Limiting file types seen in file open

How can I limit the file types displayed under file open?
For example, in Word, 99% of the time I would like to see and select from .doc files only. But instead I have to plunge through vast stretches of grayed out .xls, .rtf, txt, tif, etc. files to find what I need. If the operating system knows to gray them out, isn't some way to make the same files invisible?

Not sure if there is such an available setting but how about placing all your Word files in a created folder named Word Files within your Documents folder. This was when using File > Open and navigating to the Word Files folder that contains all of your Word files, this is all you will see. You can create additional folders to sort Word files by selected category, etc.
I do the same with Word, Excel and PowerPoint files - having a dedicated folder for each within my Documents folder instead of dumping all documents in the Documents folder only regardless of type.

Similar Messages

File Type Association fails when opening multiple files from Bridge to Premiere

I'm running Vista 32 bit CS3 Bridge and Premiere.
According to the Video workshop
http://www.adobe.com/designcenter-archive/video_workshop/
under Premiere > all 19 topics > Managing Media in Adobe Premiere Pro > at 02:46 it shows group selecting a bunch of quicktime files using Edit > Select all, then File > Open With ...the drop down shows Premiere.
Mine only show Premiere if a single file is selected. If I multiple select, it only shows Quicktime Player 7.6.
I've checked the file type association in preferences of Bridge to open these files in Premiere but it still only sees Premiere if a single file is selected.
I've upgraded Bridge to 2.1.1.9 and set to run as Administrator but to no avail.
Any ideas?

Import has always worked fine. this is not the issue.
I have now changed the file association in Vista, re-started Premiere and Bridge and then after having started just Premiere chose File > Browse and the selected all the .mov files and selected Open With. Hurrah! Premiere is now listed!
However, If I continue the focus changes to Premiere but a warning appears "This file path does not exist on disk at this location".
Nothing is imported. Unlike the video workshop mentioned above.
If however, I chose Open and not Open with then the files are imported.
Seems to be a bug with Open with with more than one file chosen. If a single file is chosen and Open With is applied then the focus changes to Premiere but no file is imported.
I have seen the exact same problem in another discusion "Re: Bridge CS3: Not importing clips into Premiere CS3" (see the More Like This panel on the rightside of this window)

I have Microsoft Word for Mac 2011, version 14.3.1. When I try to open a document, an error occurs, says file type is "blocked from opening in this version." This was NOT immediately after a version update. Any ideas? Thank you.

I have Microsoft Word for Mac 2011, version 14.3.1. When I try to open a document, an error occurs, says file type is "blocked from opening in this version." This was NOT immediately after a version update. Any ideas? Thank you.

Take a look here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953266
If that doesn't help, I'd suggest you take up the question in Microsoft's own forums or with Microsoft support.
Regards.

I am trying to open a .tiff file in photoshop by using bridge and it opens it as a photo in windows. If I go to file open it says could not complete request because it is not the right type of document. It is a file from a lesson folder from school. Can a

I am trying to open a .tiff file in photoshop by using bridge and it opens it as a photo in windows. If I go to file<open it says could not complete request because it is not the right type of document. It is a file from a lesson folder from school. Can anyone help me?

Hi,
The D810 requires Camera Raw 8.6 or later - the latest version that is compatible with Photoshop Elements 12 is Camera Raw 8.5 as far as I can see.
You need to either buy a new version of Photoshop Elements or use the free Adobe DNG converter.
DNG Converter 8.8
Win – http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5888
Mac – http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5887
Useful Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bqGovpuihw
Brian

Added new file but type still won't open in CS5

I would like CS5 to be able to open .m3u files as text files. I have added M3U into the Extensions.txt in my C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Applications Data\Adobe\Dreamweaver CS5\en_US\Configuration\Extensions.txt, and the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5\configuration\Extensions.txt files. I've also added it to the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5\configuration\DocumentTypes\MMDocumentTypes.xml file. I have tried this two different ways: one by adding M3U as an addition TXT file, and the other as a completely new type.
In both cases, I can do File\Open and it lists my type (either Text Files (*.txt; *.m3u) or M3U Files (*.m3u)), but when I try to open a file with .m3u extension I get "Dreamweaver can't open .m3u files. Please choose an HTML, XML, or other compatible file."
Is there some other location I need to change this? Or is there somewhere to tell CS5 to open unrecgonized file types as text (the way Dreamweaver 8 used to work)?

