



Officially known as the wait cursor, it is frequently referred to by sighted users as the “Spinning beachball of death” or “pinwheel of death.” Therefore, if you are seeking help from a sighted user, describe the problem as something like “I’m getting the beachball” or “It’s beachballing.” Likewise if you are helping a sighted user who describes a problem this way, you know it is the same as if a Voiceover user says “It’s not responding.” A basic overview of hardware components Thus when performing resource-intensive tasks such as media editing or complex video rendering, this is normal and should resolve when the task is complete.

The announcement that an app is “Not responding” refers to a state of intense processor activity that limits your ability to navigate within the focused app, and in extreme cases, your entire system. For more information about backing up the data on your Mac, check out this guide to using Time Machine, the Mac’s built in backup utility. Whichever method you prefer, it is important to update your software so you have the latest patches, and to backup your data so you have it in the unlikely event that something goes wrong. Maintenance tasks on your Mac can either be performed manually or with the help of third-party maintenance utilities. In this guide, I will give an overview of some of the most common problems and solutions, but keep in mind that slower than expected performance is a nonspecific symptom, so there might be other explanations for the issues you’re experiencing. If it happens frequently or for more than a few seconds at a time when performing basic tasks, there is likely an underlying problem with your Mac, either software or hardware related. If you’re a Mac Voiceover user, there’s one thing you absolutely hate hearing, that an app is “Not responding.” This may happen occasionally and only last for a few seconds, causing only minor annoyance, or it can happen frequently and significantly disrupt your workflow.
