Resolved Finder: drag item to other folder, and...

[fisherking]

when i click on something (ie a file/folder), and drag it to, say, another folder...that second folder NEVER pops open, so i can't move the file somewhere in that manner (i have to open a new finder tab to move it).

anyone else seeing this? any ideas?

 

[fisherking]

is ANYONE else having this issue? anyone have any suggestions?...

 

[Ashka]

Try putting finder into column view.. solves a few problems..

 

[ricede]

in the old days there was a setting in Finder prefs where you could check it to have " Spring-loaded folders & windows".

I'm not running El Capitan so cant check if its still there.

 

[fisherking]

Try putting finder into column view.. solves a few problems..

my finders' always been in column view. will try to delete the finder prefs, reboot...

 

[chabig]

Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard tab and shorten your setting for Delay Until Repeat. That might be it.

 

[DeltaMac]

Spring-loaded folders work on my El Capitan beta.

Try this: drag a file on top of a folder. Don't release, just continue to hover with mouse button down. Now, press and release the space bar. That will bypass a delay set for spring-loaded folders, and should cause the folder to pop open immediately. That's assuming that your Finder spring-loaded folders are enabled, but the delay is not working for some reason.

I can't find any method to enable spring-loaded folders in El Capitan, if that is not already enabled. It will take some digging in the finder .plist to discover what needs to be changed to get that to work.

 

[fisherking]

Spring-loaded folders work on my El Capitan beta.

Try this: drag a file on top of a folder. Don't release, just continue to hover with mouse button down. Now, press and release the space bar. That will bypass a delay set for spring-loaded folders, and should cause the folder to pop open immediately. That's assuming that your Finder spring-loaded folders are enabled, but the delay is not working for some reason.

I can't find any method to enable spring-loaded folders in El Capitan, if that is not already enabled. It will take some digging in the finder .plist to discover what needs to be changed to get that to work.

interesting; the space bar trick works...for one level. i can drag a file to a folder, click & release the space bar, and that new folder opens. but i can't go further...

time to delete the plist & restart the finder...

EDIT: no luck. even tried killall dock, etc.

 

[fisherking]

this did it (re-enabling 'spring-loaded folders')...something i'd never disabled:

defaults write NSGlobalDomain com.apple.springing.enabled -bool true

 

[fisherking]

in the old days there was a setting in Finder prefs where you could check it to have " Spring-loaded folders & windows".

I'm not running El Capitan so cant check if its still there.

ha! just found 'spring-loaded delay', it's been moved to: System Preferences>Accessibility>Mouse & Trackpad
(if i'd known it was there, i would have tried changing those settings first...)

 

[DeltaMac]

ha! just found 'spring-loaded delay', it's been moved to: System Preferences>Accessibility>Mouse & Trackpad
(if i'd known it was there, i would have tried changing those settings first...)

Good find! I looked there, but the setting must have been in my personal "blind spot". Glad to know that is a GUI setting, and not something that you have to dig through the various arcane (to me!) terminal manipulations.

 

[fisherking]

Good find! I looked there, but the setting must have been in my personal "blind spot". Glad to know that is a GUI setting, and not something that you have to dig through the various arcane (to me!) terminal manipulations.

am actually wondering if it wasn't in beta 3, and is back in beta 4....because i thought i had checked there as well....hmmm.....

 

[bmac89]

I hope you don't mind me hijacking the thread...

I find it very annoying that dragging a file or folder onto the finder on the dock does not spring load the finder unless a finder window is actually open. Even if a finder window is open but on a different desktop space it won't work. Instead it just activates show all windows with a blank screen.

This behaviour is inconsistent with the normal behaviour when dragging a file onto any other folder or even app on the dock. For example if I drag an image file onto mail app it will open mail and attaches the file to a message, even if the mail application is not currently running. You don't need the the folder to be open or the app to be running for this to work in any other circumstance.

In Snow Leopard you could drag a file or folder onto the finder icon and it would spring load/open finder. These small things are what make the mac so great to work with and I see no reason for this practical function to be removed. I really hope this feature will be brought back. I'm not sure exactly when this feature was removed, but I know it doesn't work in Mavericks, Yosemite or El Capitan.

Even if you don't regularly use this, I see no reason for this to be removed, especially when it makes the behaviour inconsistent. Anyone else agree? Please give Apple feedback.

 

[DeltaMac]

This thread is about El Capitan, so I tried all 3 of your examples on El Capitan, and all functioned as you expected, but not as you stated from your experience. Apparently those functions are not missing in El Cap, at any rate.