Robert,
I would like CS5 to be able to open .m3u files as text files. I have added M3U into the Extensions.txt in my C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Applications Data\Adobe\Dreamweaver CS5\en_US\Configuration\Extensions.txt, and the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5\configuration\Extensions.txt files. I've also added it to the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5\configuration\DocumentTypes\MMDocumentTypes.xml file. I have tried this two different ways: one by adding M3U as an addition TXT file, and the other as a completely new type.
You should never edit files in the *Application* Configuration folder (i.e.C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5\configuration). You should only edit files in the *User* Configuration fodler (i.e. C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Applications Data\Adobe\Dreamweaver CS5\en_US\Configuration). The reason is that you can always delete your User Configuration folder to reset to your original installation files.
You said that you edited "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Dreamweaver CS5\configuration\DocumentTypes\MMDocumentTypes.xml" but you should have edited the one in your User Configuration folder instead. If it doesn't exist in the User Configuration folder, then copy it there first, then edit it. You should just need to add it to the winfileextension and/or macfileextension attribute(s) as a comma-separated value.
You'll need to shutdown and restart DW.
HTH,
Randy

What is the oldest PS file type that can be opened in CS5?

I have a lot of work that was created in PS 7.0. I want to get the latest version. What is the oldest file type that can be opened in CS5?

You will have no problem with files created with PS7.
I have files from PS3 that still open!

DVD-MOV mpegstream clip error: "File open error: unsupported file type"

I do it all the time this is the only time i've gotten this error, i use mpeg stream clip. I have a dvd I got from a DVR recorder, I open the dvd which shows 2 VOB files in the TS folder. the MENU gives "Warning: the stream may have timecode breaks." I "Fix Now" and it works fine. But i dont want the menu. the other VOB file in the TS folder, which should be the "movie I want" gives this error when opened,
"File open error: unsupported file type"
when I open anyway, I get an audio bar which has no sound, and no video.
ANY IDEAS? I've been on this for hours PLEASE

Hi,
Do you have the [MPEG-2 component|http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2> installed on your computer? If not, you will need it to be able to convert VOB files.

Bookmarks back-up on flashdrive says "unsupported file type" when try to open

I followed the Help directions for backing up my bookmarks. But when I try to open the back-up file from a flashdrive, it says "unsupported file type." Also, when i save the back-up file to the desktop, it never gives me the option to choose that back-up file when I try to restore. Thanks!! :-)

Make sure that the backup file with the bookmarks has the correct file extension: .html for a HTML backup and .json for a JSON backup.<br />
You can check that via the right-click context menu of that file and open the Properties.<br />
If you are not sure about the file type then you can open the file in Firefox via "File > Open File"<br />
A JSON backup will show as one long text line without line breaks and a HTML backup as a web page with clickable links.
A JSON backup starts with: <nowiki>{"title":"","id":1,"dateAdded":</nowiki>
An HTML backup starts with: <nowiki><!DOCTYPE NETSCAPE-Bookmark-file-1></nowiki>

Where can I find a list of file types that Iphone can open?

where can I find a list of file types that Iphone can open please?

http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
TV and video
* Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
* Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately)
Message was edited by: DaVBMan

