Finder Window Does not retain custom size and/or view

I recently installed OS X Snow Leopard and ever sine I have had problems with the behaviour of my finder windows in that they simply will not retain my custom view settings.
+For example, I set the default view to coverflow with a 50/50 ratio of coverflow (on top) and file lists (on the bottom). But as soon as I click to another location, close and then reopen any finder window, at any time, the result is always the same - the window opens in coverflow with the coverflow graphics taking up around 90% of the window space and the file lists underneath squeezed down to minimum size. Even if I set all windows to open in icon view or list view, the same thing happens.+
*I have tried all of the following:*
Opening a finder window, resizing, and then closing it straight away
Deleting the both the finder and the side bar plist files, emptying the trash and then restarting finder
Restarting finder on its own
*Is anyone having the same problem and if so have they found a solution?*

This problem affects a few of my Finder windows, including the Application folder window. I recently did a clean reinstall of SL (which stands for Stupid Lunatic, because that's what I was for upgrading), and the problem occurred a few days later. This cannot be due to using Migration Assistant (and moving "bad" folders), because the installation process creates the Applications folder and populates it with Apples apps. Migration Assistant just adds your apps to the existing folder.
This problem, or minor variations of it, has occurred with all seven major versions of OS X. Finder window settings were rock solid way back in OS 7 days and remained so through OS 9. I know that Steve Jobs hates the Desktop/Finder approach, but if it's going to be in OS X, then it should work correctly. I actually long for the days when rebuilding the desktop fixed most of the icon and window problems.
We need a utility that can erase the custom settings for our folders and let us start with a clean settings file.

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Mac Book Pro just got it, all was well for 2 weeks now Finder window does not fill whole screen, there is an 1 1/2" space of black on the right side and the Finder window had a 1" section that flipped like a rolling tv now it is a white bar! Help!

Mac Book Pro just got it, all was well for 2 weeks now Finder window does not fill whole screen, there is an 1 1/2" space of black on the right side and the Finder window had a 1" section that flipped like a rolling tv now it is a white bar! Help!

Bad video card, call Apple, get a case number and return it.

I'm using a fresh install on 10.10. why when i click the finder icon in the dock a finder window does not open?

i'm using a fresh install on 10.10. why when i click the finder icon in the dock a finder window does not open?

ok, i forced quit the finder, and now when i click on the finder it opens a visible window... where did this bug come from?

Finder/Window-Content not responding to changes and doesn't refresh

Hi,
i have a very strange Problem with the Finder since i upgraded to 10.6.4. The Finder doesn't react to changes from certain Applications.
I noticed the effect in the Folder 'Downloads', f.e. if i try to download a file. Usually two files appear, the intended file with 0 kB and another temporary file. After the download is complete the temporary file will be deleted and only one file remains.
Usually the whole process is visible and shown in the finder window. After the update it isn't which means that if i download a file, the Window content does not reflect the changes and the new files are not shown, even after the download is complete. To see the new files i have to trigger a change, either by creating a new folder or by changing the location (moving up a level).
Interesting enough this only happens with certain Applications like Firefox or 'the Unarchiever' (a compression tool). If i download a file with Safari the temporary files and the downloaded files are shown in the window content without manually triggering a change. If i use 'keka' (another compression tool) the changes are also immediatly shown.
In order to narrow down possible errors i have taken different approaches:
a) i intently scanned and watched the console and read all error reports. There are no errors shown (with firefox or the unarchiever).
b) I created a new user profile and the effects are the same.
c) i ran 'disk utilities' and scanned the Access priviliges. Apart from the common problem within /system/java/... there are no problems
d) i ran 'onxy' to clean the user and system cache. I rebuild the LaunchService Database.
I didn't fix my Problem.
That leads me to conclude that the problem is located in some system-function which is correctly triggered by some applications and apparently not by others.
My Questions:
1. Does anyone else has this problem and possibly a fix?
2. Does anyone know how the finder is triggered by applications in order to refresh a window?
tia,
jc

Hi Jeanclaude,
You've described the problem well and took some excellent troubleshooting steps
b) When you created the new profile, were you still engaging your third party apps, or are they installed in log-in items?
1. It would be interesting to try a Safe Mode startup (It will take more time to startup in Safe Mode because it runs a directory check.)
2 If step 1 doesn't turn up anything, re-install from your 10.6.x install disk (10.6 has the ability to "install in place" without touching anything other than system specific files.) Just pop in the disk, double-click and follow the prompts. Remember to uncheck language localizations if you don't use them & Printers except the one/ones you use.
Let us know your results after these 2 steps.
-mj

