An application that stops responding can be difficult to describe after it has been closed. A short process sample collected while the problem is present can give the application’s support team evidence alongside your description of the task.

First record the time, the application name and the action that immediately preceded the stall. Note whether other applications still respond. Preserve unsaved work elsewhere where possible and avoid repeating a transaction or import simply because the first attempt appears stuck.

Sample the intended process

Open Activity Monitor and locate the affected application in the process list. Select that process, then use the More menu and choose Sample Process. Apple documents this as a report taken over three seconds for the selected process.

Confirm the selected name before sampling. A similarly named helper may be relevant in some investigations, but it should not silently replace the main application in your report. If support requests a specific helper, label that sample clearly.

Use the resulting report window’s available saving controls to retain the sample. Give the saved item a name that associates it with the application and observation time without putting private document contents into the filename.

Keep the report tied to the symptom

Add a short note describing the document type, the command used and how long you waited. Include the application and macOS versions when known. This context helps a reviewer understand whether the sample captured the actual stall or an ordinary background operation.

Read enough of the saved output to confirm that it belongs to the intended process. Diagnostic material can reveal local paths or details about active software, so share it only with the relevant support contact through an agreed channel.

A sample is evidence, not a diagnosis or a recovery operation. It does not save the application’s unsaved document and does not establish which component is defective.

After collecting it, choose the next action based on the importance of the unsaved work and the application’s guidance. If force quitting becomes necessary, record that separately so the later reviewer knows which evidence was gathered before the application was closed.

References: Apple: Activity Monitor diagnostics.