I only know Files from Gnome 3 - however I am curious what you are missing?
It seems less functional to me in terms of lacking view options and grouping, quick look or a nice syntax for search like spotlight (kind:images).
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10 Essential Tips for Using the macOS Finder More Efficiently
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I only know Files from Gnome 3 - however I am curious what you are missing?
It seems less functional to me in terms of lacking view options and grouping, quick look or a nice syntax for search like spotlight (kind:images).
A few gems in here that I forgot about, have now implemented, and will be very useful!! Good stuff....would like to see more of these kinds of articles
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I love the Finder. i can't understand how anyone would prefer Windows Explorer over it.
But there's at least one "feature" that irritates me to no end: I use the Cover Flow view for my Finder folders. When you resize a Cover Flow folder window, there is no way to change the ratio of Cover Flow to filename list and make it stick. I don't need the top 50% of my folder to be Cover Flow. I wish I could just set it at 30% and make that the default.
I've searched for a terminal command or a kludge for years without any luck. If anyone knows of one could you please let me know?
But there's at least one "feature" that irritates me to no end: I use the Cover Flow view for my Finder folders. When you resize a Cover Flow folder window, there is no way to change the ratio of Cover Flow to filename list and make it stick. I don't need the top 50% of my folder to be Cover Flow. I wish I could just set it at 30% and make that the default.
I've searched for a terminal command or a kludge for years without any luck. If anyone knows of one could you please let me know?
Holy heck I'm going to be implementing most of these right away. As a recent convert from Windows, I find several things about the Finder woefully inadequate.
My most useful tip that I was surprised not to see on here is the ability to group all folders together before regular files get intermingled in there with them. You can do this by just going to Finder Preferences > "Keep folders on top when sorting by name"
My most useful tip that I was surprised not to see on here is the ability to group all folders together before regular files get intermingled in there with them. You can do this by just going to Finder Preferences > "Keep folders on top when sorting by name"
One that I use all the time: Click on the Date Modified column header. For the most part, I want to see the files that I've been recently working on. This helps keep them floating to the top.
That's a consequence of having 'Displays use separate Spaces' enabled in System Preferences -> Mission Control, and affects all windows.
Disable it, log out & in, and windows can span displays again. Obviously, it also changes the way Spaces and Full Screen mode work on multiple monitors, so you have to choose...
(Unless the choice is gone in High Sierra?)
Another thing I personally like about Finder are the ‘smart folders’. There are dozens of filter options to choose from and you can even create sub-conditions (any/all/none) by holding down the option key and clicking on the ellipsis (…) button. Together with tags, they can be extremely handy.
Sadly, Apple got rid of the dedicated section in the sidebar as of Mac OS X Lion. I also would like to see support for custom icons to keep them apart.
Sadly, Apple got rid of the dedicated section in the sidebar as of Mac OS X Lion. I also would like to see support for custom icons to keep them apart.
I just read about an amazing little feature in Sierra/High Sierra: CMD + SHIFT + . (period) toggles showing invisible files in the Finder. Forever, you've had to do some terminal command to do this, or rely on a script or somethng -- now it's just built in. Kind of a pleasant surprise given that Apple made the ~/Library folder hidden by default a while ago...
https://ianlunn.co.uk/articles/quickly-showhide-hidden-files-mac-os-x-mavericks/
https://ianlunn.co.uk/articles/quickly-showhide-hidden-files-mac-os-x-mavericks/
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Very useful info. Been using Macs for about 5 years, and there's quite a few of these tips I was unaware of.
Very useful for me, I've only been using Macs full time for just over a year and I find it very handy.
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No still there, just checked.
Excellent reminders of MacOS’s elegant and productive utility. Still the most polished desktop OS ever conceived.
Using Stacks as a quick access Folder in Dock is something I couldn't live without and therefore I'd like to share...
- Create a Folder (Cmd + Shift + N) named something like Shortcuts as your quick access Folder.
- Add several Subfolders at whim (e.g. Apps, Documents, etc.) and populate them with Aliases of most frequently used Folders, Files or Apps (Cmd + Alt + Drag'n'Drop).
- Drag the quick access Folder to the right side of the dock and set it (right click) to 'Sort by Name', 'Display as Folder' and 'View content as List'
One could also have several quick access Folders in the Dock to have Shortcuts for Apps, Documents or Folders separated and teased apart (e.g. Apps Folder divided into Office, Graphics, Games, etc.). It's also handy to put network items into such a Folder. If the quick access Folder is created in Users -> shared, every User can benefit of the shortcuts.
