How to remove folders created by software from 'documents'

[Scylax]

I like to keep my 'documents' area of the finder uncluttered, but lots of pieces of software, such as 'Bookends', Microsoft Office and others put folders there each time they are opened. To try to move them, I opened the prefs of Bookends and moved the folder location to a better place, but every time I open the software it just puts a new folder in 'documents'. I presume there must be a way to stop this, but how? Thanks!

 

[KirkL]

MS Office creates them? It hasn't for me...but ya I agree I'd like to find a way to remove them or at least put them in a different place.

 

[galarneau]

I just leave them there, but make them invisible.

If you have the Developer Tools installed, type this at the command line:

SetFile -a V (path to folder you want to make invisible)

 

[extralarge]

Move them

Most of that folders or files are created to store the application property information, or the library. Rather delete it, it's better if you just move them to another folder, and ask the applications to choose the new location. And, if something go wrong, you can simply move back the related files.
Deleting is just to risky.

 

[Ashka]

I've always made my own Documents folder 'Mine' and left the default documents folder for various software apps to use.
No Stress that way :

 

[lucifiel]

I think this might work:

sudo chflags hidden <insert directory path>

So whatever fold you want hidden, set the flags to hidden?

 

[LPZ]

I think this might work:

sudo chflags hidden <insert directory path>

So whatever fold you want hidden, set the flags to hidden?

This seems like a nice solution. To make it a bit more user-friendly:

Open Terminal (in Utilities) and type the following but don't press return

chflags hidden

Drag a folder or file that you want hidden from your Documents folder into the Terminal window and release. The folder/file path is added to complete the chflags command.

Now press return in Terminal and the folder or file---which is still in its original location in Documents---is hidden.

You can still see the folder/file name by entering

cd ~/Documents; ls

in Terminal.

And you can make a hidden item visible again by entering

chflags nohidden ~/Documents/NameOfItemGoesHere

in Terminal and pressing return.

 

[Scylax]

Thanks, all!

Thanks very much for all your responses. As someone who wouldn't have a clue how to edit anything in the terminal, I have for now adopted Ashka's suggestion, but I am still very interested in learning other ways. I would also love to know why picking a new file location for 'Bookends' didn't work. Any ideas?

Thanks,
H.

 

[Gregg2]

Your OS is _____
Your version of Bookends is _____

Maybe there's a compatibiltiy issue. I've never used, or heard of Bookends. Contact the developer, if they've given you a "life line".