Finder window does not refresh under yosemite

I have a weird effect on my rMBP with the latest Yosemite:
Very often (not always) when I save a file from an application an open Finder window to the save location does not refresh. The new file is not shown! I can go in with Terminal and everything is fine, the file is there. I can edit its contents (eg. with vi or pico) and I can rename the file. However the Finder still does not show it. Not even closing and re-opening the folder help. The only way I found is to create a new folder and immediately delete it. That forces the Finder to update the window. It looks as if the Finder does not get *some* update events.
I do have XtraFinder installed, but deinstalled it and even after a reboot nothing changed, Finder still does not refresh its display. I cannot tell exactly when this started, but incidentally I run an update some days ago and installed Server 4.0.3 and upates to the latest Pages/Keynote/Numbers (however I do not use those, I am still and will stay with iWork'09).
I use Server on a MBP with dynamic address because I needed virtual domains for local testing, nothing really "serverish". It just provides a nice GUI for easy setting-up of virtual domains.
Any ideas? What can I do?
Thanks
---markus---

Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

Finder window does not open when dock icon is clicked

Hi would like some help
When I click the finder icon in the dock nothing happens, the only way I can get finder open is to go file>new finder window
just started doing this 1 day ago ?
thanks

Have you got an instance of finder open in another desktop? If you right click on the finder icon you can show all windows, then close any that are open. Failing that relaunch finder, if you click on the Apple in the top menu bar, go to force quit, and select finder, then relaunch it to see if it solves your problem.
I once had this problem when I had left a finder window open in a connected tv screen, disconnected the tv and had the same problem of not being able to open finder normally.

Mac Does Not Retain Video Creation and Modification Dates

I seem to have encountered a major problem for managing videos on the Mac. There does not seem to be a method - other than manually dragging files "Windows Style" - for moving videos from my camera (any camera) to the Mac (any Mac) that retains the video's modification date (the date the video was taken) so that videos can be organized by date (which, I imagine, is the primary way that I and everyone else would normally keep track of their videos). iMovie resets the "Date Modified" and "Date Created" data to the day that iMovie imported the file. That data is almost meaningless. Yes, iMovie allows for modifying the "Clip Date and Time" after the fact and one at a time but that is obviously inadequate for the serious management of archived files. Neither iPhoto or Image Capture seem to be capable of touching video files at all. Is Mac really this deficient for managing video files? Somebody please tell me I'm wrong. Thanks.

I run into the same problem while working on some sort of file synching task.
Trying to read the file.modificationDate or creationDate results in an error: "Error #3003: File or directory does not exist."
I have obeserved that this only happens for files that were packaged with the app (and placed in the File.applicationDirectory).
Files that my app has downloaded and saved to the device (File.applicationStorageDirectory) do have a valid creation date and modification date.
Maybe the File.applicationDirectory has different rights?
Does anybody have a solution or workaround for this?

Finder window does not come forward when icon is selected in tray

This happens sporadically with Finder mostly and most recently with Illustrator. I frequently copy and paste and move between several programs in preparing a presentation. I will have multiple programs open and when I click on the icon in the tray nothing happens. What should happen is that program moves on top of the other open windows. When this happens I have to manually move that window to the side or use the function keys to find the window/program I need. This requires jockeying around several windows to reposition them and having to repeat the dance each time I want to move between programs.
Is this a glitch or bug or am I doing it wrong?

Have you got an instance of finder open in another desktop? If you right click on the finder icon you can show all windows, then close any that are open. Failing that relaunch finder, if you click on the Apple in the top menu bar, go to force quit, and select finder, then relaunch it to see if it solves your problem.
I once had this problem when I had left a finder window open in a connected tv screen, disconnected the tv and had the same problem of not being able to open finder normally.

Preview in Finder windows does not work with VLC Player

hi there,
i am using vlc player, and whenever i access a folder where i have many avi folders that vlc player is set as the default program to open them, the finder windows freezes and i have to relaunch it. also, when i click on get info for a particular avi folder, finder crashes again because it cannot preview the file in the window. does anyone know how i can resolve this issue?
thanks!

paranoidandroid60 wrote:
ok, it works fine with quicktime, but anyone know why vlc player might be doing this?
thanks!
I use VLC and there are some bugs with the latest version. Try an earlier version. WIth VLC, I keep the older versions for things like this.
For instance, the new VLC give the wrong time on a stereo audio file. In fact it gives double the correct time. I have had some other issues with VLC, but it's easy enough to remove and install.
If you make QT the default and then right-click the video and select VLC to play it, does that work?
Also check out:
http://forum.videolan.org/viewforum.php?f=12&sid=7bc9db9ba2aa53d4660133d4b9e3dbb 8
Message was edited by: nerowolfe

(10.8) Finder.app does not update file lists and Dropbox stops syncing, could they be related?

The Finder on three identical, brand new, iMacs does not refresh when new files are added or removed from a folder. They were all purchased about a month before the release of Mountain Lion and were upgraded upon release. The problem is intermittent, and does not affect the Spotlight or other computers viewing the filesystem remotely. Occasionally, the mini-finder will see a file when using the open command in a program.
At the same time, the Dropbox app on one of the computers stops syncing properly (though, realistically it may be a problem on all three and I'm only noticing it on the iMac I use). The app will regularly tell me that it is fully synced, but is not uploading changes made on the local computer. This problem has persisted through versions.
I've been unable to find information on either of these problems seperately, and I am beginning to consider that they may be related or that another application is the cause of the problem.
What steps can I take to trying to track down the cause of these issues--I am relatively new to troubleshoot Macs?
Some of the software that these iMacs have in common is Microsoft Office 2011, Adobe Creative Suites 6, Avast! antivirus for mac, smcfancontrol, and Dropbox.

