An applescript to clean a cluttered desktop!

An applescript that is able to move .apps into an app folder or .docs into a doc folder ect. I need something like this because my desktop is all ways a mess. If anyone can just start the script i will take it from there. Thank you in advance!

Maybe you would like to try the following script, which assumes that folders “My documents" and “My applications” both exist in your home folder:
set A to (path to home folder as text) & "My documents:"
set B to (path to home folder as text) & "My applications:"
tell application "Finder"
move (files whose name extension is "doc") to folder A
move (files whose name extension is "app") to folder B
end tell
Hope it can help.
Message was edited by: Pierre L.

Similar Messages

How to use AppleScript to clean up desktop?

I am writing a script that will take all the image documents on my desktop and place them into a newly created folder on the desktop called "desktop images". It'll take all the .dmgs and put them in another folder, etc. Then the remaining icons should arrange themselves by name. Disks should be ejected and caches dumped. Then the trash should be emptied. After all this, a dialog displays "Mission Accomplished. Would you like to Shut down, Restart, or Continue."
I have nearly everything I need put together except for the blasted desktop clean up. Here's how I have it right now:
tell application "Finder"
clean up window of desktop by name
end tell
{Finder got an error: Can't get window of desktop.}
tell application "Finder"
activate
clean up window 1 by name
end tell
--this one works on opened windows, but not on the desktop.
I have also tried other various methods to no avail. Help me please.

Thanks for the input Tony D and ByTheLightOfQuiveringAspens.
'm curious, why not do it in Automator?
I guess the biggest reason is because I'm learning AppleScript. I want to know how to do everything in AppleScript. Then, I also plan on making an AppleScript App using X Code stuff that implements all of my cool scripts I put together.
Some of the ones I have so far are a finder refresher, a show hidden files, an app unfreeze, bring all windows to left of monitor 1, and a really huge one that uses gui scripting to help people set up their ip printers at my college.
Now to the point at hand
2.) Do you know that Scipt Editor in reference to the Finder is recordable, and that you could set all of the icons...
I tried to use the record button but with no luck. Under OS 10.5, it just records every movement of the icons as "select window of desktop". And when I move the icons, it doesn't add to the script at all.
1.) How, specifically, do you want to "clean up" the desktop?
I tried selecting "Arrange By>Name" but it still doesn't record the action. The AS dictionary for the Finder says that it's possible; however, I can only get it to work in opened windows on the desktop using this script:
tell application "Finder"
activate
clean up window 1 by name
end tell
If there is no wat to do it with a traditional AS, if a shell script existed that could do it, I'd be happy to know it.

What is the best way to clean the mac desktop screen?

What are some ways to clean the imac desktop screen? I have seen not to use window cleaner.

Hello,
https://www.klearscreen.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=58
http://macs.about.com/od/usingyourmac/qt/Keeping-Your-Mac-Clean-And-Trouble-Free -Cleaning-Your-Macs-Display.htm

Cluttered desktop: slow computer

Hey all,
I've heard that if my computer's slow, having a cluttered desktop can be part of the problem. I've got what may be a dumb question here. Is having a folder full of pictures on your desktop different than having an alias on my desktop that leads to a folder of pics in my user directory as far as impact on processor? (hope that made sense.)
OR is a cluttered desktop a bad thing simply because of all of the icons that need drawn?
Any input appreciated, thanks in advance,
Dan P.

I try to organize my desktop every couple weeks, as I generally use it as catch all for projects. Keeping folders and color coding them helps. After I finish a project, I will use a "Current Projects" folder in my Docs folder, and back up there. I also dragged that folder to my places sidebar, so it shows up in any finder window, that helps!
You may want to open activity viewer when it seems that your computr is running a little slow, and see if there's a hidden cuprit. Could be an app or 2 is using a good bit of juice, and that is slowing down everything.

