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 to select multiple files?
- Thread starter peas
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You also can't cut and paste out of the box. It's not Windows. Get used to it. The beauty of OSX is you can do almost anything you want (including cut and paste) using ActionScript, Automator or Unix.
No, you don't have to download a program. As miles01110 already said, you can use Automator without downloading anything. What view are you referring to, where you can't see what you're selecting?
You can also use MRoogle to search the forum and you'll find this has been discussed many times.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/404668/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/432713/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/211213/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/315485/
Sorry, I'm talking about two separate (although slightly related topics here)
Should state: With regards to Thumbnail/Icon View you cant select multiple images by selecting first image, shift, select last image.
With regards to renaming more than one highlighted item, you have to download a program to do this (rather than select multiple files, right mouse click with RENAME option).
Please remember this is the Mac Basics and Help Forum, which is why I'm asking these questions. But your help is all very much appreciated.
Shippo
Yes.
To clarify, to select multiple files in icon view, drag a box around them. If you want to select further files, hold the apple key and drag a second box around the other files.
Batch renaming of files isn't native to OSX and you have several options. If it's photos you can import to iPhoto, Batch Change and then export. You can download a small program like Name Changer which is free and takes just a few seconds. Or, you can set up something in the Automator program as stated before, if you feel confident enough to mess around with that.
Yes its a different way to do it, but those are the options you have available to achieve it.
I don't understand. You can't select what you can't see. So how is this happening. It never happens to me.
But, you have to understand that the Mac OS and Windows are different. I realize you're coming from a history of using Windows, and you find some things in the Mac OS to be different. They aren't weird, as we Mac users are accustomed to them, and find them to be quite normal.
However, if you had been weaned on Macs from K5 through college, and then started to use Windows for the first time, you'd experience the same unfamiliarity. The problem, if there is one, is not the OS. Rather, it's the mindset that wants something that's new to be the same as the old familiar environment. It's just not.
Careful how you respond. I'll take the expressway with you, but not the trollway.
in thumbnail view you can simply hold the shift key, then use arrow keys to select left from the file or right...Besides it's pretty cool that you can not select the windows way because the key function of thumbnail view is hierarchy it's used in final cut for example...
Gotta say i agree here -- why it doesn't let you shift click first and last icons is really strange. And poor, but... oh well. Could've sworn this worked before, but guess not. I'm a longgg time pc user and now that I work on a mac every day at work, I'll say that it works pretty damn good, but... then weird things like this are missing.
Select a range of contiguous icons/files
I've switched to a Mac 2 months ago and sometimes I also wonder whether I made the right decision.
Anyway I realise this thread is quite old but I have managed to do this. Select the first item and then Option Shift click the last item and you will have selected a range of icons. It works when I am trying to download pictures using the Canon EOS utility anyway.
Mike
I've switched to a Mac 2 months ago and sometimes I also wonder whether I made the right decision.
Anyway I realise this thread is quite old but I have managed to do this. Select the first item and then Option Shift click the last item and you will have selected a range of icons. It works when I am trying to download pictures using the Canon EOS utility anyway.
Mike
Maybe this is it
OK....from reading the nice people's suggestions who were responding to you, I tried to do the same. But here's where I think the issue is. You may be starting out by SELECTING the FIRST photo and then thinking there is some combo of keys that select all in between if you then select the last one.
Key is NOT to select the first one but rather to hold down left click key, place your cursor BEFORE it, in the black space, much like you were going to select a paragraph in text, and then while still keeping left key down, drag mouse over all with your other hand. I just did it and it worked.
OK....from reading the nice people's suggestions who were responding to you, I tried to do the same. But here's where I think the issue is. You may be starting out by SELECTING the FIRST photo and then thinking there is some combo of keys that select all in between if you then select the last one.
Key is NOT to select the first one but rather to hold down left click key, place your cursor BEFORE it, in the black space, much like you were going to select a paragraph in text, and then while still keeping left key down, drag mouse over all with your other hand. I just did it and it worked.
I'm coming from PC and I think Mac way is superior. If you do it PC way you can only select one box of files while in Mac way you can select multiple boxes of files using cmd+drag.
With your other hand? What happens if a person has only one hand that is capable of mousing?
Anyway, the method of selecting multiple icons can vary depending on which Icon View mode is active. That point is probably made above, but I didn't go back and read all of the older posts.
Last edited:
Selecting Multiple Consecutive Items
If anyone is still having this problem, there is an easy solution.
1. If you have the trackpad, use the "two finger click" within the window you want to select your files, and go down to "Arrange By." If you are using a normal mouse, I believe you can right click to bring up the shortcut menu.
2. It does not matter how you chose to arrange the files, but chances are they are already arranged by name.
3. Attempt to select the files by using the "Shift Key" or by clicking the first file and then the last file you wish to select.
Hope this helps. Still proud I converted from PC to Mac!
If anyone is still having this problem, there is an easy solution.
1. If you have the trackpad, use the "two finger click" within the window you want to select your files, and go down to "Arrange By." If you are using a normal mouse, I believe you can right click to bring up the shortcut menu.
2. It does not matter how you chose to arrange the files, but chances are they are already arranged by name.
3. Attempt to select the files by using the "Shift Key" or by clicking the first file and then the last file you wish to select.
Hope this helps. Still proud I converted from PC to Mac!
selecting batch of photos
I looked up this thread for a specific reason...to find some way to select multiple photos in icon view...so that i can see the photos i select. Although i didnt find the answer here i chanced upon it by accident. All you do is arrange all the pics by name. Then press down shift key and right arrow key untill you reach the last pic on first row. Then all you need is to press the down arrow and you find all the pics in one row getting selected together as a batch...easy...
I looked up this thread for a specific reason...to find some way to select multiple photos in icon view...so that i can see the photos i select. Although i didnt find the answer here i chanced upon it by accident. All you do is arrange all the pics by name. Then press down shift key and right arrow key untill you reach the last pic on first row. Then all you need is to press the down arrow and you find all the pics in one row getting selected together as a batch...easy...
Using automator I was NOT able to select multiple files - no matter what I tried, no matter what view etc
THEN I found it. I had not had "multiple files" selected
BINGO!!!!