Finder Files Greyed Out

[Maverick686]

I just setup my new 16" Macbook pro, and in the open file dialog boxes, sometimes, all of the files are greyed out.

Now, I can select them normal, but this makes this hard to read.

Have you had the same issue? How did you solve it?

 

[Stephen.R]

I'd guess these are files stored in iCloud that haven't fully downloaded yet.

 

[slickwilly]

I have no idea why this happens. I only see it when I'm trying to upload or open a file when I'm on a website or something. I'll be prompted to finder, find the folder, and half the files or whatever are grayed out. I can still select them but, yes, this is a real pain in my ass. It's been like this since I've owned my mac last year. I presume it's a feature but of course it makes zero sense. And, no, it's not because a file hasn't been uploaded to icloud or whatever. I'm always accessing these files in dropbox or onedrive, both of which are fully synced and uploaded. If anyone can comment on why or how to fix I'd be grateful!

 

[Maverick686]

I don't use icloud storage or back up.

@slickwilly - are these dropbox files that are stored in the cloud - rather than your local drive?

 

[slickwilly]

I don't use icloud storage or back up.

@slickwilly - are these dropbox files that are stored in the cloud - rather than your local drive?

No, they're dropbox files on my machine.

 

[Maverick686]

No, they're dropbox files on my machine.

Okay - so are mine.

On my previous machine Dropbox didn't do this. Do you have Smart Sync on?

 

[slickwilly]

No, smart sync off. All files are on my machine.

 

[Honza1]

I just setup my new 16" Macbook pro, and in the open file dialog boxes, sometimes, all of the files are greyed out.

Now, I can select them normal, but this makes this hard to read.

Have you had the same issue? How did you solve it?

I have this on my 2017 MBP recently upgraded to Catalina. Seems like if those files were not accessible for the application. In some cases when I select a folder or file, I get question if I will allow xyz.app access to ... location. I assume this is somehow related to privacy controls and limiting of application access to only allowed places. Works when I click on the file or folder - eventually.

 

[voicebymaria]

Did you all figure out a solution to this issue? I just set up a new iMac and I'm experiencing the same thing. When I am looking at folders and files in a native Finder window, they appear normal. But when a dialogue box pops up - for example to open a file in an application, to attach a file in an email, to save a file from an application, all of the file names contained in the folder and all of the folders are grayed out. It's impossible to read and I cannot for the life of me figure out what the setting is.

 

[Honza1]

Nope, still having many files greyed out. No problem opening them, though. I can usually read the names so it is not issue, just annoyance.

 

[Kjelle-2020]

I've had this problem for a long time and was hoping it would go away when I bought a new iMac earlier this year. Alas, the issue remains. No problem using the files, just a very hard to see what file is which.

 

[Stephen.R]

Are you sure these aren’t just files in iCloud Drive ?

 

[voicebymaria]

Are you sure these aren’t just files in iCloud Drive ?

Yes - these are not files that are in my iCloud drive. The issue is file location agnostic. It happens with files that are local on my Desktop, files that are in my local folders that are sync'd to Dropbox. There is no issue selecting the file to attach, open or save - but you just cannot read the file name because it is showing as light gray/unavailable.

There is no sync issue and in a normal finder window that is not a dialogue box from an application or browser, they show up just fine.
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I've had this problem for a long time and was hoping it would go away when I bought a new iMac earlier this year. Alas, the issue remains. No problem using the files, just a very hard to see what file is which.

Same - can use the files perfectly and select them, I just cannot read them without leaning in and squinting. It's starting to drive me crazy.

 

[Stephen.R]

By any chance do you have “desktop and documents” turned on in iCloud Drive options?

that it’s desktop + Dropbox suggests it is in fact telling you the file is not downloaded locally until you access it. Dropbox presumably hooks the same UI method as native iCloud to present the files as “remote”. To confirm, do the files appear “greyed out” *after* you open them?

 

[voicebymaria]

By any chance do you have “desktop and documents” turned on in iCloud Drive options?

that it’s desktop + Dropbox suggests it is in fact telling you the file is not downloaded locally until you access it. Dropbox presumably hooks the same UI method as native iCloud to present the files as “remote”. To confirm, do the files appear “greyed out” *after* you open them?

No. I do not have that turned on.

Again - to recap. All files are synced in the cloud and locally. Even files that have been synced for days, weeks, months.

In a regular finder window, all files appear normally. They are in black, not grayed out - you can click and open them.