I was trying to clean up my desktop, and inadvertently switched all my icons on my desktop. When I click on file a, file b opens and so on, regardless of the extension type. Is there any way to fix this?

I was trying to clean up my desktop, and inadvertently switched all my icons on my desktop. When I click on file a, file b opens and so on, regardless of the extension type. Is there any way to fix this?

I use
Chronosync (http://www.econtechnologies.com/pages/cs/chrono_overview.html)
and
Dropbox (https://www.dropbox.com/)
Both work very well. The former I use for manual, one-way synchroniziation of (nearly) entire systems. The latter for automatic syncing of very active directories through local and shared online storage.

Use Automator/AppleScript to clean iPhoto Library

Hello,
Having read a lot of posts about the use of AppleScript and Automator to do things with iPhoto, I think it's possible to create a script or a processus to clean the iPhoto Library (let say, a copy of it) to eliminate "zombie files" (photos which have not been deleted of the iPhoto Library when emptying the iPhoto trash).
The script should simply verify, for each file in the "master" folder, il the path of this file is known in the iPhoto database (the data base is in the "AlbumData.xml" file). If it is, the file is kept. It it's not, the file is moved to trash (or to a temporary folder).
Should anyone create this script ? I should try, but I would need two weeks to do it correctly, and I'm sure someone can do it in 5 minutes... Some help here ? Thanks !

Hi,
Try this AppleScript:
repeat
    set r to (choose file with prompt "Select an iPhoto Library package" default location (path to pictures folder)) as string
    try
        (r & "AlbumData.xml") as alias
        (r & "Masters") as alias
        (r & "Previews") as alias
        exit repeat
    on error
        activate
        display dialog "This package does not contains \"AlbumData.xml\" file or the \"Masters\" folder or the \"Previews\" folder." buttons {"OK"} default button "OK"
    end try
end repeat
set iPhoto_Library to quoted form of POSIX path of r
set AlbDataXML to quoted form of POSIX path of (r & "AlbumData.xml")
tell application "Finder"
    set newFolder to (make new folder) as string
    set dest to (make new folder at folder newFolder with properties {name:"Images qui ne sont pas dans AlbumDataXML"}) as string
end tell
set destF to quoted form of POSIX path of dest
set file1 to quoted form of POSIX path of (newFolder & "filesPath.txt")
set file2 to quoted form of POSIX path of (newFolder & "PhotosDataPath.txt")
do shell script "dest=" & destF & "; tFile=" & file1 & "; tFile2=" & file2 & "; iPhotoLib=" & iPhoto_Library & ";
grep -A1 '\$\\<key>OriginalPath<\\|\\<key>ImagePath<\$' " & AlbDataXML & " | sed -n '/<string>/s/^.*<string>\$.*\$<\\/string>$/\\1/p' | sort -o \"$tFile2\"
find \"$iPhotoLib\"Masters -type f \\! -name '.*' >\"$tFile\"
find \"$iPhotoLib\"Previews -type f \\! -name '.*' >>\"$tFile\"
sort -o \"$tFile\" \"$tFile\"
diff -ab \"$tFile2\" \"$tFile\" | sed -n '/> /s/^> //p' | while read f; do
   name=${f##*/}
   if [ -e \"$dest$name\" ];then
        i=1
        while [ -e \"$dest$name $i\" ];do
            ((i++))
        done
        name=\"$name $i\"
   fi
   /bin/mv -f \"$f\" \"$dest$name\"
done"
tell application "Finder"
    activate
    reveal folder dest -- select the folder which contains moved files
end tell
This script move every files in the ("Masters" and "Previews") folders which it's path is not in the "AlbumData.xml" file to a new folder on the desktop.
The grep command get all path in "AlbumData.xml" from the (OriginalPath and ImagePath) keys and put the result in file2.
The find command get all file's path in the ("Masters" and "Previews") folders and put the result in file1.
The diff and sed command get all file path in text file1 which is not in text file2
Before moving file:
This script check name of the file to not overwrite any file in the destination folder.
If a name already exist in the destination folder, the script add a space and a number to the end of the filename.

