Vanishing Dock & CMD-TAB icons

Dear Administrator,
Recently, I upgraded my iMac Memory to 4GB and upgraded OS to OS X 10.6.8. After running the computer for long periods of time (4-5days), the newly opened program lost its icon in Dock and in CMD-TAB. It seems that the icons will reappear after I logout and then login in. I suspect that the reason for this is that I am running out of memory. But, before the upgrade, if the computer is running low on memory then it doesn't open any new applications. Now, the applications opens and works fine, except the icons were lost. Please help.
Sincerely yours,
Zigang Pan

Welcome to Apple Community forums.
Random is difficult to isolate. Try Safe Mode (It will take more time to startup in Safe Mode because it runs a directory check.)
Work in Safe Mode as long as you can and see how it goes
If your Finder functions correctly that way, go to System Preferences >> Accounts >> Login Items, and remove them. Boot normally and test. If not go to Users/(yourname)/Library/Contextual Menu Items and move whatever is there to the desktop. Then do the same with /Library/Contextual Menu Items. Lastly, try moving ~(yourname)/Library/Fonts to your desktop and restarting.
Log out/in or restart, if that sorts it start putting items back one at a time until you find the culprit.
-mj

Similar Messages

Dock/Cmd+Tab Icons shows up as blank

Recently all icons relating to webkit (chromium, safari, mailplane, fluid, even pages (not sure if it relates to webkit though..)) shows up as blank in the dock and cmd+tab boxes, however they show up just fine in the applications folder. very odd behaviour.
any ideas what might be causing this?
screenshot http://bit.ly/bcG9b0

Simply, removing the concerned applications and re-adding them to the dock, reseted the icons. Duuh.

Why are my cmd tab icons polarized?

all of the sudden today my icons started looking "polarized" when using cmd+tab or moving icons around on my dock. screenshot:
my icons also look like this when i drag them from a finder window on to my desktop. what gives?
i've tried the usual suspects like restarting as well as shutting down and booting again but this has persisted.

Hmm, my tabs screen looks the same as other recent versions. Could you double check both the non-private and private tabs (the two icons at the upper left of the tabs screen) in case your missing tabs are in the other category?

Update to 10.10.2 breaks dock, cmd+tab

Late 2010 MacBook Air. Updated to 10.10.2, dock freezes and cmd+tab doesn't page through open aps (nothing happens). Removed several 3rd party aps, no improvement. Restored 10.10.1, reupdated, same problem. Turned off auto-update and am sticking w/ 10.10.1 for now but would like to fix this. Ideas?

Try a restart.
Do a backup, using either Time Machine or a cloning program, to ensure files/data can be recovered. Two backups are better than one.
Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferences, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.
Isolating an issue by using another user account

Cmd tab graphics are corrupted! but why?

When I use cmd+tab to switch applications, I have been getting the following, for a few days now:
This is from a fresh start with no apps running. It still functions properly and when I release cmd to change app, the colours return to normal for the fade.
Does anyone have any idea what's going on?
Thanks!
Joe

This happened to me last night too.
I was also having problems with my iphoto thumbnails too though. But I'd been having this problem for a while. I rebuilt all my thumbnails, and restarted my computer.
After the restart, the cmd+tab icons got fixed!

When I open a new program in mountain lion it is not visible in the dock, nor can I select it with cmd-tab.

Any ideas? I'm on a MacBook Air.

I have the same problem as m.proudfoot. Defintiely a bug with the Dock. In addition, when I minimized applications, despite having the preference to minimize windows into the application icon, they would also start minimizing as windows to the right of the dock. I was able to fix it temporarily by restarting the dock. Go to the Terminal Application (in Utilities) and type the following: killall -KILL Dock
That will restart the dock and for me it worked, where all of a sudden three running applications appeared and the CMD + TAB starting working again. Give it a try to see if it helps at least until there is a 10.8.1.
As for what causes it, that I haven't figured out yet, but I have had it occur on 2 different machines, a MacMini and MacBook, both with Mountain Lion. So sure seems like a bug.
Kevin

CMD + Tab and dock spotlights not working

I've noticed the CMD+TAB intermittently no longer shows the open applications. It's only showing Finder. I can have any application open and still just the finder. At the same time, the blue spotlights under open applications no longer work. A restart seems to fix it.
Any idea what's going on and what I need to do besides conintually restarting my machine?
Thanks,
Jeff

