OS X Tip #4
How to force quit an application.

Mac OS X has protected memory. If one application crashes and stops responding. Other apps will go right on running. If a Mac OS X application stops responding. You can force quit that application and keep working.

Select Apple -> Force Quit… or you can type Command (Apple key)-Option-Escape. This is known as the three finger salute.
Select the application you want to force quit. Click the Force Quit button.

When asked if you want to force the application to quit, click the Force Quit button.

Close the Force Quit Applications window by clicking the leftmost button in the top left corner of the window.
You can also sometimes Force Quit from the Dock by Control clicking (left click for two button mouse users) on application’s icon in Dock and choose Force Quit.
No reboots are usually needed.

    | Tags: mac tips, troubleshooting