As the title suggests, I was wondering if it is possible to quit Finder. I already have the Quit Finder menu item, but whenever I try quitting Finder, Finder just pops back up if I don't have any other open applications. Is there a way to close Finder and have it not open back up unless I click on the icon?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How do I Quit Finder without Reopening?
- Thread starter TechnoEagle
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
miles01110
macrumors Core
You can relaunch Finder but you can't "quit" it in the same way as other programs. Finder is kind of the front end for the entire OS, you know...
thejadedmonkey
macrumors G3
Finder is the equivalent to Explorer for Windows, and can not be quit without restarting itself.
If you're trying to get rid of the blue running icon on the dock below finder, this is not the way. You'll need to do some system hacking.
If you're trying to get rid of the blue running icon on the dock below finder, this is not the way. You'll need to do some system hacking.
Gregg2
macrumors 604
Is that really accurate? Can't you boot into Windows and have an image on your screen that is not Explorer? Whereas, when you boot into OSX, what you get is Finder, whether there's a finder window (equivalent to Explorer?) open or not. Is the same true with Windows and Explorer? Just askin'.
I have already done this, and can quit Finder. However, when I quit Finder and all the other open applications, Finder reopens. I want to know if there is a way to keep Finder closed.
calderone
Cancelled
You could use an AppleScript like this:
Code:
repeat
delay xx
tell application "System Events"
set finderRunning to (application process "Finder" exists)
end tell
if finderRunning is true then
try
tell application "Finder"
quit
end tell
on error errText number errNum
log {errText, errNum}
end try
else if finderRunning is false then
end if
end repeatAdjust the delay to some number of seconds.
I want to know how for two reasons:
1. I'm just curious. I don't know if I'll actually do it very often, but its interesting to know.
2. It can be nice to sometimes hide all the icons on my desktop so that it looks a little less cluttered.
1. I'm just curious. I don't know if I'll actually do it very often, but its interesting to know.
2. It can be nice to sometimes hide all the icons on my desktop so that it looks a little less cluttered.
answers :
1 you will never need to do "close"finder as your computer will be unresponsive and not functionalble unless you reboot.
2 you can hid the icons on your desktop by going into the finder pref's under finder in the tool bar.
I opened Finder preferences, but in the section where I could hide certain icons from my desktop, folders were not one of the options. The only things I have on my desktop are Macintosh HD and some folders.
TumbleDryer
macrumors 603
I have no icons on my desktop whatsoever except when im working. Just set the dock to auto hide and turn anything you dont want to show on your desktop off.
No need to quit Finder as all that will do is cause problems. Thats like taking the engine out of a car but still trying to drive. 😕
No need to quit Finder as all that will do is cause problems. Thats like taking the engine out of a car but still trying to drive. 😕
umm, I will have to play around with my mac when I get home. I thought you could hide folders also.
I like a clean desktop so the only thing on my desktop are my Mac HD, and any external HD attached.
When I am working on a project i have that particular folder on the desktop and when I am finished I move that folder to my documents folder in file it away under that project subfolder.
I like a clean desktop so the only thing on my desktop are my Mac HD, and any external HD attached.
When I am working on a project i have that particular folder on the desktop and when I am finished I move that folder to my documents folder in file it away under that project subfolder.
I have used Tinkertool to add the 'Quit Finder' command in the file menu and it used to work OK, but now when I select it, it quits and immediately reopens.
GGJstudios
macrumors Westmere
In Windows, Explorer.exe is always running. If you end task on Explorer, Windows shuts down. It's an integral part of the OS. The same is true for Finder in Mac OS X. If you open any app that uses/creates files such as Preview, TextEdit, MS Word, etc., when you open, save, save as.... those operations are performed by Finder. Those apps, like many others, can't run without Finder.
If you want your Mac to run properly, Finder must be running.
1. If you disable any part of Mac OS X, you won't have full functionality. It's not a smart thing to do.
2. Quitting Finder isn't the solution for hiding icons on the desktop. As already mentioned, use Finder preferences to disable the display of many items. If you don't want user-created folders to show on the desktop, don't put them there in the first place.
Xenc
macrumors 65816
No problem TechnoEagle, glad it helped.
I haven't run into any problems. Try it and see!
I haven't run into any problems. Try it and see!
I tried creating/saving a TextEdit text file while Finder was closed and it worked just fine! 🙂
Gregg2
macrumors 604
Hmm. Thanks, I didn't know that. I thought Windows Explorer was just the file management system, and something else handled the interface with apps. I know the Finder stuff you mentioned, but it's obvious that many people don't get that from some of the posts I read, so that may help someone.
If you still want to quit Finder in an easy way without it reopening, start Activity Monitor and select Finder among the processes select Quit Process > Quit. Finder shouldn't reopen unless you click on the Finder in the Dock.