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. For instructions, launch the System Preferences application, select Help from the menu bar, and enter “Set up a guest account” (without the quotes) in the search box.
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your personal files or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem(s)?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault in Mac OS X 10.7 or later, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The Guest login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
Be sure your Mac is shut down.
Press the power button.
Immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone, but not before the tone.
Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple icon and the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
*Note: If FileVault is enabled under Mac OS X 10.7 or later, you can’t boot in safe mode.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem(s)?
After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of steps 1 and 2.

Quick dock question---Using cmd-tab

Hello,
I am very used to using alt-tab to cycle through all the windows in XP. In XP it would cycle through all the open windows regardless if they were maximized, minimized, etc...
In OS X if you minimize a window cmd-tab wont bring it out from the dock (it will bring the program forward on the top of the screen but the window will remain locked in the dock until you click on it). Is there a keyboard shortcut to bring a minimized window out from the dock?
Thanks!

Oh yeah, I didn't notice you had a Macbook which means the Fx buttons have special functions. So, you would have to use the sequence fncontrolF3 to focus on the dock.
Note that you can change the settings for the Fx keys in System Preferences->Mouse & Keyboard to make such that they operate like a desktop model. When you do that, the modifier key (fn) is required to get to the special functions like volume, screen brightness, etc.
The window behavior in Mac OS X is not like Windows. The maximize button does not make the window fill the screen such that it takes over the whole thing. You can manually size it full screen by dragging the bottom corner though. This window behavior is bothersome to Windows users, but you'll get used to it. I do recommend using Expose as opposed to trying to make the Dock work like the Taskbar.

Blurry icons in Cmd-TAB Application Switcher

Hello.
As I constantly use the Cmd-TAB app.switcher, it kind of bothers me that one specific application keeps showing a blurry icon (probably resized 128x128 instead of the 512x512). I know this is a known buggy behaviour since Leopard, but it should often be OK after a restart.
Mine doesn't, and what's even stranger : in another user account the icon works fine every time I launch this application.
Resetting the PRAM didn't work. Could the problem be some cache file ? If so, how to resolve it ?
TIA

Create a new admin user account, log into it, launch a few apps, CMD+tab, and see if looks normal. If so, open the new user's Preferences folder, make a list of those files, log back into the mucked up user account, move those same plist files to an empty Desktop folder, log out and back in, and see if that fixes things. If so, then delete the moved files and reset the preferences for the things on the list.

Cmd-TAB is not working in 10.9

Hi,
since Mavericks the application switcher is not working correct. When I switch to an other application using cmd-TAB the menue of the other application is shown, but no windows of this application will be shown. In older versions of OS X the app switching via cmd-TAB was no problem.
Is ist possible to bring back the old behavior of the shortcut cmd-TAB?
Gerhard

1. This procedure is a diagnostic test. It changes nothing, for better or worse, and therefore will not, in itself, solve your problem.
2. If you don't already have a current backup, back up all data before doing anything else. The backup is necessary on general principle, not because of anything in the test procedure. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.
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Here's a summary of what you need to do: Copy a line of text from this web page into the window of another application. Wait for the script to run. It usually takes a couple of minutes. Then paste the results, which will have been copied automatically, back into a reply on this page. The sequence is: copy, paste, wait, paste again. Details follow.
4. You may have started the computer in "safe" mode. Preferably, these steps should be taken in “normal” mode. If the system is now in safe mode and works well enough in normal mode to run the test, restart as usual. If you can only test in safe mode, do that.
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6. The script is a single long line, all of which must be selected. You can accomplish this easily by triple-clicking anywhere in the line. The whole line will highlight, though you may not see all of it in your browser, and you can then copy it. If you try to select the line by dragging across the part you can see, you won't get all of it.
Triple-click anywhere in the line of text below on this page to select it:
PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin; clear; Fb='%s\n\t(%s)\n'; Fm='\n%s:\n\n%s\n'; Fr='\nRAM details:\n%s\n'; Fs='\n%s: %s\n'; Fu='user %s%%, system %s%%'; PB="/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c Print"; A () { [[ a -eq 0 ]]; }; M () { find -L "$d" -type f | while read f; do file -b "$f" | egrep -q XML\|exec && echo $f; done; }; Pc () { o=`grep -v '^ *#' "$2"`; Pm "$1"; }; Pm () { [[ "$o" ]] && o=`sed '/^ *$/d; s/^ */ /' <<< "$o"` && printf "$Fm" "$1" "$o"; }; Pp () { o=`$PB "$2" | awk -F'= ' \/$3'/{print $2}'`; Pm "$1"; }; Ps () { o=`echo $o`; [[ ! "$o" =~ ^0?$ ]] && printf "$Fs" "$1" "$o"; }; R () { o=; [[ r -eq 0 ]]; }; SP () { system_profiler SP${1}DataType; }; id | grep -qw '80(admin)'; a=$?; A && sudo true; r=$?; t=`date +%s`; clear; { A || echo $'No admin access\n'; A && ! 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CMD+Tab Issues In Mountain Lion (consolidated)