The basic issue with Finder is that it's ill-designed and slow to update and has been that way for years. The best way to get it to update is to OPTION-click and hold the Finder's Dock icon and select RELAUNCH.
Then, join the crowd and File a bug report with Apple about this shortcoming..
I know nothing about Dropbox, so can't comment on it.

Opened Finder windows are NOT remembered after rebooting and have to be re-opened again manually. Very annoying and obviously a major bug!

If other software products can keep their opened windows after the system is rebooted, why not the finder? This did work for many, many years now and I can only hope that this issue somehow has been overseen by Apple (although it's a very obvious flaw) and will be repaired with the next Update for Lion (which otherwise is working very, very well for me).

I have stated every issue I’ve had so far in a fairly clear and concise way. I think if you read what I wrote, it all makes logical sense as to what is going on. Windows 7/8 would work just as well on a Mac if it was supported the same way the OS is for other OEMs.
As I stated earlier in the post, I’m having these same issues in windows 8, not just 8.1, which is the reason for the post. I know the difference between supported by drivers and not supported by the manufacturer. The fact that when Haswell mbp’s came out and no revision to bootcamp for the new hardware was released to fix issues with installing windows on the new hardware shows Apple clearly Is not supporting bootcamp as strongly as they advertise.
I am being realistic on Apple having drivers early. Anyone with an MSDN subscription can download the RELEASE version of windows months ahead of the actual release, I’m 100% sure if any average consumer can do that by paying $100 and saying they are a developer, apple can do it just as easily.
You aren’t much help, you haven’t answered really anything to my post, nor have you contributed any knowledge that wasn’t clearly posted above, so don’t say anything if you don’t have anything to contribute.
By the way, my rant is directed at apple, as you can see because I am saying “Apple, if you are going to…” because this is an Apple forum on Apple’s website. It is not directed to end users, clearly.

Finder window does not open

This has start happening this week. I am using OS 10.7.5 on a Mac Pro desktop. When I click on the Finder icon in the tray nothing happens. I might have one or more finder windows open but none of them come forward when I click on the icon. I have to use Command+Tab to rotate through any open programs to get the Finder window. And it is only the Finder that this happens with.
Is this a glitch native to my computer or is there a box to check or uncheck that I have inadvertently toggled?

This has start happening this week. I am using OS 10.7.5 on a Mac Pro desktop. When I click on the Finder icon in the tray nothing happens. I might have one or more finder windows open but none of them come forward when I click on the icon. I have to use Command+Tab to rotate through any open programs to get the Finder window. And it is only the Finder that this happens with.
Is this a glitch native to my computer or is there a box to check or uncheck that I have inadvertently toggled?

Items in Finder window will not show alphabetically while in columns view

I am running a Mac Pro Yosemite 10.10.1
a couple of weeks ago I had some kind of glitch since then it takes a long time to save items having a continuous spinning beach ball.
Also in the Finder window items will no longer listed alphabetically while in columns view they list fine in the other views.
Is there an easy way to fix or could I fix it by reinstalling the operating system?

Hi tundrabob,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. Based on what you stated, it sounds like Finder takes a while to save and you need to sort a window. I would recommend that you read these articles, they may be helpful in troubleshooting your issue.
This article may help the spinning beach ball.
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck - Apple Support
OS X Yosemite: Ways to view items in Finder windows
Sort items: In any view, click the Item Arrangement button , then choose an option, such as Date Created or Size.
OS X Yosemite: Reinstall OS X
Cheers,
Mario

My privacy option does not include "custom settings"and i am not able to block cookies.

To set Firefox to block cookies from all websites:
At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (Tools menu in Windows XP) and then click Options
Select the Privacy panel.
' Set Firefox will: to Use custom settings for history.
Remove the check mark from Accept cookies from sites.
Click OK to close the Options window
"Set Firefox will: to Use custom settings for history" is not included in my privacy panel

Do you see the set Firefox will line?
Next to that text you see a clickable button and if you click that button then a drop down list with further choices will open.
See:
*https://support.mozilla.com/kb/Options%20window%20-%20Privacy%20panel

Opened Finder windows are NOT remembered after rebooting and have to be re-opened again manually. For me this is very annoying and is a major bug!

If other software products can keep their opened windows after the system is rebooted, why not the finder? This did work for many, many years now and I can only hope that this issue somehow has been overseen by Apple (although it's a very obvious flaw) and will be repaired with the next Update for Lion (which otherwise is working very, very well for me).

I am using XP, Firefox 17.0.1 and the latest version of flash. Have
automatic updates and installs. Everything was working a few months ago and
then just started clearing everything out all by itself. No settings were
changed. There are some sites now such as my bank that do not even put
anything in the panel, like before. Other sites I used do not even request
to be allowed or denied. I can still use the sites that request space, but
as soon as I leave the page, everything is wiped out. I need to find
something else that actually works all of the time, unlike Adobe.

Finder Window Does not retain custom size and/or view

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