Enjoy!
- Create a Folder (Cmd + Shift + N) named something like Shortcuts as your quick access Folder.
- Add several Subfolders at whim (e.g. Apps, Documents, etc.) and populate them with Aliases of most frequently used Folders, Files or Apps (Cmd + Alt + Drag'n'Drop).
- Drag the quick access Folder to the right side of the dock and set it (right click) to 'Sort by Name', 'Display as Folder' and 'View content as List'
One could also have several quick access Folders in the Dock to have Shortcuts for Apps, Documents or Folders separated and teased apart (e.g. Apps Folder divided into Office, Graphics, Games, etc.). It's also handy to put network items into such a Folder. If the quick access Folder is created in Users -> shared, every User can benefit of the shortcuts.
Enjoy!
Add apps list to dock, bit like all programs in windows.
Open finder, right click (alt+click) on applications, add to dock.
this adds a icon to right side of dock which will list all your apps.
Most if not everyone I bet already knows this one though.
Open finder, right click (alt+click) on applications, add to dock.
this adds a icon to right side of dock which will list all your apps.
Most if not everyone I bet already knows this one though.
Just wondering what those several things are? I feel the exact same way when i'm forced to work on a Windows machine. Maybe we can trade tips
Haha sounds good! Here's what I've done so far:Just wondering what those several things are? I feel the exact same way when i'm forced to work on a Windows machine. Maybe we can trade tips
- I configured my folders a long time ago to display all of the folders at the top before any regular files
- Enabled the display of the location in the Title Bar. It's not copy/paste-able, but it's better than being clueless!
- I've also enabled the display of the Path Bar at the bottom. I'm not sure which one I like better.
- Enabled the display of hidden items
- Changed the searching ability to just search the current folder/subfolders
- ...and I had no idea that pressing the Spacebar on a file actually opens that file! I still find myself hitting "Enter" to open things only to be renaming them. Sigh.
Space bar is “quick look”. You aren’t opening the file, the OS just knows how to display a bunch of file types. Command+O opens a file.
I’ve been using OS X since 2001 and I still hit enter trying to open the file.
I’ve been using OS X since 2001 and I still hit enter trying to open the file.
In explorer on windows, highlight an item and hit delete, well brings up delete message.
Can this be done in finder on OSX?
Can this be done in finder on OSX?
Cmd + Backspace puts a file to Trash, Shift + Cmd + Backspace empties the Trash.
Sometimes I prefer Cmd + Arrow Down, like @DanielDD recommended.
Usually I do Drag'nDrop to TextEdit or Terminal to get a files path. Since Mac OS El Capitan you can right click on an item, then press Alt and select Copy ... as Pathname. Cmd + Alt + C does the same. If you need an even quicker or more individual way for this function, creating a Service or an AppleScript and assigning a key combination is another option. Additionally, there are several dedicated tools available that can copy a path in different formats.
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Tip number 11...
To move a selection of files from one folder to another create tabs for the folders in the Finder window. Then you just drag the files from the source folder to the tab of the destination folder. It avoids screen clutter.
To move a selection of files from one folder to another create tabs for the folders in the Finder window. Then you just drag the files from the source folder to the tab of the destination folder. It avoids screen clutter.
It's an article mostly for newbies. Some of these features are there since Cheetah or Puma, even NeXT.
This tip doesn't work on my iMac 27" late 2015. When I use shift & cmd no action takes place.Are you using additional
keys?
Did you press Cmd + Shift AND the dot key '.'? This should work on your iMac that came with Mac OS X 10.11.x El Capitan and higher versions of macOS. Try it inside your user home directory, where definitely some hidden files reside.
I actually have Time Machine there. So I can start it from the folder I am currently in. And also an Automator "App" that connects me to various servers
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It would be nice if there was a way to make the items you pin to the toolbar only an icon, not an icon with text, while the rest of the buttons remain icons with text...some file names are so long they take up too much horizontal space up there.
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I guess the "Keep folders on top when sorting by name" option must have been added after El Capitan, because I don't see it when I navigate to Finder preferences.
I've been a Mac user all my life, but had to install Windows via Boot Camp a few years back to use various applications that don't work either at all or well on Mac. I immediately loved the folder grouping (as well as several other features of the Windows environment - "Explorer"?), so I was really excited when I read I could do it on MacOS. It's a shame it doesn't work.
...I bet there's a way to do it via terminal.