CE SR3 Installation clutters desktop

Hi,
as mentioned in a previous post the CE SR3 installation from SDN placed 124 log, control or other installation files on my desktop which were not cleaned up. I had the package extracted in a normal folder and started the installer from the start.html page.
Regards,
Jens-Uwe

Hi All,
I have also faced a similar issue and i have mentioned it in this thread.
NW CE SR3 - Installation
Regards
Sidharth

Clean up my Desktop .......

Hi all, i have read somewhere that my Desktop should ideally be clear of everything !, nobody likes clutter eh.
However, i have cleared my Desktop of everything except, what must be a shortcut to my Hard Drive showing a realistic picture/icon of a Hard Drive !.
I am unable to remove it, WHY ?. it wont Eject, i cant Move to Trash, i use Finder to view the contents of my hard drive, i don't really see what i want it for.
In fact i notice this hard drive "shortcut" doesn't even show up in Finder when viewing my Desktop folder !, very confusing !!
tim

Try Finder > Preferences, then uncheck "Hard disks" in "Show these items on the desktop."
You can keep things on your desktop. I have a Misc folder on my desktop, and for things on the desktop I haven't used in a while, they go into that folder. And when I feel like it, I go through that and sort out what's in there. Best of both worlds.

How can we hide the Desktop when Dashboard is invoked?

Widgets do not display elegantly against a cluttered desktop, nor even against a clean desktop with a busy photo for wallpaper.
Is there any kind of preference (or etc.) that would cause the Desktop always to go hidden (go black, go solid color, intensely darken or etc.) whenever Dashboard is invoked?
In other words, how can we stop the Desktop from "bleeding through" the display of our widgets?
Many thanks.
iMac core duo Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Hi ChicagoLarry,
No way in the system I know of.
I found this Desktopple Pro widget on this site. I haven't tried it myself and am not a fan of haxies, so use at your own risk.
EDIT:
Actually the reviews on MacUpdate are quite positive. There is also a free version Desktopple 1.1
-mj
[email protected]
Message was edited by: macjack

Desktop shows up in all Spaces

I have a very cluttered desktop. I want to relegate it to just one of the 4 spaces. I thought that's what virtual desktops is all about.
Yet whenever I switch spaces, my cluttered desktop is always there.
How do I fix this?
Thanks.

Yet whenever I switch spaces, my cluttered desktop is always there.
How do I fix this?
Clean up your cluttered desktop.
Other than that, I don't believe there is a way to hide your clutter.

How do I take all the bookmarks on my android tablet and sync them with my desktop, if I've had to change my recovery key?

