This can be done by holding the Shift key and right-clicking the program's taskbar icon. Select Move from the menu that appears, and begin pressing the arrow keys to force the window to move position.
You usually have no problem waiting in line to get services. But when it comes to using your Macbook Pro, it may be another story.
For me, I hated it when the applications I use became unresponsive, not to mention that when the entire system froze up. Although I was told that patience is a virtue, somehow I just don’t have it with my beloved MacBook.
How about you? Does your MacBook Pro sometimes freeze or hang up for no reason? Or the spinning beach ball often appears?
If this has happened to you, be aware that your MacBook Pro may have some issues. But, there are always fixes out there.
I’ve grouped all MacBook freezing issues into four different scenarios (thanks to our reader Carol’s feedback). Find the one that applies to your situation and follow the guide to fix the issue.
Scenario 1: An app is frozen (you can move cursor)
Details: this kind of apps usually demand a lot of system resources to process. For example, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, or sometimes the web browser you use Safari. When you click around, the app just hangs with the cursor spinning like a pinwheel. The application won’t respond to any commands.
Reasons: the app may be waiting for other hardware resources to become available, or the software may have a bug that drops itself into a calculation loop.
How to Fix:
- If you haven’t saved your work, wait for a few minutes. It may become responsive again (hopefully).
- Otherwise, simply force quit the app. To do so, go to the Apple logo on the top left corner, click on it and select the “Force Quit” option. Then highlight the unresponsive app, and click “Force Quit” to exit.
You can also press “Command + Option + Esc”, it does the same thing.
Warning: a force quit on a running Mac application may cause you to lose any content that hasn’t been saved. Be cautious before you take this action.
Scenario 2: macOS totally freezes (you can’t move cursor)
Details: the whole system becomes completely unresponsive. You are unable to use the keyboard to type, the mouse cursor is unable to move as you want, the same screen seems just hang there for good. Sometimes you also hear the loud noise coming from the fan (if you are using an old MacBook with an HDD inside).
Reasons: It happens on rare occasions, but the issue could result from over-used system resources, MacBook Pro uptime too long, hard disk errors, etc.
How to Fix:
- You’ll have to do a hard reboot. Press the power button for 3-5 seconds to force a shut-down of the computer. Press it again to restart.
- Clean up your MacBook hard drive and fix potential disk errors — you can do this quickly using CleanMyMac.
Note: if this happens while you’re updating to latest macOS, the progress bar keeps hanging at 99% (or only one minute remaining), you’ll have to quit the update. A working solution is: first upgrade your MacBook to an ealier version, then update to the latest version.
Scenario 3: MacBook Pro keeps freezing randomly
Details: Your Mac just freezes without any signs and it happens every few hours or days. One second your MacBook is working perfectly fine, the other second everything just hangs up — the cursor won’t move. If you were watching a video, horizontal lines cut through the screen. It seems the only solution to make it work again is to hold the power button to reboot.
Reasons: your MacBook’s hardware has problems — for example, you just installed extra RAM improperly or the System Management Controller (SMC) has some issues.
How to Fix:
1. Reset SMC and RVRAM. Learn how to do so from this MacWorld tutorial video.
2. If the random freezing still happens, take your MacBook Pro to an Apple Genius Bar or a local computer shop and have a geek run hardware diagnostics. Then fix the issues based on their suggestions.
Scenario 4: Mac cursor freezes while opening a specific app
Details: Your Mac cursor would freeze (for anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 mins) when you launch apps like Photos, Time Machine, Adobe Photoshop, etc.
Reasons: You’ve enlarged the Mac cursor.
How to Fix: Adjust cursor size to normal.
- Click on the Apple logo on top left, select “System Preferences.”
- Then click “Accessibility” > “Display.”
- You’ll see a window (as shown below), navigate the cursor size bar and adjust it to normal size.
Final Words
Due to the complex nature of computer issues, sometimes it’s inevitable that you may encounter other scenarios not introduced here. I’d appreciate it if you can kindly share your stories here. Anyway, I hope this troubleshooting article has helped you unfreeze your Mac, and that the rotating beach ball won’t come back.
Any further questions, leave your comment below.
The safest place to get apps for your Mac is the App Store. Apple reviews each app in the App Store before it’s accepted and signs it to ensure that it hasn’t been tampered with or altered. If there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly remove it from the store.
If you download and install apps from the internet or directly from a developer, macOS continues to protect your Mac. When you install Mac apps, plug-ins, and installer packages from outside the App Store, macOS checks the Developer ID signature to verify that the software is from an identified developer and that it has not been altered. By default, macOS Catalina also requires software to be notarized, so you can be confident that the software you run on your Mac doesn't contain known malware. Before opening downloaded software for the first time, macOS requests your approval to make sure you aren’t misled into running software you didn’t expect.
Running software that hasn’t been signed and notarized may expose your computer and personal information to malware that can harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.
View the app security settings on your Mac
By default, the security and privacy preferences of your Mac are set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers. For additional security, you can chose to allow only apps from the App Store.
In System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then click General. Click the lock and enter your password to make changes. Select App Store under the header “Allow apps downloaded from.”
Open a developer-signed or notarized app
If your Mac is set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers, the first time that you launch a new app, your Mac asks if you’re sure you want to open it.
An app that has been notarized by Apple indicates that Apple checked it for malicious software and none was detected:
Prior to macOS Catalina, opening an app that hasn't been notarized shows a yellow warning icon and asks if you're sure you want to open it:
If you see a warning message and can’t install an app
Mac Software Keeps Opening Off Screen Cant Movement
If you have set your Mac to allow apps only from the App Store and you try to install an app from elsewhere, your Mac will say that the app can't be opened because it was not downloaded from the App Store.*
If your Mac is set to allow apps from the App Store and identified developers, and you try to install an app that isn’t signed by an identified developer or—in macOS Catalina—notarized by Apple, you also see a warning that the app cannot be opened.
If you see this warning, it means that the app was not notarized, and Apple could not scan the app for known malicious software.
You may want to look for an updated version of the app in the App Store or look for an alternative app.
If macOS detects a malicious app
If macOS detects that an app has malicious content, it will notify you when you try to open it and ask you to move it to the Trash.
How to open an app that hasn’t been notarized or is from an unidentified developer
Mac Software Keeps Opening Off Screen Cant Move Windows 10
Running software that hasn’t been signed and notarized may expose your computer and personal information to malware that can harm your Mac or compromise your privacy. If you’re certain that an app you want to install is from a trustworthy source and hasn’t been tampered with, you can temporarily override your Mac security settings to open it.
In macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave, when an app fails to install because it hasn’t been notarized or is from an unidentified developer, it will appear in System Preferences > Security & Privacy, under the General tab. Click Open Anyway to confirm your intent to open or install the app.
The warning prompt reappears, and you can click Open.*
Mac Software Keeps Opening Off Screen Cant Move Back
The app is now saved as an exception to your security settings, and you can open it in the future by double-clicking it, just as you can any authorized app.
Mac Software Keeps Opening Off Screen Cant Move Iphone
*If you're prompted to open Finder: control-click the app in Finder, choose Open from the menu, and then click Open in the dialog that appears. Enter your admin name and password to open the app.