Mac When Locking Screen All Windows Close

Mac Locking Screen: Why Do My Windows Close? Troubleshooting and Solutions

Are you frustrated by your Mac closing all open windows when you lock your screen? This seemingly minor inconvenience can be incredibly disruptive to your workflow. This article will explore why this happens and offer several solutions to prevent your windows from closing unexpectedly when locking your screen. We'll cover common causes, simple fixes, and more advanced troubleshooting steps to get your Mac working smoothly.

This issue isn't a standard macOS behavior, suggesting a problem with settings, third-party apps, or even a system glitch. Let's delve into the potential culprits and how to address them.

Common Causes of Window Closure Upon Screen Lock

Several factors can contribute to your Mac closing windows when you lock the screen:

• Third-Party Apps: Certain applications, particularly those related to energy saving or system optimization, might have settings that trigger window closure upon locking. These apps might attempt to conserve resources aggressively, leading to unwanted behavior. This includes apps that manage energy settings or those related to screen time management.
• Energy Saver Settings: While unlikely to directly close windows, aggressive energy saving settings might inadvertently contribute to the problem by forcing applications to close or be put into a state where they don't resume properly after unlocking. Check your system's energy saving preferences.
• System Preferences: Although less common, a conflict within macOS's system preferences or a corrupted preference file could cause this unexpected behavior. We'll explore how to troubleshoot this.
• Software Bugs or Glitches: Sometimes, a software bug or glitch within macOS itself or a specific application can cause this issue. Restarting your Mac can often resolve temporary glitches.
• Conflicting Extensions: Browser extensions or other system extensions might interfere with the normal screen locking process, leading to the unintended closure of windows.

Troubleshooting Steps: Resolving the Window Closure Problem

Let's walk through some troubleshooting steps to identify and fix the root cause:

1. Restart Your Mac: The simplest solution is often the most effective. A restart can clear temporary files and resolve minor software glitches.

2. Check Third-Party Applications:

• Identify Suspicious Apps: Review your recently installed applications, focusing on any related to energy saving, system optimization, or screen time management.
• Disable or Uninstall: Temporarily disable or uninstall these apps one by one to see if the problem resolves. This helps pinpoint the culprit.
• Check App Settings: Examine the settings within these applications. Look for any options related to closing applications or windows upon screen lock or when the system enters sleep mode. Disable these options if found.

3. Review Energy Saver Settings:

• Access Energy Saver: Navigate to System Preferences > Battery or System Preferences > Energy Saver (depending on your macOS version).
• Moderate Settings: Avoid overly aggressive energy-saving settings that might force applications to close. Find a balance between energy efficiency and system stability.

4. Create a New User Account: This helps determine if the problem is system-wide or user-specific. If the problem doesn't occur in a new user account, it suggests a problem with your user profile settings or associated files.

5. Reset the System Management Controller (SMC): In some cases, a problem with the SMC might contribute to unexpected behavior. Consult Apple's support documentation for instructions on resetting the SMC for your specific Mac model. This is a more advanced step, so only try this if other solutions fail.

6. Check for macOS Updates: An outdated operating system might contain bugs that cause this issue. Ensure your macOS is up-to-date.

Preventing Future Occurrences

Once you've identified and resolved the issue, take proactive steps to prevent it from happening again:

• Regular Software Updates: Keep your macOS and applications updated to benefit from bug fixes and performance improvements.
• Careful App Installation: Be cautious when installing third-party applications, especially those promising significant system optimization. Read reviews and check the developer's reputation.
• Monitor System Behavior: Pay attention to how your Mac behaves after installing new software or making significant system changes.

By following these steps, you should be able to diagnose and resolve the issue of your Mac closing windows when locking the screen. Remember to proceed methodically, testing after each step to pinpoint the solution. If the problem persists despite these troubleshooting steps, contacting Apple Support might be necessary.