That was: Dragging a file to a folder in the dock causes the folder to spring open from the dock.
Dragging an image file onto the Mail app opens Mail, with a document window showing the image.
And, dragging a file across the Finder icon, showed the all folders on screen, allowing you to simply move the file wherever you like.
So, I wouldn't give Apple feedback on areas that seem to function in the way that I remember.
I'm not sure what you may have changed in your system, but those various finder actions don't seem to have changed dramatically, and do what I expect.

I hope you don't mind me hijacking the thread...

I find it very annoying that dragging a file or folder onto the finder on the dock does not spring load the finder unless a finder window is actually open. Even if a finder window is open but on a different desktop space it won't work. Instead it just activates show all windows with a blank screen.

This behaviour is inconsistent with the normal behaviour when dragging a file onto any other folder or even app on the dock. For example if I drag an image file onto mail app it will open mail and attaches the file to a message, even if the mail application is not currently running. You don't need the the folder to be open or the app to be running for this to work in any other circumstance.

In Snow Leopard you could drag a file or folder onto the finder icon and it would spring load/open finder. These small things are what make the mac so great to work with and I see no reason for this practical function to be removed. I really hope this feature will be brought back. I'm not sure exactly when this feature was removed, but I know it doesn't work in Mavericks, Yosemite or El Capitan.

Even if you don't regularly use this, I see no reason for this to be removed, especially when it makes the behaviour inconsistent. Anyone else agree? Please give Apple feedback.

 

[dsemf]

As of PB2, dragging a file over the Finder Icon on the dock DOES open the Finder at the home directory location. It does take a couple seconds for the action to occur. I tested this with no other windows on the desktop and with an app window on the desktop that was active.

DS

 

[dsemf]

Additional test: Finder window open on desktop 2 with a app window active, currently on desktop 1, drag a file onto the Finder icon results in a switch to desktop 2 with the existing Finder window made active is necessary.

DS

 

[bmac89]

This thread is about El Capitan, so I tried all 3 of your examples on El Capitan, and all functioned as you expected, but not as you stated from your experience. Apparently those functions are not missing in El Cap, at any rate.

That was: Dragging a file to a folder in the dock causes the folder to spring open from the dock.
Dragging an image file onto the Mail app opens Mail, with a document window showing the image.
And, dragging a file across the Finder icon, showed the all folders on screen, allowing you to simply move the file wherever you like.
So, I wouldn't give Apple feedback on areas that seem to function in the way that I remember.
I'm not sure what you may have changed in your system, but those various finder actions don't seem to have changed dramatically, and do what I expect.

1. Dragging file to a folder on dock works (always)

2. Dragging file onto Mail works (always)

3. Dragging file onto finder icon only works if a finder window is already open.

It will not spring load a finder window when none are open. In Snow Leopard it would spring load a finder window regardless of whether a finder window was open or not. This makes far more sense and is consistent with the other behaviour mentioned above. For example the folder does not need to be open for it to spring load and neither does the mail app - so why does a finder window need to be open?

Additional test: Finder window open on desktop 2 with a app window active, currently on desktop 1, drag a file onto the Finder icon results in a switch to desktop 2 with the existing Finder window made active is necessary.

DS

I made a slight mistake in my previous description. If a finder window is open in another desktop space and you drag a file to the finder icon it will switch to that space (so your example works)... however what I meant to say is if the Finder windows is in another fullscreen space it will not switch to it. Instead it just activates the blank 'show all windows.'

 

[dsemf]

1. Dragging file to a folder on dock works (always)

2. Dragging file onto Mail works (always)

3. Dragging file onto finder icon only works if a finder window is already open.

It will not spring load a finder window when none are open. In Snow Leopard it would spring load a finder window regardless of whether a finder window was open or not. This makes far more sense and is consistent with the other behaviour mentioned above. For example the folder does not need to be open for it to spring load and neither does the mail app - so why does a finder window need to be open?



I made a slight mistake in my previous description. If a finder window is open in another desktop space and you drag a file to the finder icon it will switch to that space (so your example works)... however what I meant to say is if the Finder windows is in another fullscreen space it will not switch to it. Instead it just activates the blank 'show all windows.'

What is interesting is that the automatic switch to a desktop with an open Finder window no longer works.

If there are NO Finder windows open, then it works every time. If there is a full screen Finder window open, a new Finder window is opened on the current desktop with the home directory selected.

