Get Info went insane today

[gradi]

A few minutes ago I selected about a 100 files, right clicked, and selected Get Info. I was expecting the Get Info window to pop up and tell me how many files I had selected and the total size of the files. Oh boy, instead I suddenly had a Get Info window pop up for each and every file. About 100 Get Info windows. Naturally, that is not what I wanted at all. I could not figure out how to get rid of all of them at once so finally I had to laboriously and tediously click on the red circle icon in the upper left corner of each one of them. Two questions:

1. How can I just get one Get Info window that shows the number of files and total size?

2. How can I quickly get rid of all the Get Info windows at the same time?

Thank you.

 

[MacGizmo]

#1 To do what you were trying to do, instead of right-clicking and selecting Get Info, hit these three keys: Command+Option+i (⌘ + ⌥ + i) - this will give you the info on the total of all the files and or folders you have selected in the Finder.

#2 To close all the Get Info windows at once, make sure one of them is selected and then hit these three keys: Command+Option+W (⌘ + ⌥ + w).

 

[arw]

Alternative to #1:
Select the files (as you did) > click right >
But then, instead of directly clicking "Get Info", first keep the Option-key pressed. Then the "Get Info" item transforms into sth like "Show Info Window" "Show Inspector" which now you can click to show the summarized info of all selected files.
EDIT: corrected term

 

[gradi]

#1 To do what you were trying to do, instead of right-clicking and selecting Get Info, hit these three keys: Command+Option+i (⌘ + ⌥ + i) - this will give you the info on the total of all the files and or folders you have selected in the Finder.

#2 To close all the Get Info windows at once, make sure one of them is selected and then hit these three keys: Command+Option+W (⌘ + ⌥ + w).

Thank you!

 

[gradi]

Alternative to #1:
Select the files (as you did) > click right >
But then, instead of directly clicking "Get Info", first keep the Option-key pressed. Then the "Get Info" item transforms into sth like "Show Info Window" which now you can click to show the summarized info of all selected files.

Thank you!

I checked and for me on Ventura 13.3.1 the option name is Show Inspector though. Sort of strange naming choice, but it works.

 

[gilby101]

I checked and for me on Ventura 13.3.1 the option name is Show Inspector though. Sort of strange naming choice, but it works.

Almost forever, the term Inspector is used for an app popup window which remains open (and in front) whilst you work in an app and with which you may be able to interact. It is hidden when you select another app. An alternative used in many apps is for the Inspector to be be a slide out panel on the right. Get Info creates a normal window with hopefully relevant information - it remains visible (unless obscured) when you select another app or object within an app. Finder has both - they look very similar, but act differently.

For a long time I did not appreciate the difference in Finder and used Get Info (and got into the mess you did with multiple Get Info windows open). I now find Show Inspector to be the more useful.

Edit:
Yet another command sequence (using style of @MacGizmo). Get Summary Info.
#3 To do what you were trying to do, instead of right-clicking and selecting Get Info, hit these three keys: Command+Control+i (⌘ + ⌃ + i) - this will give you the info on the total of all the files and or folders you have selected in the Finder.

 

[winxmac]

Had the same mistake before since I'm a long time Windows user... To me, Get Info on macOS and Properties on Windows are almost the same thing... Wishing that selecting all items on Finder then clicking Get Info will perform the same thing as selecting all items on File Explorer then clicking properties... Instead, you have to know a certain key combination so Get Info will not show up for each selected item...

 

[galad]

Option + click on the red button (or in the menu, or command - option - w) will close all the windows of an application.

 

[gradi]

Option + click on the red button (or in the menu, or command - option - w) will close all the windows of an application.

That does get rid of multiple Get Info windows, but it also got rid of my 3 Finder windows.

 

[galad]

Right, that's why I wrote