Finder preferences question

Having started out with OS 8 on a Gossamer G3, I have gotten used to changes with our Mac OS. I used to be able to have folders (Applications, System, etc.) open the same window size and place, with the same info organization, (complete name, size, version, date created, date modified). The OS remembered all these preferences. As I had 576 MB RAM, it was no problem at all.
I have yet to learn how to do this with my Intel iMac, and now have a folder in reverse alphabetization, which I can't figure out how to correct.
Is there is some way (a key stroke combination?) to correct this?
How did I accidentally do this?
I'd really appreciate learning how, or what technical article to read
(seems I have not yet been able to find it searching the database).
Thanks, Greg
20" iMac Intel Core Duo 2 GHz 1 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8) Parallels, Boot Camp, VPC, XP, Linux

One of the best ways to answer almost any question about the OS is to look in Mac Help, which is in the Help menu of the Finder.
For example, Under Finder in the Mac Help Index is this article;
Changing how items are shown in Finder windows
You can change the way applications, folders, documents, and other items appear in Finder windows. For example, you can choose to view items as icons, in a list, or in columns. You can also change the size of the icons and the icon text.
• To see the items in a Finder window displayed as icons, in a list, or in columns, click a View button along the top of the window.
• To change additional characteristics of the current view (for example, to show only specific columns in list view or to change the icon size in icon view), choose View > Show View Options. Then make your choices.
• If you chose icon or list view, you can change all windows that use the same view or only the current window. To do this, select "This window only" or "All windows" in the Show View Options window.
• To change the size of a column when in column view, drag the bottom of the column divider (where the two vertical lines appear). To change the size of all columns at once, hold down the Option key as you drag a divider.
• To always use column view when you open a Finder window, choose Finder > Preferences and click General. Select "Open new windows in column view."
If you choose icon or list view, the Finder saves your view settings. The next time you open the window you will see the same view settings you chose previously.
You can also customize the items that appear in the toolbar of Finder windows, or you can change the overall look of windows.
Just about every Apple app and most 3rd party apps have Help files as well.

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How to restore lost Finder preferences in 10.6.5?

Running 10.6.5 on a MacBook Pro 2.4Ghz i5.
In each Finder window, I had, over months and years, set up a specific setting according to my needs:
Some windows had different background color;
Some windows were set to list view, some to icon view;
Some had icons of a certain size, some had icons of a smaller or larger size;
Various windows were sized and arranged on the screen to meet various requirements;
and most importantly, in each window the icons in icon view were often arranged in a specific organizational pattern.
In fact, this is how I organized my work flow -- moving icons from one area of a Finder window to another to represent their various stages of completion in projects.
I've been using Finder this way for years, never a problem.
But after a recent Shut Down and Restart, for no apparent reason, ALL of my existing Finder preferences were wiped away for every window.
Now, all windows have been reset to have the same background color, all windows the same size and the same location on the screen, all be in icon view, have the icons all be the same (maximum) size, and worst of all all rearranged alphabetically in a grid. All my customization was wiped clean, and all windows reset to what I presume was the default appearance.
No data or files were lost, as far as I can tell. The computer seems to be functioning perfectly as it always does in every other way. The only thing that went wrong was that the Finder preferences were zeroed out and reset.
For most people, this really wouldn't be much of a problem, as they don't really use the Finder icons and windows to organize concepts and workflow as I do; but for me this is a disaster, because now I've lost track of all sorts of "information" encoded in how each window appeared and how icons were arranged.
I could laboriously by hand try to restore each window to how I thought it was, but there are literally hundreds or thousands of windows, each containing in some cases hundreds of icons representing hundreds of work files in various stages of completion, and the whole process would take me weeks to get it back to the way it was, and even then it would certainly be inaccurate, as I'd be relying on my memory.
So my question is: Is there any way to get back and restore my Finder preferences to the way they were before this mysterious "Finder Amnesia Event," or whatever it was? Or do i just resign myself to accepting this setback and go about restoring each window's set-up by hand?

No, probally not.
But there are security issues with 10.6.5 and you really need to Apple menu> Software Update to 10.6.8 right away.
Perhaps that's is what caused it?
Run a ClamXav scan.
Run through this list if you have problems
..Step by Step to fix your Mac

Finder preference setting

hi-
I have a new iMac 10.4.10, 2.4 Ghz.
So, a simple question, but an oddly illusive answer. I want my finder windows to always open in the column view style. Even after setting this in the finder preferences, it consistently reverts to icon view when I close a window and later open another. What am I missing?
- thanks

From the Finder select View from the menu>Show View Options (or command-j). You need to select All Windows if that's what you want.