File Opener

There are many file openers out there, but each one lacks some features that I really need. Here's what my ideal file opener should be like:
1. Store configuration in plain text in a simple parseable format. Ideally, 1 line per type or program or method of opening, so a script can simply extend the configuration by adding another line
2. Allow the user to open the same file in different ways. (e.g. open a video windowed, fullscreen, audio-only, etc. configurable by the user)
3. Allow running the same file file with different programs (videos with mplayer, mlpayer2, VLC, totem,...)
$ open --with mplayer foo.avi # runs mplayer
$ open --with vlc foo.avi # runs VLC
$ open foo.avi # runs the default program
4. Ship with a configuration that recognizes the type of most files and opens them out of the box.
$ open asdfjkl # AND IT JUST WORKS
5. Support determining file types based on multiple factors: mime type, extension, full file name and path
$ open foo.c # runs "gcc foo.c && ./a.out"
$ cd myproject; open bar.c # runs "make && ./bar"
6. Run different programs, depending on whether X runs or not, whether STDIN is a keyboard,...
$ open foo.html # runs "firefox foo.html"
$ DISPLAY= open foo.html # runs "elinks foo.html"
$ : | open foo.html # runs "elinks -dump foo.html"
7. Enumerate all possible methods to open a file, and choose the method based on an entered number
$ open --list foo.png
0: feh (windowed)
1: feh (fullscreen)
2: gimp
$ open --method=2 foo.png # runs gimp
8. Have an unnoticable startup time
9. Have GUIs for curses and for X that allow you to quickly pick a program and add new file types/programs.
Ranger has a file opener that can do most of those, but fails at #1, #6 (fails if STDIN is no keyboard), #7 (no listing), #8 and #9.
AFO (Automatic File Opener) is a prototype that improves in #1, #7 and #8 over ranger, but I'm still not quite satisfied.
Some day I want to code a file opener that can do it all, but first I want to ask you:
What do you value in a file opener? Are there important features that I missed? What's the best file opener that you came across?