I've seen CMD+Tab Mountain Lion issues myself and some others have posted online, so I'm consolidating them here:
CMD+Tab fails to show all running apps that are running (includes native OS apps such as iPhoto, Mail, etc.)
Pressing CMD+Tab does nothing (no pop-up), although the cursor does appear as if the command is partially being processed. (window prepping?)
CMD+Tabbing OUT of a full-screen application takes you to desktop, but then hides app icon from dock and CMD+Tab menu won't appear again... effectively leaving you stuck outside of the full-screen app (SC2). Only option is to go to activity monitor and kill process.
Interesting Side Note: I also use Alfred (CMD+Spacebar) for a shortcut/index app, and whenever CMD+Tab fails, Alfred also fails and I'm forced to manually used Spotlight to open apps. This suggests something could be tying up the CMD button and preventing it from executing combination key presses... maybe?
FIXES: The only solutions so far involve killing the processes of the perpetrating apps, i.e. finder, dock and any full-screen apps which caused the problem. Even doing so, the problem will manifest itself once again within a few hours.
Cheers!

I haven't tried experimenting with a guest user account as I solely use my admin account, but I'll play around a bit tonight. I only posted as it's manifested itself multiple times on my machine, no matter whether I sleep my computer, power nap it, restart it completely, etc. and it seems as though others have been experiencing similar issues:
https://discussions.apple.com/message/19236413#19236413
https://discussions.apple.com/message/19171533#19171533
https://discussions.apple.com/message/19106906#19106906
https://discussions.apple.com/message/19137798#19137798
It seems as though the problem may lie more with applications running but not displaying as if they're running, i.e. won't appear on dock, or if it's a native app, icon won't have indicator light, and also not available in cmd+tab menu.
Certainly odd behavior.

Mail does not show as running nor is it displayed in Cmd-Tab rotation

I know that with Lion, the idea was that it shouldn't matter to the user if a program is currently running or not. So the blue dot in the dock was by default off. A lot of beta testers complained and the option to turn it back on was included. Somewhere in the last few months, Lion updates have changed something behind my back. When I run Mail, the dock blue light never shows even though it does for programs not provided by Apple. But Mail, Safari, iCal, and probably others do not show the blue dot when running. (BTW, in case you haven't read clearly what I wrote, since non-Apple dock icons show the blue dot, it means i HAVE SET THE SHOW INDICATOR lights option in Settings / Dock.)
What is far far worse is that when I press Cmd-Tab, none of these Apple programs (standard programs installed with OS X or programs from iWork or Aperture) are displayed in the cycle of programs I may switch among! I now must either click on the dock Icon with a MOUSE (extra hand movement) or click on a part of ghe window again with a Mouse. While I use the mouse a lot, having many years of pre GUI experience with only a keyboard, I developed a style of minimal movement. If my hands are on the keyboard, I don't want to pick up the mmouse unless there is no other way. Similarly if I'm using the mouse I don't want to go to the keyboard except for a good cause. Up until now, I've been able to do this with OS X (or dare I say with Windows). I've used a version of Mountain Lion and don't recal seeing this issue.
I have looked through out the setttings pages and tried preferences in each Apple application and I cannot find an option to re-enable the proper behavior of Cmd-Tab. Anyone know a way to fix this?
Thanks,

