Messages, Text Edit not working, won't open.

Question

Messages, Text Edit not working, won't open.

Messages and Text Edit are not working, just beach balling. Screenshots won't save. Also Affinity Design Suite, can't open any of the applications either; I did just update them, so it may be a separate issue.

imac current software Sequoia 15.6.1, Finder 15.5. It's not responsive to clicking the Apple up in the top left corner, so i can't give any more details.

I opened Activity Monitor, but i have no idea how to interpret what's happening there. At the top (Process) it says "Other Use" at 99.9%. Everything else is 0.1 or thereabouts. Opening up Disk Utility gives me a blank window.

Any ideas? I desperately need Affinity NOW, it's used every single day.

iMac 24″

Posted on Dec 25, 2025 11:16 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Dec 31, 2025 12:43 PM in response to ellenfromberkeley springs

<< How would I figure out "It's something you added"? >>

You follow the directions to restart into safe mode, supply your login username and password when required, and try some stuff.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

One thing to try is to delete some of the files in the "Downloads" folder (but NOT the folder itself) to see if that makes any more drive space available. Items in this folder are all expendable. They all came to you by download, so if any is needed, they can be downloaded again later.

By far the easiest way to cause poor performance, instability, overheating and crashing is to install ANY third-party speeder-uppers, Cleaners, Optimizers, Virus scanners, Bit Torrent, or a VPN that you installed yourself.

¿Do you have any of those installed?

Reply

Answer 2

Dec 31, 2025 11:24 AM in response to ellenfromberkeley springs

<< So if I start up in safe mode, then what? >>

works in Safe Mode,

Fails in regular mode,

strongly suggests "It's something you added"

works the same in both suggests you have a problem like

• too little RAM memory

• disk is more than 80 percent full

• Hardware issue

Reply

Answer 3

Dec 31, 2025 10:15 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I have restarted many many times. Things are still really unstable. Disk Doctor does nothing, just scrolls.

So if I start up in safe mode, then what?

I have force quit many times as well, which seems to make things worse, ie, the finder won't load, then I have to do a hard shut down.

Reply

Answer 4

Dec 31, 2025 11:55 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks for responding on New Year's eve. I do appreciate you taking the time!

I definitely don't have enough memory OR disk space. I would tell you precisely but I can't open the apple menu because it's not working. I feel like this lack of space could be the root of the problem, and i have no way to fix it. I am incredibly frustrated. I can't save files at all in Publisher, and am getting spinning beach balls with every single action I take.

How would I figure out "It's something you added"?

Reply

Answer 5

Dec 25, 2025 12:11 PM in response to ellenfromberkeley springs

Consider doing Shutdown and Restart, which clears some caches and reduces memory footprint.

Consider restarting into Safe Mode, which does a few-minutes-long disk check as its starts up, then loads up with very few add-ons loaded. One add-on NOT loaded is the accelerated display driver -- so screen updates in safe mode can be wonky and slow, but will ultimately render correctly.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

Reply

Answer 6

Recycleur

Level 4

1,651 points

Dec 26, 2025 7:28 PM in response to ellenfromberkeley springs

In addition to Grant's answer, you may be interested to know that you can open a list of running applications with Option-Command-Esc, from which you can shut them down. It's especially useful for the ones not responding.

Reply