I fixed a few bugs and improved the ability to accept input. The syntax is now a bit different.
open foo.bar # opens foo.bar in first match of "bar" in config
open -m auto|manual|list foo.bar # changes selection mode (the -m option also takes a|m|l)
open -n 2 foo.bar # opens foo.bar in second match of "bar" in config
Here's the code:
#!/bin/sh
# Simple file opener based on file extension
# Depends: libnotify, dmenu, slmenu, cut, sed, grep, tr
# --CONFIG--
extlist="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/open/extlist" # Location of list of extensions
delim=":" # Which character to use for delimiter in extlist file
default_mode="auto" # auto/manual (set to auto for automatic program selection)
dmenu_default=1 # Controls whether dmenu is used by default in X
# ---END----
number=""
mode="$default_mode"
explicitmode=0
stdredirected=0
if [ -t 0 ]
then
interactive=1
else
interactive=0
fi
if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ]
then
dmenu_default=0
X=0
else
X=1
fi
eval set -- `getopt -n open -o m:n: -- "$@"`
while true
do
case "$1" in
-m) mode="$2"; shift 2; explicitmode=1;;
-n) number="$2"; shift 2;;
--) shift; break;;
*) echo "Invalid option"; exit 1;;
esac
done
case "$mode" in
a) mode="auto";;
m) mode="manual";;
l) mode="list";;
esac
if [ -n "$number" -a ! "$mode" = "list" ]
then
mode="auto"
fi
if [ $interactive = 1 -a $dmenu_default = 0 ]
then
if [ -e $HOME/.slmenurc ]
then
. $HOME/.slmenurc
else
SLMENU="slmenu -i"
fi
menu="$SLMENU"
else
if [ -e $HOME/.dmenurc ]
then
. $HOME/.dmenurc
else
DMENU="/usr/bin/dmenu -i"
fi
menu="$DMENU"
fi
fn=${@: -1}
if [ -z "$fn" ]
then
while read input
do
fn="$input"
done < /dev/stdin
stdinredirected=1
fi
if [ -z "$fn" ]
then
if [ $interactive = 1 ]
then
echo "No filename given"
else
notify-send "No filename given"
fi
exit 1
fi
if [ ! -e "$fn" ]
then
if [ $interactive = 1 ]
then
echo "Invalid filename"
else
notify-send "Invalid filename"
fi
exit 1
fi
hasext=$(echo "$fn" | sed -e '/$\.$\?$.$\+\.[a-zA-Z0-9]\+$/! {d}')
if [ -z "$hasext" ]
then
if [ $interactive = 1 ]
then
echo "'$(basename $fn)' has no extension"
else
notify-send "'$(basename $fn)' has no extension"
fi
exit 1
fi
ext=${fn##*.}
all=$(sed '/^\#/d' "$extlist")
suitable=$(echo "$all" | sed -e "/$delim *$\([a-zA-Z0-9,]*,$\?$ext$,[a-zA-Z0-9,]*$\?$\)/I! {d}")
if [ "$stdinredirected" = 1 ]
then
noninteractive=$(echo "$suitable" | sed -e '/^|/! {d}')
if [ -n "$noninteractive" ]
then
suitable="$noninteractive"
fi
else
suitable=$(echo "$suitable" | sed -e '/^[^|]/! {d}')
fi
if [ $X = 1 ]
then
suitable=$(echo "$suitable" | sed -e '/^[^@]/! {d}')
else
suitable=$(echo "$suitable" | sed -e '/^[%@]/! {d}')
fi
if [ -z "$suitable" ]
then
if [ $interactive = 1 ]
then
echo "No program found for extension '.$ext'"
else
notify-send "No program found for extension '.$ext'"
fi
exit 1
elif [ -n "$number" ]
then
if [ $(echo "$suitable" | wc -l) -lt "$number" ]
then
if [ $interactive = 1 ]
then
echo "Invalid number: '$number' (Not enough options)"
else
notify-send "Invalid number: '$number' (Not enough options)"
fi
exit 1
fi
fi
if [ $(echo "$suitable" | grep -e "^ *$delim$delim") ]
then
if [ "$explicitmode" = 0 ]
then
mode="manual"
fi
fi
namelist=$(echo "$suitable" | cut -d "$delim" -f 1 | tr -s ' ')
if [ "$mode" = "auto" ]
then
if [ -z "$number" ]
then
number=1
fi
command=$(echo "$suitable" | sed -n "$number"p | cut -d "$delim" -f 2 | tr -s ' ')
elif [ "$mode" = "list" ]
then
if [ -n "$number" ]
then
echo "$namelist" | cat -n | sed -n "$number"p | cut -d "$delim" -f 1
exit 0
else
echo "$namelist" | cat -n
exit 0
fi
elif [ "$mode" = "manual" ]
then
if [ $(echo "$namelist" | wc -l) -gt 1 ]
then
selection=$(echo "$namelist" | eval $menu -p "Program:")
if [ -z "$selection" ]
then
exit 1
fi
else
selection="$namelist"
fi
selectionln=$(echo "$namelist" | grep -xn "$selection" | cut -d "$delim" -f 1)
if [ "$selectionln" ]
then
command=$(echo "$suitable" | sed -n "$selectionln"p | cut -d "$delim" -f 2)
else
command="$selection"
fi
fi
case "$command" in
*\"\$fn\"*) eval $command;;
*\$fn*) command=$(echo "$command" | sed 's/\$fn/"\$fn"/g')
eval "$command";;
*) eval "$command \"$fn\"";;
esac
The config file looks like this:
# Format = Name:Command:Extensions
# Use commas to separate extensions
# Begin a name with % to make it available outside of X
# Begin a name with @ to make it available ONLY outside of X
# Begin a name with | for it to be used when stdin is redirected (implies %)
# Movies
%Mplayer : mplayer : avi,wmv,asf,mp4
%Mplayer (Fullscreen): mplayer -fs : avi,wmv,asf,mp4
VLC : vlc : avi,wmv,asf,mp4
# Music
%Mplayer : mplayer : mp3,ogg,flac,wav
%Mp3blaster : mp3blaster : mp3,ogg
%Aplay : aplay : wav
# Images
Viewnior : viewnior : jpg,png
Gimp : gimp : jpg,png,xcf
@Fbv : fbv : jpg,png
# Text
Gvim : gvim : txt,conf,c,py
@Vim : vim : txt,conf,c,py
%GCC : gcc "$fn" -o a.out : c
# HTML
Firefox : firefox : html
@Links : links : html
# Redirected input
|Cat : cat : c
|Links Dump : links -dump : html
# User input will always be required for extensions prefixed with double colons
::avi,c
@ indicates a program that will only be run when not in X.
% indicates a program that doesn't care if X is running or not
| indicates a program that will only be run if the input was originally redirected to the script, eg. "echo foo.bar | open" or "open < input.txt"
For now, these symbols appear in lists and selection menus.
As before, mimetypes aren't handled, behaviour doesn't change based on the path, and the code is a bit hacky. Tested on bash, zsh and ksh.
@hut I had a go at the item on your list where you wanted ": | open foo.bar" to behave differently to "open foo.bar". How would you do that? The only way I can think of is to check for an interactive shell, but then it flags things like gmrun and dmenu_run as non-interactive, which limits what you can do with those tools. I've included a check for whether the input was given as an argument or redirected. That way, "echo foo.html | open" can behave differently to "open foo.html". But my shell scripting skills aren't capable of anything more than that!
Last edited by mutantpineapple (2012-02-16 22:21:30)

