Resume can be useful; it can also be one of the most annoying Mac features. Apple needs to provide an easy-to-use interface to manage how Resume works with individual applications, as well as the overall system. Until that happens, this tip will give you some control over Resume.
How to Control Resume
Resume has a system preference that lets you turn the function on or off globally. To turn Resume on or off for all applications, follow these steps. Globally turning Resume on or off isn’t the best approach to managing the feature. You probably wouldn’t mind your Mac remembering some application states and forgetting others. There are several ways to accomplish this.
How to Use Resume Only When Needed
If you turn Resume off globally, you can still use its saved-state feature on a case-by-case basis, by using the Option key when you quit an application. Holding down the Option key when you select Quit from an application’s menu changes the “Quit” menu entry to “Quit and Keep Windows.” The next time you launch the application, its saved state is restored, including all open application windows and the documents or data they contain. You can also use the same case-by-case approach to manage Resume when you turn it on globally. This time when you use the Option key, the Quit menu entry changes to “Quit and Close All Windows.” This command causes the application to forget all window and document saved states. The next time you launch the application, it opens using its default settings.