Can not select 'Show HD' in Finder Preferences

Just performed Data Migration on a new iMac Intel late 2011 from a 2 year old iMac Intel. For some reason, the Macintosh HD does not display on the desktop. If I go to Finder Preferences I can not select Hard Disks. The box is not selected, but If I try to click it, it will not stick. How do I fix that. Not much on the internet concering this peculiarity.

OK, try a couple of things. First is to do some resets, the first I'd recommend doing is restarting the computer in Safe Mode, this will clear some caches. It's possible one is corrupt. Next is to reset the SMC and PRAM, each of these should be done 2x to ensure they work. Finally if that doesn't do it open Disk Utility (Applications - Utilities - Disk Utility) and Repair Disk Permissions 2x.
SMC RESET
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord and all peripherals.
Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
Release the power button.
Attach the computers power cable.
Press the power button to turn on the computer.
PRAM RESET
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.

Unable to find preferences in ichat to add another account?

Have ichat, with mac.com account, want to add a jabber on too. Know how to do that, but only little buddies list opens when open ichat - how do I find preferences?! May be being really dense but just cant find it...
Thanks for your help
x

Hi,
To a certain extent this does depend on what you mean by Combined ?
There is a Add-on called Chax that will let you create an "All Contacts" List where you can then have AIM and Jabber Buddies in one list (you then Hide the other Buddy Lists)
The Add-on adds s pane to the iChat Preferences. You turn on the Option there - THEN - you use the Window Menu for the All Contacts List.
This still will not let you Text Chat - or any other sort of Chat - from an AIM Screen name to a Jabber one.
For Text Chatting only it i possible using things called Transports to Link the Jabber service to the AIM (Or MSN/Yahoo) one.
This is not so much difficult but involved.
Instructions
This will not work for Video or Audio Chatting.
10:29 PM Thursday; May 26, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.7)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Cannot get the past dialogue box to open in illustrator since upgrading to Yosemite. Click it but nothing happens. Also File Open works intermittently. Is this a finder preference issue?

Cannot get the past dialogue box to open in illustrator since upgrading to Yosemite. Click it but nothing happens. Also File Open works intermittently. Is this a finder preference issue?

one of those days --- it's the PLACE dialogue box

Finder preferences: How do I just DBL click folder to get a new window

I don't want to have to push cmd and click folders Every time I want a folder to open in a new window. I want a New Window EVERY time I dbl click a folder, as I have done for as long as I can remember in Mac system. I like multiple open windows, and don't like being Forced into having to take extra steps every time just to do this task I do Hundreds of times a day.
Thanks for any help, which these Help screens were Not.
Open a folder in a new tab or window
When you open a folder in a Finder window, the folder’s contents usually replace the current contents of the window. If you prefer, you can open a folder in a new tab or window.
To open a specific folder, press the Command (⌘) key while you double-click the folder.The folder opens in a new tab or window, depending on your Finder preferences. To change the preference, choose Finder > Preferences, click General, then select or deselect “⌘-double-click opens a folder in a new tab.” (Deselect the option if you prefer a new window.)
To open a new Finder window without opening a specific folder, choose File > New Finder Window or press Command (⌘)–N.
If a Finder window’s toolbar and sidebar are hidden, then double-clicking a folder in the window (without pressing the Command key) opens the folder in a new window.
RELATED TOPICS
Finder preferences
⌘-double-click opens a folder in a new tab
If this is selected, double-clicking a folder while holding down the Command (⌘) key opens a new tab. If this is deselected, Command (⌘)-double-click opens a new window.

Helgason: Thank you so much for this solution. I have been using it since March. But I just upgraded to Yosemite. And as you have noted on your website, it breaks the functionality of typing Command-Shift-A to go to Applications and such. Now that Yosemite has officially been released, are you going to create an update?
Also, an update that returns the green button to being maximize instead of full screen (without having to hold down Option) would also be welcome!

