By Dan Moren

December 8, 2015 7:47 AM PT

Quick Tip: Get rid of stuck progress bars on Dock folders

Note: This story has not been updated for several years.

Frustration, thy name is progress bars. We’ve all probably gotten fed up with waiting for them to creep along to the end, but worse is when they get to the end and don’t go away.

That seems to happen to folders in my Dock with stunning regularity, dating back I-don’t-know-how-many-versions of OS X. El Capitan is no different–apparently whatever needs to be done to rid the world of this corruption once and for all didn’t make the cut.

So, this morning, as I cursed the sticky bar of progress for the what seemed like the millionth time, I figured I should at least share my knowledge of dealing with this problem with others who have suffered the same terrible fate. So, here we go.

Fire up Terminal and type this magical incantation:

killall Dock

Offer up a prayer to whatever deity you believe in and hit Return. Away goes the offending creature, and in its place a new Dock rises, free of the encroaching blight of foul progress bars that show no progress! The kingdom has been saved…at least until the beast rears its head once more.

[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors, as well as an author, podcaster, and two-time Jeopardy! champion. You can find him on Mastodon at @dmoren@zeppelin.flights or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His next novel, the sci-fi adventure Eternity's Tomb, will be released in November 2026.]

If you appreciate articles like this one, support us by becoming a Six Colors subscriber. Subscribers get access to an exclusive podcast, members-only stories, and a special community.