Questions tagged [finder]

Mac OS X's default file manager and desktop shell

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1 vote
1 answer
5k views

Files in Finder are greyed out when trying to upload to a website

I'm using OS X 10.5.8 and I can't upload any files to specific website (I've tried all the browsers: Safari, Chrome, Firefox). All files are greyed out in the Finder window that opens. I know the ...
0 votes
1 answer
725 views

Creating a keyboard shortcut to go to a specific folder on Mac OS Finder

I use ⌘+SHIFT+G in my routine on macOS and with ⌘+SHIFT+D (go to user/desktop) or ⌘+ALT+L (go to user/downloads) I can travel pretty fast. But there are some folders that I'd like to go to quickly in ...
22 votes
4 answers
15k views

How to go up a directory in Finder?

I'm coming from windows were there is a designated button to do this. Just click it and you can go "up" a directory. I can no find a way to do this in macOS using Finder. I'm running macOS - Mojave....
2 votes
2 answers
12k views

On a Mac, how do you recover from accidentally removing a device from the sidebar?

So I've got my Nook plugged into my Mac and it shows a "No Name" device for my additional memory. I try to rename it, but instead of clicking rename in Finder, I accidentally click "Remove from ...
0 votes
0 answers
11 views

Save as PDF using the Firefox mxt08-real/Export-Web-to-PDF extension

MacOS Ventura 13.6.3 Firefox 123 and 124b (developper edition) I am testing the mxt08-real/Export-Web-to-PDF Firefox extension, which allows to add an icon to trigger the "Save as PDF" ...
0 votes
1 answer
4k views

Is a software to emulate the macOS finder available for Windows?

Is there any way to make Windows Explorer, or software the emulates, the columned file exploring system in the macOS “Finder?”
42 votes
13 answers
28k views

Copying and pasting the path within Finder

I've recently moved to the Mac from Windows as my primary machine. One feature I'm really missing is the ability to quickly navigate between folders. I used to do this under Windows by copying the ...
1 vote
1 answer
4k views

Python IDLE not opening when I double click on python scripts on macOS Big Sur

I am trying to run a script with IDLE in Python version 3.9.5. When I have IDLE open and I open the script with File > Open... it successfully opens the script. Likewise, when running IDLE3.9 from ...
5 votes
2 answers
5k views

CD-ROM does not appear on desktop, macOS 10.5.7

When I pop a CD-ROM into the drive of my MacBook Pro, It spins up, I hear it, but no icon appears on the desktop. (I think it's 10.5.7; actually not sure how to verify this on Mac, but I think I saw a ...
31 votes
6 answers
101k views

How do I enable snap-to-grid by default on Mac OS X?

I'm setting up a new Mac, and when I drag icons on my desktop (or in Windows, if I switch them to icon view), the icons don't snap into place unless I hold the command key down. I can't recall how ...
5 votes
7 answers
25k views

How to copy file path on a mac?

Windows refugee here. On Windows you can easily copy the path and paste it elsewhere to get to the directory. Here is the situation on the Mac. I am in the Finder 20 folders down and I see the file ...
0 votes
1 answer
55 views

Finder in MacOS does not recognize remapped copy/paste function

MacOS uses Command+C/V for copy and paste, but these commands can be remapped to Crtl+C/V as explained in other posts like here by going to System Preference > Keyboard > keyboard shortcuts and ...
1 vote
1 answer
48 views

Is it possible to customize the Finder status bar?

By default the status bar will display the number of elements in the current folder and the available disk space. I remember having the current selected file name displayed instead of those ...
4 votes
3 answers
996 views

Folder's list view has different sized fonts in different folders

On my Mac, I view the contents of my finder windows using list view, as opposed to the icon/gallery/column views. I've was going through some folders just now, cycling back and forth between two of ...
0 votes
1 answer
163 views

Search for "special" characters in FILE CONTENTS using Mac Finder

I have looked everywhere for the answer to this and I can't find it... I have found lots of examples of searching for file names with special characters, but none searching for file contents with ...
7 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there a straightforward way to color ls output according to Finder label colors in macOS?

I have a client with a directory tree that has a number of high-level directories that I need to have on my local development machine. I rarely look at them unless something goes awry. I've marked ...
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

How to delete a locked folder on Mac?