Cannot bring up Finder preferences and general Finder issues in Yosemite

Since installing Yosemite, I've been having multiple issues with the Finder:
Finder seems to hang occasionally when trying to delete a file
Finder seems to hang occasionally when trying to empty the trash
When trying to open the Finder preferences, it either doesn't open or opens a blank panel (with nothing in it)
Looking at the Console when trying to opening the Finder prefs, I can see this Exception being logged:
Jan 11 16:15:15 JasonMBPRetina Finder[260]: An uncaught exception was raised
Jan 11 16:15:15 JasonMBPRetina Finder[260]: *** -[__NSArrayI objectAtIndex:]: index 0 beyond bounds for empty array
Jan 11 16:15:15 JasonMBPRetina Finder[260]: (
0   CoreFoundation                      0x00007fff899b864c __exceptionPreprocess + 172
1   libobjc.A.dylib                     0x00007fff8bfe66de objc_exception_throw + 43
2   CoreFoundation                      0x00007fff8989174e -[__NSArrayI objectAtIndex:] + 190
3   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d931e59 _NSAccessibilityEntryPointValueForAttribute + 1823
4   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d4b8296 NSAccessibilityChildren + 41
5   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d4b8246 NSAccessibilityUnignoredChildrenForOnlyChild + 98
6   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d4b815c NSAccessibilityUnignoredDescendant + 27
7   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d4b80e2 -[NSNibAXAttributeConnector establishConnection] + 74
8   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d90cf66 -[NSIBObjectData nibInstantiateWithOwner:options:topLevelObjects:] + 1065
9   AppKit                              0x00007fff8d41ef05 loadNib + 384
10 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d98cf80 +[NSBundle(NSNibLoading) _loadNibFile:nameTable:options:withZone:ownerBundle:] + 313
11 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d98d67d +[NSBundle(NSNibLoadingInternal) _loadNibFile:externalNameTable:options:withZone:] + 150
12 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d65efed -[NSWindowController loadWindow] + 313
13 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d664684 -[NSWindowController window] + 80
14 Finder                              0x0000000101dc5a14 Finder + 1604116
15 Finder                              0x0000000101dc59e5 Finder + 1604069
16 libsystem_trace.dylib               0x00007fff88d74cd7 _os_activity_initiate + 75
17 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d60a497 -[NSApplication sendAction:to:from:] + 410
18 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d6245da -[NSMenuItem _corePerformAction] + 382
19 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d6242f7 -[NSCarbonMenuImpl performActionWithHighlightingForItemAtIndex:] + 114
20 libsystem_trace.dylib               0x00007fff88d74cd7 _os_activity_initiate + 75
21 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d671b96 -[NSMenu performActionForItemAtIndex:] + 131
22 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d671b06 -[NSMenu _internalPerformActionForItemAtIndex:] + 35
23 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d671952 -[NSCarbonMenuImpl _carbonCommandProcessEvent:handlerCallRef:] + 107
24 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d619eeb NSSLMMenuEventHandler + 724
25 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff9593e32c _ZL23DispatchEventToHandlersP14EventTargetRecP14OpaqueEventRefP14HandlerCallRec + 1260
26 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff9593d76e _ZL30SendEventToEventTargetInternalP14OpaqueEventRefP20OpaqueEventTargetRefP14HandlerCallRec + 386
27 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff95952286 SendEventToEventTarget + 40
28 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff95987795 _ZL18SendHICommandEventjPK9HICommandjjhPKvP20OpaqueEventTargetRefS5_PP14OpaqueEventRef + 428
29 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff959bae8d SendMenuCommandWithContextAndModifiers + 59
30 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff959bae34 SendMenuItemSelectedEvent + 188
31 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff959bad06 _ZL19FinishMenuSelectionP13SelectionDataP10MenuResultS2_ + 96
32 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff959c28b1 _ZL14MenuSelectCoreP8MenuData5PointdjPP13OpaqueMenuRefPt + 702
33 HIToolbox                           0x00007fff959c249e _HandleMenuSelection2 + 446
34 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d59fd1e _NSHandleCarbonMenuEvent + 277
35 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d43ba40 _DPSNextEvent + 1843
36 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d43ae80 -[NSApplication nextEventMatchingMask:untilDate:inMode:dequeue:] + 194
37 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d42ee23 -[NSApplication run] + 594
38 AppKit                              0x00007fff8d41a2d4 NSApplicationMain + 1832
39 Finder                              0x0000000101c43960 Finder + 22880
40 libdyld.dylib                       0x00007fff8c2045c9 start + 1
41 ???                                 0x0000000000000001 0x0 + 1
Can anyone help?

