Very basic selection question...

[pshermanfl]

As a previous Windows user, when I want to select a bunch of files that are in a row (but not all), I click the first one, then Shift-click the last, and all in between are selected. Everything I have read has indicated that this should be the same in Yosemite on my iMac. But no. On that computer, Shift acts like Control, I can individually select files and they stay selected for copying or moving or whatever, but if I select the first, press/hold Shift and select the last in my list, I have 2 files selected, and when I copy them, only those 2 files copy.

Is the use of Shift like that some sort of setting somewhere?

Thanks in advance. This is a pain when having to select more than 30 files to copy.

 

[Dave Braine]

It sounds like you're in Icon view. You need to be in List view to do that.

 

[pshermanfl]

Interesting! Yes! There's no way around that? For example, I just got back from a trip, on which I took pictures at Place A and at Place B. Those pictures go into different folders for processing, so I copy/paste the first bunch and then go back to move the smaller second bunch. The only way I know where to make that division is to be looking at the photos. So I just need to note the file number of the last one and switch to list to do my copying???

 

[Dave Braine]

switch to list to do my copying

Yes.

 

[CreatorCode]

The best way is to band-box them (click in the space between the icons and drag the box around a group of items you want to select.)

You can hold down the Shift key while you do this to select multiple groups, and shift-click individual items as well to de-select ones you don't want.

 

[chabig]

This is a case where Microsoft didn't quite copy Apple exactly. The Mac's behavior has always been this way. When you are looking at objects, the shift key adds items to the selection. You drag to select a group. In lists, it's not as convenient to drag around a group so the shift key selects everything from the first selection to the last. The command key is for discontiguous selections.

 

[jruschme]

As a previous Windows user, when I want to select a bunch of files that are in a row (but not all), I click the first one, then Shift-click the last, and all in between are selected. Everything I have read has indicated that this should be the same in Yosemite on my iMac. But no. On that computer, Shift acts like Control, I can individually select files and they stay selected for copying or moving or whatever, but if I select the first, press/hold Shift and select the last in my list, I have 2 files selected, and when I copy them, only those 2 files copy.

Is the use of Shift like that some sort of setting somewhere?

Thanks in advance. This is a pain when having to select more than 30 files to copy.

If I understand you correctly, I think you want COMMAND-click to add files to the selection.

 

[chabig]

This explains it very well.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-select-multiple-icons-in-mac-os-x-lion.html