I have been trying to remove a locked folder from my Mac. I am logged in as admin. When I try to delete it from Finder, it says The operation can’t be completed because the item “X” is locked. I ...
0 votes
0 answers
81 views

Previewing files in finder when hitting spacebar for different extensions

I want to be able to preview files that are other than .txt, or .csv when I hit spacebar for example, in my chase this extension is .sql Is there a way to do this?
0 votes
0 answers
87 views

How to clear all Finder Alerts

I'm not sure why but I have a lot of Finder Alerts "Disk Not Ejected Properly." So many that I'd probably spend all day clicking the little x to dismiss them. Is there some way to dismiss ...
0 votes
0 answers
169 views

Can't save credentials in Finder for server connection

We have several accounts on a Mac. Each has its own account on a NAS as well connected locally via SMB. I want to pair these on the Mac, but somehow, for example, in my account, it shows different NAS ...
0 votes
0 answers
126 views

How can I change the default starting folder for a specific application launched from finder on Mac

I would like to launch the Neovim-qt app and have it default to something other than the root directory ("/") on my MacBook. On Windows, I can change the default directory from the "...
7 votes
7 answers
6k views

Finder keeps opening new tabs

I click on Desktop in the sidebar in Finder, a new tab opens. I click on Applications in the sidebar, a new tab opens for Applications. I click on Desktop again, a new tab opens yet again. How do I ...
9 votes
3 answers
11k views

Is it possible to change or override the default keyboard shortcuts in Finder?

I would like to override the keyboard-shortcut for a particular built-in action in finder (OS X 10.6.7). An example would be to override the Cmd+N for a New Finder Window to some other action, say ...
13 votes
7 answers
8k views

Make search by file name default in Finder

In Finder when I type something in the textbox the default is to search the whole mac in the contents of the files. I was able to change the default to search the current directory, but didn't see an ...
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

Finder Gallery view showing images much smaller than available area

How do I increase the size of the selected photo in Gallery view within Finder on a Mac? See attached image as example. The image is only taking up about a third of available space. Both sidebars are ...
0 votes
0 answers
1k views

Finder does not show content of an SMB network share

Finder on my Mac sometimes gets caught in a limbo when it cannot show content of SMB network share. Instead of showing the content, it shows a clipart of a folder with two fields: "Created" ...
4 votes
1 answer
575 views

Is there an OSX/macOS CLI command for creating a Finder Alias?

For clarification on the ambiguous word ALIAS in this question. While using Finder (of OSX/MacOS) for generic file operations, and secondary-clicking on a file or folder, a pop-up menu (some refer to ...
0 votes
0 answers
83 views

How can we explain this very weird behaviour with file:/// URI hyperlinks in documents on MacOS?

It is useful to be able to create a hyperlink within MacOS text documents that link to other text documents on the same drive of the same computer. Within Bean, the free Mac word-processor I use, I ...
0 votes
1 answer
222 views

MacOS doesn't update custom Services hotkeys (iTerm2 specifically) after editing them in System Preferences

I'm on OSX Ventura 13.1. I've added a hotkey to open iTerm2 in selected folder, but the new hotkey doesn't appear in Finder menu and doesn't work. How do I synchronise what's actually in Finder and ...
0 votes
0 answers
40 views

Is it possible to turn off Mac OS X extension hiding for a specific extension type?

My question is similar to Is it possible to turn off Mac OS X extension hiding?, however, I'd like to disable extension hiding for one specific extension type: .pdf The Preview app hides the extension ...
0 votes
0 answers
82 views

How do I change the default Java JRE version that is used when double-clicking .jar files in the Finder in macOS?

How do I change the default Java JRE version that is used when double-clicking .jar files in the Finder in macOS? I installed several newer JDKs from Adoptium, but no matter what newer JDKs I install, ...
30 votes
2 answers
12k views

Is it possible to turn off Mac OS X extension hiding?

On the Mac, a lot of programs hide the .zzz extension by default. Is there a way to turn this behaviour off so that extensions are never hidden by default? I know I don't actually need it, I just ...
1 vote
0 answers
57 views

Open multiple files at once not after one another with Automator

I am trying to create an automator script to export selected Fotos and open them with Outlook to send via email. Outlook does not support the share sheet and that's why we have to take this detour. My ...
14 votes
4 answers
22k views

How can I make Finder display video file duration?

