Self-created stacks disappear and can't find folders in Finder

Question

Hello, a few times now I've lost stacked folders I've created in the docks. I haven't been able to figure out what's happening exactly, but it seems to have something to do with the desktop display. Most recently I went into Display in System Preferences to run a calibration. Without clicking on anything, the display resolution changed (which of course I changed back), my desktop image was gone (again, no problem to fix) and two question marks replaced the stack folders I created in the dock. (My Documents and Downloads folders were not affected.)
After looking through some discussion topics, I created another stack folder (yes, to the right side of the divide) in the dock just to test things out. I went into the User file. I see the Documents and Downloads folders in there, but not the stacks I created.
So--this is because the stack is just a shortcut, right? Ok, I can get that. However! The stuff that was in those other folders I created is totally gone. So where WAS the contents of those stack folders before the folders were lost? After I dragged the folders down to the dock I deleted the orig folders off the desktop to clean things up--not realizing they were short cuts and thinking this was a great way to keep my desktop nice and clean.
Because of a separate issue I stupidly emptied the trash before trying to completely solve this problem. So, I'll never know if I would've been able to retrieve those lost items. More importantly, I want to understand how this works so I can prevent this from happening again. It seems to me like these folders are so fragile. Therefore, of limited use. If that's the case, fine, it just seemed so nice to be able to put folders down there instead of hanging on the desktop.
Thanks!
Message was edited by: meghanclare
Message was edited by: meghanclare

Answer 1

Yes, they are shortcuts, or aliases as we call 'em on the Mac. If you delete the original, and it sounds like you did, they no longer point to anything and once the Dock wakes up to that you will see a question mark where your stack was. You can create aliases yourself anywhere, or in the Dock or Sidebar, and then delete the aliases, and the original folder and its contents are unchanged. That's not what you did. You created an alias and then deleted the original.
What you should do is create folders inside your home folder, rather than on the Desktop, then drag those folders into the Dock. You will then have a tidy Desktop, and quick access to the folders from the Dock.
Francine
Francine
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