File Open Dialog Box on Button Click

Hi
I am devloping some webpages using JSF and RichFaces..
I would like to appear File open Dialog box to choose single file and multiple files and another Folder chooser dialog box to choose the folder content..
Both the operation should be performed while choosing the Button Choose File and Choose Folder...
I have already tried Input type = file and aphace tomohawk..
But i all the components are coming with text box and browse button..
I dont need that. I need to open the dialog box once i clilck my choose file r folder button and it should work browser indepent.....

HTML doesn't provide you the possibility to select multiple files or select folders at a single browse. Thus JSF can't do any much for you. Best what you can do is to write a signed applet or web start application which does the task. The Mojarra Scales component library has a ready-to-use component which embeds an applet which does that task. Check [https://scales.dev.java.net/multiFileUpload.html].

Save As / File Open dialog boxes too large to use on laptop

I have a Macbook Air and am using one of the new Apple LED Cinema Displays, although this problem was also present when I was using my older Apple Studio Display.
The problem is that some of the system dialog boxes, notably File Open and Save As are huge when I am just using my Macbook with no external screen. They are so big i cant see the lower right drag handle and make them smaller and cant access buttons at the bottom like "New Folder".
I think this is because I resized the dialog box when I last had my large external monitor connected and now that it is not connected (I'm at home on holiday not at work) I cant find a way to make them reset to their normal size.
Does anyone know anything that would help? I've had a good search online and also in these forums and havent found anything - but apologies if I've missed an existing open thread.
Thanks,
Glenn.

This did not work for me - and in my case it was the "Export" Save As sheet in Keynote. There is a real solution for this problem. Firstly all user 'preferences' and these are things that include not only preferences set in the application's preferences window but also window position, size, recent items etc. are stored in the preferences .plist file for an application (stored in the users account Library folder) . If an application starts to behave strangely, crashes on start etc. deleting this file while the application is NOT running can often fix a problem. So if a window is in an unusual location or partially off-screen then trashing the file often will fix the problem (BTW - if you are unsure how to find the file activate the Finder and select the "GO" menu -> "Go to Folder" and type ~/Library/Preferences - make sure you are not in the System's preferences folder - deleting these items is typically bad...). Preference files for an application are typically named com.companyname.programname.plist. So for Keynote the plist is com.apple.keynote.plist. Preferences are recreated when the application is launched. Often though this is a bit extreme. If you double click a plist file the "Property List Editor" application will start (at least if you have the developers tools installed - all free and on the Leopard DVD - with a free Apple Developer ID you can also run the most up to date version pre-snow leopard). In the plist editor all of the various options available in the program are listed - ones from the preference panel and other application information. In the case of Keynote (possibly other apps - I haven't checked) the NSNavPanelExpandedSizeForSaveMode key stores the size of the Save/Save As sheet. I downsized from a 17" MBP to a 15" MBP and the string size for this was 682 wide by 843 tall in pixels - my screen is only 900 px and once you consider the space needed for the application menu bar and tool bar the dialog buttons were 'just' barely visible - tauntingly so. I dropped the height to 743, saved the plist and reopened Keynote (remember to edit these while the application is not running - and always save a copy first before editing the file). This worked for me perfectly and unlike other suggestions here provides precision control. Now having said that 1) these files are XML and can be edited using a text editor but the plist editor is much prettier; 2) typically the keys are named using their appropriate Coca names for the property - but each developer can and does write their own code often deviating from Coca - hmm MS, Adobe come to mind - so remember that its good to read through the plist and Google to make sure that you are editing the correct information; 3) plists are automatically recreated if you really screw-up and need to delete - unfortunately in doing so Word will forget that no-one actually likes "when editing automatically select the whole word" so you will need to redo all of those kinds of preference tweaks.
D.