I have to open the files in VLC to see what the file duration is which frankly is ridiculous due to Finder not showing any information, even if I look in Get Info there is nothing Is there a way to ...
1 vote
1 answer
132 views

Right click -> New Folder on macos finder's column view is very inconsistent

I expect that when I right click an empty spot in the middle column and select "New Folder," the untitled folder will appear in the middle column, and similarly, it will show on the right ...
3 votes
1 answer
68 views

Repeatedly renaming the same files in finder

I am trying to create an Automator workflow which renames all new files added to my desktop folder which do not begin with the prefix 2023 or Home to include the creation date in the following format ...
7 votes
2 answers
4k views

Way to match all files in a Finder search

I want to create a Finder saved search aka "Smart Folder" that matches all files in the subfolders of a certain folder, to create some sort of overview folder. Is there a certain search request that ...
2 votes
1 answer
593 views

Sluggish NAS Performance with AFP

Just got my self a NAS (Asustor AS1002T) to handle my files. It is supposed to be up to 110MB/s read and 90MB/s write, it has two Seagate 2TB Barracuda running in RAID 1. The Setup I have a Archer ...
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Bring all explorer windows to front

Is there a smooth way to achieve that with a hotkey or change a setting? My workflow problem is I am running fullscreen apps and using several instances of Explorer simultaneously to move files around ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

How can I increase icon/thumbnail size in Finder list view in macOS Big Sur?

I would like to increase the icon size in Finder list view, as seen in the screenshot below]. I set it to the max in view settings and tried editing com.apple.finder.plist already, but without any ...
0 votes
0 answers
427 views

Is there a log of file moves by Mac Finder?

When using Finder I accidentally moved a few thousand files to the wrong folder. They come from hundreds of initial folders. (I might have moved the Recents files.) Finder does not offer an Undo ...
0 votes
0 answers
124 views

How to link related files in Finder on OS X

I am looking for a way to "link" files on OS X, such that viewing a file in Finder will allow you to see the files you have linked to it. These files are linked only in the sense that they ...
144 votes
12 answers
101k views

Enter to open a file in Finder

I find the Cmd + O shortcut to open a file in Finder unintuitive. Does anyone know how to change it? I'd like to set it so that enter opens a file instead of going into rename mode.
3 votes
4 answers
25k views

Why is my file size shown as Zero bytes in Mac Finder?

I have OS X El Capitan Version 10.11.6 (15G31). I have a file with contents in it, but Finder shows that the file is Zero bytes?!? What does this mean? How can the file be zero bytes if there is ...
0 votes
1 answer
986 views

External disk volume not showing up in finder in Ventura

I have an external drive that does not show up in Finder under Ventura. This drive appeared fine yesterday under Monterey 12.6.1, and for years before. I use it with Carbon Copy Cloner to do full ...
1 vote
1 answer
640 views

How to set `kMDItemWhereFroms` extended attribute so it shows up in Finder?

I have fetched a file from the internet in Python and would like to save the URL that the file came from. According to this question from 2010, I would expect this using pyxattr to work: import xattr ...
4 votes
0 answers
2k views

What is "couldn't communicate with a helper application" error in Macox

I'm trying to "zip" (by using the compress option in Finder) a few files that are in my icloud directory, but it is stalling with the error in the title: After getting this error, Finder ...
67 votes
14 answers
189k views

Trying to delete directory with "rm -rf", but get message that it's not empty

I've tried deleting a directory using "rm -rf" and I'm getting the message "Directory not empty": Bens-MacBook-Pro:please benjaminhocking$ ls -lart empty_directory/ total 16 drwxr-xr-x 5 ...
11 votes
6 answers
11k views

How do you duplicate current open Finder view in new tab (Mavericks)?

In a thread on this forum there is an interesting solution on how to open a duplicate of an already open Finder window with the help of an AppleScript: How do you duplicate current open Finder view? ...
3 votes
1 answer
788 views

Mac Finder saved search: how to exclude one file type?

I have a saved search for recently modified files because I wasn't satisfied with the Recents folder in macOS Mojave. Lately it has been getting flooded by .tdb files so I would like to exclude them. ...

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