Just to be clear, my test process is to drag a file on the desktop to the Finder icon on the Dock.

DS

 

[bmac89]

What is interesting is that the automatic switch to a desktop with an open Finder window no longer works.

If there are NO Finder windows open, then it works every time. If there is a full screen Finder window open, a new Finder window is opened on the current desktop with the home directory selected.

Just to be clear, my test process is to drag a file on the desktop to the Finder icon on the Dock.

DS

I have not yet had the chance to try PB2 as it did not update properly. Are you saying that PB1 - PB2 the behaviour is different?

For me the automatic switch to a desktop with an open Finder window still works, just not for fullscreen desktop spaces.
However it never opens a finder window if one is not already open. It activates the show all windows with a totally blank screen because no finder windows are actually open.

I am also dragging a file from the desktop to the finder icon on the dock and waiting.

 

[bmac89]

It doesn't work on El Capitan, Yosemite or Mavericks, (Haven't tried Mt Lion or Lion), but works on Snow Leopard.

If dragging a file onto the mail app opens mail and attaches the file to a new message then why does dragging a file onto the finder icon on the dock not open a finder window. It just activated show all windows with a blank desktop. It only spring loads a finder window if one is already open on the desktop. That is inconsistent with the other behaviour and not very practical. Even if a fullscreen finder window is open on a different desktop space it won't spring load. On the other hand it works with other apps such as mail regardless.

In Snow Leopard, when dragging a file from the desktop onto the finder icon it would open a finder window even if one was not currently open. I wish Apple would bring this back.

 

[dsemf]

It doesn't work on El Capitan, Yosemite or Mavericks, (Haven't tried Mt Lion or Lion), but works on Snow Leopard.

If dragging a file onto the mail app opens mail and attaches the file to a new message then why does dragging a file onto the finder icon on the dock not open a finder window. It just activated show all windows with a blank desktop. It only spring loads a finder window if one is already open on the desktop. That is inconsistent with the other behaviour and not very practical. Even if a fullscreen finder window is open on a different desktop space it won't spring load. On the other hand it works with other apps such as mail regardless.

In Snow Leopard, when dragging a file from the desktop onto the finder icon it would open a finder window even if one was not currently open. I wish Apple would bring this back.

It took some effort but I was finally able to re-create your problem.

If I set "System Preferences > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad > Spring-loading delay" to OFF (un-checked), dragging a file to the Dock Finder icon no longer opened a Finder window. Setting it back on made it work again.

DS

 

[DeltaMac]

But, when you drag a file or folder to the finder icon in the dock, a folder does NOT spring open, if one is not already open on the desktop. You cannot drill down through folders, as it used to work.
Works as expected (the old way) in Lion, but NOT in Mountain Lion. So those changes were made to the Finder between 10.7 and 10.8...

(I just tested a few different ways to make that work, but not successful, if the system is Mountain Lion or newer. But, I seldom use spring-loaded folders, so glad it doesn't affect me... 😀 )

 

[dsemf]

But, when you drag a file or folder to the finder icon in the dock, a folder does NOT spring open, if one is not already open on the desktop. You cannot drill down through folders, as it used to work.
Works as expected (the old way) in Lion, but NOT in Mountain Lion. So those changes were made to the Finder between 10.7 and 10.8...

(I just tested a few different ways to make that work, but not successful, if the system is Mountain Lion or newer. But, I seldom use spring-loaded folders, so glad it doesn't affect me... 😀 )

I am not sure if you are replying to me or bmac89.

Starting with no open Finder windows, on my MBA running PB2, dragging from the desktop to the Folder Icon on the Dock does open a new Finder window and I can drill down any folder structure and finally drop the item at the proper location.

DS

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes, PB2. That does NOT work for me. If a finder window is not open already, dragging a file or folder to the Dock Finder icon only shows a blank screen. I then have to click around to Mission Control to even get back to the normal desktop.
It's likely some difference between the beta installation on different Macs. I have a 2012 mini, and also reported as bug to Apple.

 

[dsemf]

Yes, PB2. That does NOT work for me. If a finder window is not open already, dragging a file or folder to the Dock Finder icon only shows a blank screen. I then have to click around to Mission Control to even get back to the normal desktop.
It's likely some difference between the beta installation on different Macs. I have a 2012 mini, and also reported as bug to Apple.

Weird. Have you verified that "System Preferences > Accessibility > Mouse & Trackpad > Spring-loading delay" is checked?

Maybe the difference is that I am using the MBA trackpad rather than a mouse.

DS