Crystal Report 2008 File Open limit

In Crystal Reports 2008 when selecting File > Open > Enterprise The number of files listed in each directory looks to be limited to around 25 files.
If I have a directory with more then that number of files, I have to move the file to another folder or rename it (using CMC) so it shows up in the first bunch of files if I want to open it.
Is there a way to increase the number of files shown in the Enterprise window?
Thanks

Hello,
Not exactly clear what you want? Save your reports to your D drive would be my first guess.... If you are referring to the \temp folder then change your system Environment Variable from the default to d:\temp and also change the TMP to d:\Tmp.
You could even set your Swap file to d drive also. I suggest you contact your IT department or search Microsoft's site on how to optimize hard drive space when it's limited. PLEASE back up everything first before making changes to your swap file location, if you don't do it right you may not be able to start windows.
Thank you
Don

CS5 can only open images from file open

I've done some googling/forum searching to no avail so far. Entering my exact error only directed me to some twitter statuses, so I'm hoping someone will be able to help.
Basically, CS5 gives an error if I try to open images by: dragging from finder, double-clicking from thunderbird, using the edit tool in Acrobat Pro, double-clicking in Bridge and probably a number of other situations.
As the topic states, it only seems to be able to open files via File > Open (Open Recent also appears to work). Other than that, CS5 appears to be working normally. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but it's disturbing my workflow quite a bit, so that's why I've decided to post about it.
Now here's the kicker: This new development seemingly coincides with installing some drivers (that's assuming they are called drivers in the OSX world) for a Lexmark 654de scanner/copier we just had installed here at work. I searched the computer for "lexmark" hoping I could trash some related files but literally nothing shows in the results.
You may argue, genuinely, that I should be posting this on some kind of Lexmark forum, and I may end up doing that. I assume a forum of photoshop users to be more helpful than Lexmark support forum if they even have one, though.
Error Text is as follows: The document "whatever.jpg" could not be opened. Photoshop cannot open files in the "Adobe Photoshop JPEG file" format.
Insert TIF for TIF files, PDF, etc. It seems to happen to all the common filetypes I use. Neither InDesign nor Illustrator are experiencing similar issues (if that helps).
Standard infomation:
Adobe Photoshop CS5 version 12.0.2 x64
Mac OSX 10.6.6
8GB RAM
952.98 GB Free Space
512mb ATI Radeon HD 5670
Lexmark 654de scanner/copier/fax machine could be related to the problem
Thanks for reading and offering any advice you may have.

This is a long shot but try going to Preferences/Type and uncheck "Show Font Names in English".
Quit illustrator and restart, does it work now?
The reason I´m suggesting this is that unless I have this box unchecked, some internal function in illustrator crashes after I´ve opened one document and I have to quit & restart if I wan´t to open another one. A rather silly bug and I stumpled upon the solution by accident after cursing illustrator for a couple of months...

I have an iMac. , mid 2007. Frequently, when I take an action, the little color wheel starts spinning and goes on for quite awhile. Save a file, close a file, open a file, open a window, it's all random. Somtimes it stalls, sometimes it doesn't. Why?

I have an iMac. , mid 2007. Frequently, when I take an action, the little color wheel starts spinning and goes on for quite awhile. Save a file, close a file, open a file, open a window, it's all random. Somtimes it stalls, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes long, sometims short. Why is this happening?

Consider adding more memory. Be sure you have adequate free space on the hard drive - 15 GBs or 10% of the drive's capacity, whichever is greater. Do not run too many applications concurrently. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on resolving the SBBOD.
Do some maintenance:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior. Versions 1.5.1 and later are Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.
I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
SyncTwoFolders
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.

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