Behaviour opening a program Mac x Windows

[marciohumpris]

Hi, everyone

Sorry for the lame question, Im told its more a matter of being different on the Mac when compared to PC, things one who is coming from Windows has to get used to, same as the fact there are things on Mac that dont exist on PC, etc.

The question is... I have a bunch of windows open. AMSN, Twitter, Browser, etc. I want to go to the deskop and copy a file inside a folder on the desktop to some other system folder. So I middle click my mouse, I programmed Mac to show me the desktop.

But when I open finder, so I can put it side by side with a folder on the desktop and copy files, Mac opens ALL my other windows (MSN, Browser, etc). I believe Windows doesnt have this behaviour.

I know one option is Spaces, but I get a bit confused with it and prefer not to use it. Other idea is to make a shortcut of finder in the desktop...

Is there something Im missing?

Thanks.

 

[deadwulfe]

Are you using Expose to show your desktop? I can use it on my notebook, open a new Finder window, open a Folder from the Desktop and my other open applications still stay out of view.

 

[Mr MM]

another thing that you might not have is a finder window open.

this behaviour happens when you havent open a finder window and try to click on finder, it will show you all what you were seeing before.

My trick is to always leave a finder window open, one window for each desktop that I use

 

[marciohumpris]

Hi, guys

Thanks. Well I pressed f3 but didnt solve. For example now Im answering this in Firefox. I want to go to the desktop, I have my mouse middle button do that...

Then I click on Finder (already opened, blue ball below it indicating that). When I click Finder it brings back the browser

Thanks

 

[Mr MM]

Hi, guys

Thanks. Well I pressed f3 but didnt solve. For example now Im answering this in Firefox. I want to go to the desktop, I have my mouse middle button do that...

Then I click on Finder (already opened, blue ball below it indicating that). When I click Finder it brings back the browser

Thanks

really have a finder window open, the finder always have a blue ball beneath it no matter what.

 

[dusk007]

That behavior is perfectly normal and no way around it. Having a finder window open doesn't change a thing they just think you have a different problem.
They think you are on a new space/desktop and click finder which will bring you to which ever desktop has an open finder window. Having one open in each space or none nowhere solves the problem.
But you as I understand it just slide all windows out of view with your middle mouse click (weird setting but okay) and next you want to do something on the desktop. Now viewing the desktop one would do in OSX only for one reasons.
You want to click or open something on the desktop. If you open a folder that sits there it will open without sliding in all those other windows again.

I would seriously think about saving stuff to desktop instead of directly to folder or just the download folder. Anyway the way you should do it and here comes the misunderstanding. Don't just peek at the desktop but move to a new space. On there if you are a clicky d click guy you need one open finder window and you can do all the drag & dropping of files into folders you like. If there is no open finder window you will just drop back to the other space if you click finder & there is still an open finder window.
If you are not a clicky dclick guy and know how to use a keyboard you will just use spot light or Alfred to open the folder you want to move your files to directly, no open finder window needed.

To sum it up you do misunderstand the features. In Windows move your mouse to bottom left corner you can peek at the desktop that is sort of the same as the OSX behavior it is only meant for looking or clicking one item there. For anything else you will just move to a new space because you can do this there is no equivalent for Win+D.

 

[marciohumpris]

Dear Dusk,

Thanks. I did that opened a new space and now that "problem" doesnt occur. Thanks.

Also, how can I put a finder shortcut on the desktop? Having hard time to do something so simple...

 

[dusk007]

I don't really see the point of doing so but okay. There is no GUI way you need Terminal

open a terminal Window -> by means of spotlight.

you can navigate to the Desktop folder if you like

cd ~/Desktop

create a symbolic link for the finder.app

ln -s /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/ ~/Desktop/Finder

some legend to understand what this means and does:
ln is the command
-s just means to create a symbolic link which is an Alias. There are other types type "man ln" for more info exit manual view with "q".
/Sys...app/ is the source this is where finder sits
~/De...er is more less just the name and location of the link. You could write ./Finder if you are already in the Desktop folder or you can call it ./XyyyZZFFiinnddeerr if you feel like it.

 

[marciohumpris]

Thanks a lot. I found another tip in forum also on dragging with command option the home icon in finder to the desktop.

This way it solves what I talked about before, as you guys said, if I click on finder on the desktop it doesnt bring back all my windows... So its practical, along with spaces, but faster, when I want to go to the desktop and copy files to some folders.