NOOB - Why can't I cut in finder?

[StephanK]

I growing frustrated that I can not cut files or folders in finder, I can only copy. Is there something I have to change in the prefrences to get this to work. It is driving me nuts.

Edit: How can I get folders to open when I hit return? In windows you can do this but in OS X it renames.

Thanks for any help.

PS I come from windows world.

PPS computer is a macbook pro

 

[grapes911]

If you are trying to cut and paste within the same volume, you can always just drag the file.

 

[stridey]

Because it's not the Mac way. Being able to "cut" a file is destructive behavior - what happens if you accidentally copy something while the cut file is in your clipboard? You lose it, without the safeguard step of the trash. Instead, use drag and drop.

As for opening folders, use Cmd-down or Cmd-O. The fact of the matter is that OS X is not Windows, so it works differently.

 

[StephanK]

oh o.k.

Draging in windows just copies.

As for opening with return. I will have to get use to using that comand. Still prefere the one key stroke though.

Thanks so much

 

[bloogersnigen]

If you drag in the same volume it moves. if you hold option it copies. if you drag it to a different volume (without hold option) it copies. if you hold command when dragging to a different volume it moves.

 

[VanNess]

I think it's time for you to say hello to your new friend - Automator

Directions to set up what you want to do are here.

 

[Temujin]

oh o.k.

Draging in windows just copies.

As for opening with return. I will have to get use to using that comand. Still prefere the one key stroke though.

Thanks so much

Dragging in Windows when on the same volume cuts.

 

[student_trap]

If you drag in the same volume it moves. if you hold option it copies. if you drag it to a different volume (without hold option) it copies. if you hold command when dragging to a different volume it moves.

am a little confused, what do you mean by "volume"? for example, if i click and drag a file from one place in finder to another it moves it, whereas if i say, drag a pic from iphoto or itunes (in the app) to the desktop it will copy it there, leaving the original file alone...at least i hope so

 

[matticus008]

am a little confused, what do you mean by "volume"? for example, if i click and drag a file from one place in finder to another it moves it, whereas if i say, drag a pic from iphoto or itunes (in the app) to the desktop it will copy it there, leaving the original file alone...at least i hope so

A volume is what you might call a "drive" (C: or D: etc.) in Windows. Since you have a MacBook, you would only have one volume (because you have one hard disk). But if you connected an external drive and tried to drag a file from the internal volume to the external, it would copy instead of move. Basically, you don't have to worry about it on your MBP.

(And yes, if you drag files from an application that is not Finder to a Finder window [including the desktop], it will copy instead of move.)

 

[howesey]

I so hope 10.5 will cut, and have an address bar as well. Finder is hopefully having a huge overhaul in 10.5. IMHO it's the worst thing Apple has on their OS.

 

[ebow]

I think it's time for you to say hello to your new friend - Automator

Directions to set up what you want to do are here.

I recommend VanNess's suggestion as well. I found it took me a few moments to get the hang of building a workflow in Automator, but your experience may vary.

Being able to "cut" a file is destructive behavior - what happens if you accidentally copy something while the cut file is in your clipboard? You lose it, without the safeguard step of the trash.

I love seeing this explanation, because it reveals that the writer has never actually tried this on Windows (at least XP). If you "cut" a file it leaves a faded representation of it in place. If you then copy something else (file, text, etc.) before pasting the original file, the icon is restore and the file remains exactly where it started.

 

[iSee]

An answer that doesn't match your question

I growing frustrated that I can not cut files or folders in finder, I can only copy. Is there something I have to change in the prefrences to get this to work. It is driving me nuts.

Edit: How can I get folders to open when I hit return? In windows you can do this but in OS X it renames.

Thanks for any help.

PS I come from windows world.

PPS computer is a macbook pro

Yeah, I miss the "cut" (begin move) keystroke. It's the one thing I would really like back. You get used to Cmd-O for open real fast.

Also, I can tell you are a keystoke shortcut kind of person (like me), so just in case you didn't know about this: You can turn on "Full keyboard access" to all controls. Got to System Preferences --> Keyboard & Mouse --> Keyboard Shortcuts; there's a radio button near the bottom. With this on you can tab to buttons (space to activate) and other UI elements. Some badly behaved programs bypass this setting though, so it's not perfect (come on BBEdit, it used to work--what happened?)

 

[ebow]

Edit: How can I get folders to open when I hit return? In windows you can do this but in OS X it renames.

That's normal for the Mac... a bit different from what you might expect, but I think it's been that for almost as long as there's been a Mac GUI. You'll (likely) get used to it.

Here's a pair of key combos I like to use: Command (Apple) + Down Arrow for either opening a file or "drilling down" into a subfolder, and Command + Up Arrow for navigating up to the parent folder in the Finder (similar to Backspace in Explorer).

