OS X didn't.

Command+Tab question (coming from Windows XP)

Bought my first mac...a MacBook with Leopard.
I'm having a hard time getting used to the Command+Tab app switching functions, as I'm used to Alt+Tab in Windows. There's one particular scenario that's bugging me...
- Open a TextEdit document window. Menubar shows TextEdit.
- Open a Finder window. Menu shows Finder.
- Click back on the TextEdit window. Minimize that window to the right side of the dock (running apps/windows???).
- Click back on the finder window to make it the active app/window.
- Use Command+Tab to cycle through the open apps and stop on TextEdit. Menubar will show TextEdit, but where's my previous document? It's still in the right side of the dock. Is there any keystroke that can then cycle through the open windows within the current app (minimized or not), so I can find my document?
- I noticed that after that last step, after I've Command+Tabbed into TextEdit with no TE windows open on the desktop, even using Expose won't show me the docked document window. Must I use the mouse to pull that document window out of the dock???
Thanks!
Gary

AFAICT, yes. Either that or select Window->minimized document. I rarely minimize windows, so I don't know if there's a shortcut to unminimize those windows.
Since you're a newcomer to the Mac, peruse
Switching from Windows to Mac OS X,
Basic Tutorials on using a Mac,
MacFixIt Tutorials, and
MacTips Learning Centre.
Additionally, *Texas Mac Man* recommends:
Quick Assist.
Welcome to the Switch To A Mac Guides, and
A guide for switching to a Mac.

Open applications not appearing in dock or command-tab.

I am using 10.9.5 on a Macbook Air and I've noticed recently that open applications don't display icons in the dock. Command-Tab also doesn't show the icons of all open applications either. This seems to be recently occurring. It's quite frustrating switching between applications when command-tab doesn't show the open application icons nor are the icons of open apps displayed in the dock. Any ideas are appreciated.
Thank You

Open the Terminal in the Utilities folder. At the prompt paste the following:
killall Dock
Press RETURN. See if that helps.

App switcher (command-tab) disappears

At random intervals my app switcher will misbehave. Sometimes it reuses to show at all when I press command-tab, although the app switch still takes place. Sometimes it will show on screen but there will only be one or two apps in the list even though I may have 10 open.
Anyone experiencing this?
10.6.1. Been doing it since my initial install of 10.6.

How random? Can you work in Safe Mode for a while to test? (It will take more time to startup in Safe Mode because it runs a directory check.)
-mjfor a while to test?

Dock not working; command-tab switch between programs not working

The Dock does not work. I have restarted (although the computer will not restart under "Restart", getting stuck at the last part, and needs to be restarted manually). When I change Dock preferences it reverts back to default settings. If I am lucky, the dock will appear and then disappear (poof) without having functioned.
The command tab function for switching between programs stopped working also.
The individual programs work, but I have to go to recent items to switch programs.
Further, I have two Previews open (with different documents in each) even though I have only one Preview program.
A whole lot of bizarre things that may be connected? I would appreciate any help.

You could try removing the .plist file again, but this time, try also removing the com.apple.dock.db file. Then log out and log in again.
Also, it seems as if many people are having similar problems. See [this thread|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9126119].
So, does the problem persist with another user account?
If it were my machine, the next thing I'd try is downloading the combo updater from Apple's website and reinstalling it. 10.5.6 is available [here|http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacOS_X_10-5-6_ComboUpdate].

Pressing Command+Tab no longer 'switches' among open apps

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