When you are inside a program/application - like Chrome browser, an audio program, Microsoft Word and you go to take an action, such as: OPEN a file. ATTACH a file. Or SAVE a file. When that dialog box pops up to show the folder you're going to either OPEN, ATTACH or SAVE from/to - all of the files appear grayed out and they are impossible to read. You can still OPEN, ATTACH or SAVE. The actual file functionality is not at all impacted. This must have to do with some kind of preference, security or privacy feature that is graying out the files in the choices. I am attaching two images that show a NORMAL FINDER WINDOW (files fine) and a popped up dialog box while in Chrome to attach a file to something (files grayed out). All of these files have been synced in this folder for more than 2 days.

 

[cakaplan]

I just setup my new 16" Macbook pro, and in the open file dialog boxes, sometimes, all of the files are greyed out.

Now, I can select them normal, but this makes this hard to read.

Have you had the same issue? How did you solve it?

I have had this problem for a long time (annoying), and finally called Apple Support. They had me go into Apple Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Privacy and then unlock and give Full Disk Access to my browser of choice (in my case Google Chrome). So far, it has worked. I have alot of folders, so it takes about 1 second or less, but then all the folders and files are dark, and easy to read. Good Luck.

 

[voicebymaria]

I have had this problem for a long time (annoying), and finally called Apple Support. They had me go into Apple Preferences -> Security and Privacy -> Privacy and then unlock and give Full Disk Access to my browser of choice (in my case Google Chrome). So far, it has worked. I have alot of folders, so it takes about 1 second or less, but then all the folders and files are dark, and easy to read. Good Luck.

I tried the full disk access setting as well but it doesn’t work consistently. When I first did it, they were black. A few days later they were back to grayed out. It’s truly maddening.

 

[brianmowrey]

I tried the full disk access setting as well but it doesn’t work consistently. When I first did it, they were black. A few days later they were back to grayed out. It’s truly maddening.

And in your files and folders setting? If the App is not showing there, click + to add it

 

[voicebymaria]

And in your files and folders setting? If the App is not showing there, click + to add it

View attachment 1490727

In the Files and Folders setting, I have all of the apps in there and they show they have full disk access, so with that selected I can't add individual folders under each app. Do you think it would be helpful to remove full disk access and instead authorize the individual top hierarchy folders? Full Disk Access did not solve the graying out problem and I have all apps in there where the graying out is occurring in the file action dialogue pop-up window.

 

[omstrat]

SAME HERE I have a Brand NEW i mac 2020. Annoying as can be. I have full access to those folders but they are greyed out ..Sometimes if i click on the top folder the rest will "light up" so I can read them normally..Sometimes they become "ungreyed" in a second on their own. Seems like a graphics issue to me .Ive attached a screen shot to further explain it . You can see on the right hand coloum the folders look washed out . I tried in Dark and day mode , same story.I'm ready to return this mac as it was not doing this when I first bought it a month ago.Any help would be appreciated ..THANX

 

[mjrozenberg]

I suscribe to everyone complaints. It is driving me mad too.
This is a real issue. Been a Mac user for 30 years now, never this kind of thing happened before.

 

[skessa]

Same here -- just got an apple refurbished 2019 16" w/Catalina and whenever I go to upload a file to a site or open a file from an app, the filenames are so faint I can barely read them, until I click on one, then they all snap into proper contrast/color. When I first started setting up, I let Dropbox start backing up my entire computer with Smart Sync. That was causing my fans to rev up, so I've since disabled Smart Sync and I'm not using Dropbox for desktop at all, but I'm wondering if this greying is a side-effect of stopping and disabling Smart Sync in the middle of it's first backup. Anyway, I hope someone comes to our rescue soon

 

[CatsMeow]

I too, have the problem. It's very frustrating and time-wasting.
(iMac/Big Sur)

 

[mirkomen77]

+1 so annoying

 

[bduffy]

This is driving me NUTS. The Save As dialog has become a user-experience disaster.

I cannot see the names of the files because they're all greyed-out now. And any names longer than 30 characters trail off the entry box with no way to resize that box to see the name, plus the entire name is highlighted including the suffix!

So every time I save as, I have to scroll to the end of the file name, carefully cleave my cursor in (or dance around with cmd+arrow) and hope I don't delete the period by accident.

I can't really do anything in this dialog, it's so basic. I can't switch from the naming field to the files to quickly set the name to that file (if I want to overwrite or adopt the same name). And wasn't there a time where I could hit the down arrow and it would highlight the files? I swear that was a thing. It feels like 1995! WHY!?!

I fell in love with Finder when I switched from Windows 12 years ago. Now, I find myself yearning for Windows' intuitive, flexible Save As dialog. It's so frustrating!