Some info regarding IMAP
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2585
http://email.cityu.edu.hk/faq/popimap.htm
http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&id=SLN3769&locale=en_US&y=PROD_MAIL_ ML
http://techchannel.radioshack.com/difference-between-imap-pop-account-apple-mail -2189.html
It is a newer protocol for mail, almost every provider has switched to it, and POP is virtually gone. It helps in syncing across multiple devices, and everything happens at the server (for the most part) at first you will see lots of activity that you will not recognize, but in time it seems to calm down and you will become used to it. When I first switched I thought I was going to lose my mind..be patient, it has become much better after some time As long as you get your mails, you may see some syncing occurring, not to worry.
Also you can contact your email provider for further info as to how "they do it"(some set-ups are different for each provider) and if there are settings that you may want to use to make it more to your liking.
Hope you find some help here

Cmd-tab does not bring up window

When you use command-tab (actually cntl-tab) in Windows, you can scroll through each active program and the active program you stop on displays the window of the active program even if you had minimized it previously. This is not true for the Mac operating systems. You can use cmd-tab, but the program you stop on--even though it is the active program--the window does not show if it has been minimized. You have to click on the icon in the dock.
Is there anyway you can re-launch the last active window of the active program without clicking on its icon in the dock? Is there a shortcut key combination that launches the window of an active program?

To my knowledge, no. I tend to avoid the problem by not minimizing windows. If I want to get to the desktop I use Mission Control's desktop function. I also use multiple desktops and assign programs to them.

Mail, Calendar, Notes, Reminders missing from cmd-Tab

To switch between applications quickly, I like to use the cmd-tab method.
Occaisionally, since upgrading to Mountain Lion, I've noticed that even though any of the Mail, Calendar, Notes, or Reminders programs are running, they are not shown in the cmd-tab list, nor do they have a little 'dot' next to the respective icon in the doc. When this happens, the apps are running, since I can either click on a part of the window for the app, or click on the icon in the dock, and that application will come to the front. All the other running applications show up as expected in the cmd-tab list.
So far, I've found that if I logout, and then log back in, the problem will clear up.
I have not yet figured out what triggers this, since it's only happened about 5 times in the past couple of weeks since upgrading to Mountain Lion.
Have others seen this same problem? Is there something I can do to prevent it from occuring?
Thanks

Hi Bruce,
Re 1)
IN my case I would have to select a Category (Similar to Selecting an Existing Tag name) to get it added to the bottom of a Post (first one in a thread/Question Post)
I have a vague feeing that like certain tabs you can get certain Categories to be added "Automatically" to your Question Posts (Set in the Personalisation part of the Front page when logged in)
I must admit to giving up some time ago in trying to get the system to display what I wanted in a manner that i was comfortable with when the change happened and have learned "new" ways to post since.
Re 2)
There is lots to Mountain Lion I have not caught up with yet.
My iMac is from mid 2011 (i5 Core)
I am running Firefox, Mail, Messages and sometime iTunes and Skitch
However I can always access them by CMD + Tab if I try.
I mostly post about iChat and now specifically use the Messages filter to answer questions on that app alone from Mountain Lion.
That was how I came across your post.
I was wondering if some Keyboard shortcuts had been created that disabled the CMD + tab in some Apps ?
I could see nothing in the Help.
There were 53 responses for CMD + tab and 51 for Changing App (which might suggest some overlap but I did not see one)
10:46 PM Saturday; August 18, 2012
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CMD Tab feature no longer takes me to the selected app.

The CMD Tab feature no longer takes me to the selected app. Additionally I have to double click many apps in the Dock to gain access. Anyone have a solution for this?
I have installed a clean Mt Lion system in th ehope that it would fix this but no luck.

tinafromwest lafayette wrote:
but when I use the down arrow key to "launch" the app back open; I get a small icon at the bottom just above the dock.
Don't use the down arrow key. Simply release the Command and Tab keys once the application you want is highlighted. This will open the application in a normal view.
By pressing the down arrow key you are invoking the view all open windows for an application. This is the same outcome as using Control and down arrow for an application that has multiple windows open.

Vanishing Dock & CMD-TAB icons

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