Do a backup.
Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.
Re-launch Finder by restarting and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.
If the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.
Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

I lost all my colored tags in OSX - They are not listed when I go to Finder/Preferences/Tags. How can I get them back

I lost all my colored tags in OSX - They are not listed when I go to Finder/Preferences/Tags. How can I get them back

Hi, try this...
Bootup holding CMD+r, or the Option/alt key to boot from the Restore partition & use Disk Utility from there to Repair the Disk, then Repair Permissions.
Reboot.

Hi First time Posting. I can't find Preferences. It is not listed in Finder. Please make it simple, thanks, Carol

Hi, My first time posting. Have been going in circles and need some help. Started with not being able to find my memory stick, didn't show up on desktop. Think I found a way in but the main problem right now is I cannot find Preferences. All posts I have checked say to go to Finder and click on Preferences, but it is not there. Can anyone help. Thanks

You have to click on the word "Finder" in the menu bar. (If you do not see the word click anywhere on the desktop.) When you do that you will see a list of options. In the list, click on Preferences. Another pane will open.
Now click General (on the top row), then select everything by clicking on all the boxes in the section "Show these items on the desktop:"
Close this pane.

I cannot find my question from last night. I saw the instruction from jscher2000 but I find nothing like what he decribes.

I cannot find my question from last night. I saw the instruction from jscher2000 but I find nothing like what he decribes. My question was "Firefox 22 worked on Windows 7 but 23 does not"

hello MLP99, you can find your prior questions & answers under this link (once you're logged into support.mozilla.org with your account): https://support.mozilla.org/questions?filter=my-contributions

I can't find preferences for the notes app. and every once in awhile some of my notes just disappear at start up, I see the name and then it refreshes and they are gone, very annoying. Can anyone tell me why it does this and how to stop it? thanks

I can't find preferences for the notes app. and every once in awhile some of my notes just disappear at start up, I see the name and then it refreshes and they are gone, very annoying. Can anyone tell me why it does this and how to stop it? thanks

Hi again, I am on an iMac using OSX 10.7.5, I"ve taken screenshots to show you I think my settings are correct

My CD drive does appear on the desktop even though Finder preferences indicate it should and so do the System preferences. I'm unable to burn a CD-R in iTunes. It tells me the CD burner is being used by another application?

My CD drive does appear on the desktop even though Finder preferences indicate it should and so do the System preferences.
I'm unable to burn a CD-R in iTunes. It tells me the CD burner is being used by another application; however, I seem to find out what's using it.
I'm unable to eject the CD since it not shown on the Desk Top. I have to restart the system to eject the CD?
Very unclear as to what is happening?

My CD drive does appear on the desktop even though Finder preferences indicate it should and so do the System preferences.
I'm unable to burn a CD-R in iTunes. It tells me the CD burner is being used by another application; however, I seem to find out what's using it.
I'm unable to eject the CD since it not shown on the Desk Top. I have to restart the system to eject the CD?
Very unclear as to what is happening?

Missing Finder (and Finder preferences) icons

I have an odd issue. I noticed today that the small icons next to the files that done which application the file opens in are gone as are the previews for the file (if I select a PDF the arrows to switch pages work but there's no image preview).
Also, I noticed that when I go to Finder Preferences, the pictures for each menu item are gone (see link):
http://www.savagevenus.net/x/finder.png
Is there something wrong or am I going crazy?
Thanks!

Blah, I totally thought I worded that sentence differently D:
I meant to say that I contacted AppleCare/Support on the telephone but for some reason I didn't. Yeah, I contacted AppleCare on Friday and they mentioned to rollback to 10.6.2 and skip the update because some computers had problems with 10.6.3.
Trying to delete the finder.plist file - is it normal for it to keep reappearing after I delete it? I was deleting com.apple.finder.plist and it just keeps reappearing. I assume that's normal and it's just putting a default file in there?

OS Finder Preferences and Annoyances

So, the OS Finder preferences don't ever really work well do they? This is a minor irritation but it's amazing how long this has not worked. I like to open all my folders and windows in column view. Specify that in the Finder General preferences.
Never ever works, not since 10.1
I like to use the keyboard shortcuts for my network, shift-command-K. That works, occasionally, when every third moon is red. Been like this since 10.1 and it's another issue like the above that has my local Apple Store "Geniuses" scratching their heads in wonderment.
Once again, minor annoyances but geez, if the Finder preferences can't even be made to stick, makes me wonder about all the other great "advances" in Leopard.
I've got no interface hacks, appearance hacks or any silliness like that running on my four macs; they're all clean machines.

Do a backup.
Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.
Re-launch Finder by restarting and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.
If the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.
Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

Finder preferences question

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