 

[howesey]

I wish that if I pressed 'M' for example in finder under applications, it would go to the app or folder beginning with M. It wants to go to folder 'Macromedia' or app Onyx. So damn annoying! Then press return when the app is selected, ugh, renamed.

Finder is so none user friendly and not very logical in it's operation.

 

[matticus008]

I wish that if I pressed 'M' for example in finder under applications, it would go to the app or folder beginning with M. It wants to go to folder 'Macromedia' or app Onyx. So damn annoying! Then press return when the app is selected, ugh, renamed.

Finder is so none user friendly and not very logical in it's operation.

Uhhh....it does skip to the letter you press...

The only thing illogical about the operation of the Finder is the enter/rename behavior. Everything else makes sense, which is not to say that the Finder doesn't suck, because it does.

 

[grapes911]

I wish that if I pressed 'M' for example in finder under applications, it would go to the app or folder beginning with M. It wants to go to folder 'Macromedia' or app Onyx. So damn annoying! Then press return when the app is selected, ugh, renamed.

Finder is so none user friendly and not very logical in it's operation.

It works like this:

Say you have two Apps: Mail and MPlayer
If you press M, it should go to Mail.
If you press M followed my a P it will go to MPlayer.


It just takes some getting used to.

 

[howesey]

It works like this:

Say you have two Apps: Mail and MPlayer
If you press M, it should go to Mail.
If you press M followed my a P it will go to MPlayer.


It just takes some getting used to.

Thanx for that.

That's why if I press 'MM' it goes to Onyx as it's the closest match.

 

[quigleybc]

I so hope 10.5 will cut, and have an address bar as well. Finder is hopefully having a huge overhaul in 10.5. IMHO it's the worst thing Apple has on their OS.

I think the finder is the best thing about OS X...lol

and I've always felt on the outside looking in when I read about how people hate the finder....oh well...to each their own...

 

[ICEBreaker]

WHAT? Can't "cut" files? Damn it. This is hard to believe, and there seems no reason for it. Some people mentioned drag and drop. Well, I thought Apple was pretty proud of the way you can handle Mac OS without a mouse. Moreover, I'd love to drag and drop if the damn folder was conveniently visible. How about the case when the folder is at the top or bottom of the page. A quick swipe of the Magic Mouse brings us to the folder. But this isn't possible with drag and drop. How about if the folder needs to be brought up by using the very convenient search bar at the top. Well, drag and drop doesn't work either. And how about if the folder was several pages back. I can click the back button, but again drag and drop doesn't work. Apple has all these really great features (shortcut keys, swipe, search, back etc.), but then it does something idiotic (no cut) and nullifies the usefulness of its own features. WTF is all I can say at this point.

 

[ICEBreaker]

By the way, just want to comment on the need to press CMD+DOWN to open a folder. It was frustrating to learn new key strokes at first, but I got round to it and its second nature now. And Mac has its own logic to this. Think of it as "drilling down" one level. Clever.

 

[MacDawg]

This is a thread resurrection from 2006

And it is a debate that has been hashed and rehashed repeatedly on the board

Woof, Woof - Dawg

 

[boogie1010]

That sucks! What kind of braindamaged UI engineer could have done such a mean thing to the users?! Considering the default behavior for Finder is to open folders in the same window, can you imagine how long it takes to drag a bunch of files through 8-10 directory levels?

Screw that, people. muCommander (http://www.mucommander.com/) all the way.

PS Windows does it with no problem, any linux that has a graphical ui does it with no problem. How the hell people still thing Mac OS is a decent os made for human beings? So sick of stumbling upon things that would seem natural but mac just can't do. Gees, it's like there are no software developers at Apple at all. Great hardware though, love the aluminum. I'm going to put Crunchbang linux in there and THEN it's going to be a decent workstation. That is all, thanks for your attention

 

[chrono1081]

That sucks! What kind of braindamaged UI engineer could have done such a mean thing to the users?! Considering the default behavior for Finder is to open folders in the same window, can you imagine how long it takes to drag a bunch of files through 8-10 directory levels?

Screw that, people. muCommander (http://www.mucommander.com/) all the way.

PS Windows does it with no problem, any linux that has a graphical ui does it with no problem. How the hell people still thing Mac OS is a decent os made for human beings? So sick of stumbling upon things that would seem natural but mac just can't do. Gees, it's like there are no software developers at Apple at all. Great hardware though, love the aluminum. I'm going to put Crunchbang linux in there and THEN it's going to be a decent workstation. That is all, thanks for your attention

Um, what? "Such a mean thing"? Safeguarding data from accidental cuts or corruption is mean?

A computer is a tool to get work done. If someone is copying several terabytes of data across volumes or a network it is a million times better to have the user not be allowed to cut it (because things like network issues can cause you to lose all data) but copy it instead. This may not matter for people using small things like word files or text documents but for those of us who work with large amounts of data (which are many Mac users, video/audio people, 3D artists, etc) its a great thing to have.

 

[do1984]

Just hold option while pasting with cmd v