Anciallry to my profile During my attempts to when attempting to sync <pre><nowiki>1349979922766 1349979922789 Sync.Status 1349979922800 Sync.Status 1349979922809 Sync.Status 1349979922819 Sync.Status 1349979922819 Sync.Status 1349979925683 Sync.Status 1349979925704 Sync.ErrorHandler 1349979925705 Sync.Service 1349979925705 Sync.Service 1349979925706 Sync.SyncScheduler 1349979925706 Sync.Service 1349979925707 Sync.Status 1349979925707 Sync.Status 1349979925814 Sync.Resource 1349979925814 Sync.Resource 1349979925815 Sync.Service 1349979925815 Sync.Service 1349979925815 Sync.Service 1349979925815 Sync.Service 1349979925815 Sync.Service 1349979925815 Sync.CollectionKeys 1349979925815 Sync.Service 1349979925817 Sync.Engine.Clients 1349979925818 Sync.Engine.Clients 1349979925944 Sync.Collection 1349979925944 Sync.Collection 1349979925945 Sync.Engine.Bookmarks 1349979925945 Sync.Engine.Bookmarks 1349979926487 Sync.SyncScheduler 1349979926488 Sync.SyncScheduler 1349979926488 Sync.SyncScheduler the android device logs becoming corrupted on Desktop Computer A (windows 7), and a subsequent sync of the corrupt information to Desktop Computer B (OSX 10.6), I'm left with all 1400ish bookmarks residing on Mobile Device C (Android Tablet).
restore, I had firefox services generate a new Recovery Key, prior to my knowing that my bookmarks were stored in "C".
now, on the desktop, i see:
Sync.Service DEBUG Exception: Component returned failure code: 0x80070057 (NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_VALUE) [nsINavBookmarksService.removeFolderChildren] Stack trace: BStore_wipe()@resource:///modules/services-sync/engines/bookmarks.js:1253 < <file:unknown> < Engine__wipeClient()@resource://services-sync/engines.js:498 < <file:unknown> < WrappedNotify()@resource://services-sync/util.js:142 < <file:unknown> < Engine_wipeClient()@resource://services-sync/engines.js:504 < <file:unknown> < resource:///modules/services-sync/service.js:1563 < <file:unknown> < WrappedNotify()@resource://services-sync/util.js:142 < <file:unknown> < WeaveSvc_wipeClient()@resource:///modules/services-sync/service.js:1548 < resource:///modules/services-sync/service.js:1246 < <file:unknown> < WrappedNotify()@resource://services-sync/util.js:142 < WrappedLock()@resource://services-sync/util.js:97 < <file:unknown> < _lockedSync()@resource:///modules/services-sync/service.js:1186 < resource:///modules/services-sync/service.js:1177 < <file:unknown> < WrappedCatch()@resource://services-sync/util.js:71 < <file:unknown> < sync()@resource:///modules/services-sync/service.js:1165 < <file:unknown> < <file:unknown>
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG Beginning user-triggered sync.
DEBUG User-Agent: Firefox/15.0.1 FxSync/1.17.0.20120905151427.
INFO Starting sync at 2012-10-11 13:25:25
DEBUG Clearing sync triggers and the global score.
INFO In sync().
INFO Resetting Status.
DEBUG Status.service: success.status_ok => success.status_ok
DEBUG mesg: GET success 200 https://scl2-sync623.services.mozilla.com/1.1/vq5tgzklyepycf5agigiay47ime5ytho/info/collections
DEBUG GET success 200 https://scl2-sync623.services.mozilla.com/1.1/vq5tgzklyepycf5agigiay47ime5ytho/info/collections
DEBUG Fetching global metadata record
DEBUG Weave Version: 1.17.0 Local Storage: 5 Remote Storage: 5
INFO Sync key is up-to-date: no need to upgrade.
DEBUG Fetching and verifying -- or generating -- symmetric keys.
INFO Testing info/collections: {"passwords":1349979572.28,"tabs":1349979636.47,"clients":1349979114.63,"crypto":1349974699.42,"forms":1349979571.23,"meta":1349975849.38,"prefs":1349975802.81,"bookmarks":1349976817.63,"addons":1349979226.66,"history":1349979571.65}
INFO Testing for updateNeeded. Last modified: 1349974699.42
DEBUG Refreshing client list.
INFO 0 outgoing items pre-reconciliation
INFO Records: 0 applied, 0 successfully, 0 failed to apply, 0 newly failed to apply, 0 reconciled.
DEBUG mesg: GET success 200 https://scl2-sync623.services.mozilla.com/1.1/vq5tgzklyepycf5agigiay47ime5ytho/storage/bookmarks?full=1&sort=newest&limit=1
DEBUG GET success 200 https://scl2-sync623.services.mozilla.com/1.1/vq5tgzklyepycf5agigiay47ime5ytho/storage/bookmarks?full=1&sort=newest&limit=1
DEBUG Resetting bookmarks last sync time
DEBUG Deleting all local data
DEBUG Sync error count has exceeded 3; enforcing backoff.
DEBUG Starting client-initiated backoff. Next sync in 2777931 ms.
DEBUG Next sync in 2777931 ms.</nowiki></pre>
arent as friendly to export, but i see similar complaints about crypto.

