NOTATIO

NeeraWM wrote: ↑25 Jul 2024, 13:50 I always uncheck the box to reopen windows. in order to do that, the Mac has to save the current app status in RAM, to have it handy when it starts up. If anything has gone corrupt in the time you used the Mac, it will be allowed to stay corrupt on the next restart.

Errr.. no. The computer doesn't store anything in RAM when it's switched off. The information is stored in ~/Library/Saved Application State, and read from disk at startup.

benwiggy wrote: ↑25 Jul 2024, 18:08 Errr.. no. The computer doesn't store anything in RAM when it's switched off. The information is stored in ~/Library/Saved Application State, and read from disk at startup.

Very glad to be proven wrong and to learn something new.
Thank you, Ben!

I believe I felt the Mac being much slower at startup because of that, but the 2016 machine were born crippled.
I should try this again with the M3 Max, I may be pleasantly surprised!

As I mentioned, PDFs that were open when the computer shut down do appear again on restarting, but are full page and have lost the shape and position. However, I've just noticed that actually appear at first for a second of two in the same position and shape that I left them, that is, exactly what I am looking for, but THEN they immediately change to full page. I've tried this with all other applications off at restart with the same result. So there is something or some setting that is changing them, but I have no idea what that would be.

Do you have two displays? Perhaps the second display is not active when the Mac starts to think about where to put all the windows.

Thanks, benwiggy. I tried starting up with the secondary monitor turned off, but the result was the same. And the PDF windows I was testing were both on the primary monitor in any case, so I am assuming they would "know" were to stay right there. As usual they were the correct shape and position for a few seconds, but then switched to full page as other applications started up. I have also tried staring up with no applications set to open at start up and this also had no effect.

What PDF reader are you using to achieve this, John?
Preview has gone through some troublesome times, so it may very well be a screen-drawing bug in WindowServer in either macOS or Preview.
Just guessing of course.

On Sonoma (which your M1 Mac mini certainly supports), I get quite accurate results over restarts.
Any reason why you are staying on Monterey (which I love, by the way!)?

Preview, Neera. I tried out Adobe Reader but fled when all the ads started. I am staying with 12.6 on the theory of "if your old software ain't broke, don't fix it". I only upgrade the OS when forced. Dorico forced me to last time. I think you may be right about the bug. It's not enough of an issue to upgrade at this point.

Of course, good point.
You may be missing out on Security Updates soon, though.
When it comes to macOS, I usually wait until the x.1 release or x.2 to see if there were outstanding reports of issues, then upgrade.
Braver users like to walk on the edge and test beta macOS versions—which in general are quite stable. I've stopped doing that, though.

> You may be missing out on Security Updates soon, though.

This matters.