It sounds like your desktop profile is (still?) corrupt; it's failing to process the wipe on bookmarks. So let's be super thorough: we'll clean up the desktop, then reconnect so the Android device's data will replace it.
My suggestion is to do the following. Read all of the steps before you start. I recommend that your Android device is on wifi.
# On your Android device, go to Settings > Accounts & sync. Remove your Sync account. Your Firefox profile will be unchanged.
# On your desktop, create a new profile.
# On the new profile, assuming you want to re-use your Sync account, follow the instructions below.
# Re-pair your Android device with the new desktop profile, and wait for it to finish syncing before syncing the desktop.
Connecting to an existing sync account:
# Set Up Sync
# I have an account
# I don't have the device with me
# Enter username and password, choose "I have lost my other device"
# You'll get a dialog with a new recovery key. Choose "Change recovery key".
Let me know if you have any problems!

ICal move events from one calendar to another with AppleScript

I made an AppleScript to clean up my calendars and thought I would share. My iMac had a calendar called "Home" and my iPhone had a default calendar "Calendar" so I ended up with all of my events spread across two calendars. Decide to clean up and move everything to one calendar.
This script is admittedly not very efficient. The nested repeat loops means it takes a while to run. Feel free to take this as a start point. I have it checking each property for missing value before adding it to avoid errors. I could have added a line to delete the old event after creating the copy, but I was just deleting the whole old calendar after the script ran.
I hope this is helpful to someone. Oh, this was created under Snow Leopard so if you are in Lion you might need to tweak things. I don't know how much the scripting library has changed.
tell application "iCal"
          set thisCalOld to calendar "OldCalendarName"
          set thisCalNew to calendar "NewCalendarToMoveEventsTo"
          set cntrMatch to 0
          set cntrCopied to 0
          repeat with thisEventOld in events of thisCalOld
                    repeat with thisEventNew in events of thisCalNew
                              set isOKtoProceedWithCopy to true
                              if (start date of thisEventNew = start date of thisEventOld) and (summary of thisEventNew = summary of thisEventOld) then
              --Don't copy
                                        set cntrMatch to cntrMatch + 1
                                        set isOKtoProceedWithCopy to false
                                        exit repeat
                              end if
                    end repeat
                    if isOKtoProceedWithCopy then
                              set theStamp to stamp date of thisEventOld
                              set theAllDay to allday event of thisEventOld
                              set theURL to url of thisEventOld
                              set theRecur to recurrence of thisEventOld
                              set theEndDt to end date of thisEventOld
                              set theClass to class of thisEventOld
                              set theStartDt to start date of thisEventOld
                              set theDesc to description of thisEventOld
                              set theSummary to summary of thisEventOld
                              set theLoc to location of thisEventOld
                              set theExcludeDt to excluded dates of thisEventOld
                              set theSeq to sequence of thisEventOld
                              set theStatus to status of thisEventOld
                              tell thisCalNew
                                        set thePropList to {}
                                        if theStamp is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {stamp date:theStamp}
                                        end if
                                        if theAllDay is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {allday event:theAllDay}
                                        end if
                                        if theURL is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {url:theURL}
                                        end if
                                        if theRecur is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {recurrence:theRecur}
                                        end if
                                        if theEndDt is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {end date:theEndDt}
                                        end if
                                        if theClass is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {class:theClass}
                                        end if
                                        if theStartDt is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {start date:theStartDt}
                                        end if
                                        if theDesc is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {description:theDesc}
                                        end if
                                        if theSummary is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {summary:theSummary}
                                        end if
                                        if theLoc is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {location:theLoc}
                                        end if
                                        if theExcludeDt is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {excluded dates:theExcludeDt}
                                        end if
                                        if theSeq is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {sequence:theSeq}
                                        end if
                                        if theStatus is not equal to missing value then
                                                  set thePropList to thePropList & {status:theStatus}
                                        end if
                                        set theNewCopy to make new event at end with properties thePropList
                              end tell
                              set cntrCopied to cntrCopied + 1
                    end if
          end repeat
end tell
display dialog ("Exists(not copied):" & cntrMatch & " New Copied:" & cntrCopied)

That should not be necessary because I get the value of ID out of another table, where I generate ID with a sequence..
So normally it should just tranfer that row from one table to another. But it doesn't !
Knowing that I cannot create a row in the table wouter_published_posts(I can just move rows from the add_post table to the wouter_published_posts table), It should be inpossible that twice the ID appears. But yet he keeps trowing errors...
help me, please

Possible to hide Time Machine HD icon from desktop?

Hey, I'm using Time Machine with a new iomega 500 GB desktop USB hard drive I installed a few days ago, and it seems to be working like a champ. Just wondering...is there any way to hide the new icon on my desktop called "Time Machine Backups"? (this is what Time Machine named the new hard drive) I changed my finder preferences to hide all external devices, so that's not the trick, apparently. And there doesn't seem to be an option in Time Machine prefs that I can find. Any tips? With Leopard, I've become accustomed to the nice, clean desktop, and now I can't seem to get rid of this one icon.

I asked the same question yesterday and was told that this is not possible. I would think it would be a pretty simple thing to add to the preferences pane for Time Machine. You should add it to the OS X feedback page.
My motivation wasn't to clean up the desktop so much as keep my wife from ejecting the disk on her iMac without me knowing and then weeks later ask me for a file only to find out it never got backed up. I taught her about Time Machine, but you never know...

BB Desktop Manager v4.7 error

I recently downloaded v4.7 for the desktop and was having issues so I removed it from my computer. I tried to reinstall but it won't let me. I am no longer getting the error code for the .msi file to be located, but I am now getting that "the wizard was interrupted before Blackberry Desktop Software could be completely installed. Your system at this time has not been modified. to complete installation at another time, please run setup again. Click finish to exit." Can anyone offer a suggestion on how to get everything completely uninstalled and then reinstall it with no problems? I know that it is still showing up in the Add/Remove program but won't allow it to be removed. Not sure what all I need to get removed. Also have BlackBerry Media Sync installed. Any help would be appreciated as this happened yesterday and I am still fighting with it to get it corrected.

Hi and welcome to the forums!
Try this procedure to cleanly remove the desktop manager from your PC and then reinstall the software.
Click here: Desktop manager clean uninstall
What is your PC operating system and what was the exact .msi error message?
Thanks,
Bifocals
Click Accept as Solution for posts that have solved your issue(s)!
Be sure to click Like! for those who have helped you.
Install BlackBerry Protect it's a free application designed to help find your lost BlackBerry smartphone, and keep the information on it secure.

External hard drives and desktop

Hi, and happy new year.
I use several hard drives, Firewire 400 & 800 mostly, but query would apply to USB also.
When i connect a drive it appears in a random position on my desktop ( I have a fairly cluttered desktop), is there any way to ensure that drives appear below my startup drive, nice and neat? If I'm using partitioned drives then all partitions would be nice in one neat column, rather than around the desktop. Is there away to organise them in the dock?
regards, alan bell in uk

No problem.
(1) Click on the Finder icon in the Dock. If your dock is on the bottom of the screen, it is the icon on the far left.
(2) Now, look at the menu called Finder at the top left of your screen and find "Preferences there". Or, you can just press command-, (command-comma).
(3) Anyway, once the Preference window opens select the category "General" from the choices there. You will see a list of things which you can choose to have displayed on the Desktop. Make your selections and close the window.
charlie

An applescript to clean a cluttered desktop!

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