finder

Unknown shared resources showing in the Finder

The Finder's sidebar in OS X is built to allow you quick access to resources such as network shares, your home directory, and custom searches, among other locations you can add to the sidebar. While the "Shared" section in the sidebar should only show you resources on the local network (i.e., servers, workgroups, individual PCs, and NAS devices), sometimes odd or unrecognized items may show up.

If you are on a public network or a large work network, you may see numerous unknown devices show up in the shared list, but if you are at home … Read more

Cannot delete or open specific files that are 'in use'

Sometimes when managing files with various programs in OS X, you may experience a problem with the program such as a hang, crash, or some other odd hiccup that interrupts the program's read or write process. While most of the time this results in you being able to delete and recreate the file or otherwise reopen it to continue your work, sometimes it can result in a file being locked by the system so it cannot be edited or managed by any program, or even deleted.

Apple discussion poster "Spprrw" writes:

"I tried to download yahoo … Read more

How to change click-renaming speed in the Finder

If you want to rename a file in OS X, you can select it and then do one of several things. The first is to press the Return key and the name will be highlighted for editing, or you can get information on the file and rename it using the Info window. A commonly used alternative to these is to click the name of the highlighted file with the mouse and after a small delay the file's name will be highlighted for editing.

While I have found using the Return key is the fastest way to switch between selected … Read more

Weekly troubleshooting utilities update

Our utilities update report is a list of updates for Mac utilities that have been released in the past week. Though a utility can be any tool that helps you perform a routine task (including image manipulation and synchronization), our focus in this column is on bringing you those tools that help in troubleshooting Mac hardware and software problems. This week there were only a few updates to troubleshooting utilities for OS X.

The first is Disk Drill, which is a tool that can be used to recover data that has been accidentally deleted or otherwise lost. Disk Drill is … Read more

Free duplicate finder

Fast Duplicate File Finder is a free version of a shareware tool. If you've tried duplicate finders before and are still recovering, not to worry: Fast Duplicate File Finder uses advanced algorithms that compare the actual binary content of a wide range of file types, not just name, size, and other attributes that may or may not be accurate indicators of duplicate files. It can search not only for 100 percent duplicates but also for similar files based on a variable level of similarity. As with all duplicate file finders, we recommend checking carefully before you delete anything it … Read more

Dock items in OS X locked in place

Normally users should be able to add items to the Dock and move them around, but sometimes (especially after installing some third-party software) people may find that the Dock will become locked and they can neither move items around nor add or remove them.

There may be a few reasons why this happens, including faults with the Dock preference and database files in addition to odd settings that may be added to the Dock when you install applications.

The first thing you should do if this happens is to locate the Dock's settings files and check that they are … Read more

How to keep disk images from automatically mounting in OS X

Disk images can be convenient ways to securely package and distribute files; however, there are a few issues that can crop up when using disk images. One of these is that depending on how the images are stored and used, they may automatically mount during normal system use.

When this happens it is likely because a file that is being stored on the disk image is being accessed. OS X will access a file by its full path, and if that path is to a disk image, then when opening the file path the system will try to open the … Read more

'Untitled DVD' folders remaining in Finder sidebar

When a blank CD or DVD is handled by the Finder, a special burn folder is created for that disc which appears on the Desktop or in the Finder sidebar. Burn folders in OS X usually are static folders that remain until you remove them, but the ones representing optical discs should be created when the disc is inserted, and then destroyed when the disc is either ejected or burned. Despite this, some people may find that after managing a number of blank CDs or DVDs, the Finder will retain a few burn folders in the sidebar that are labeled &… Read more

File information options in OS X

Getting information for items on disk, including details like creation and modification dates, labels, file sizes, and file type, can be useful when managing your files. The Finder contains a number of ways to view this information about files, which can be seen in different ways depending on the view options you are using in the Finder. In addition, the Finder information windows and some third-party options can be used to view and alter file attributes.

Finder views

The file information that is available in the Finder will depend on the view being used.

In "List" and "… Read more

How to open current Terminal directory in the Finder

If you are a Terminal user and like to explore and manage aspects of OS X using the command line, one convenient function is to be able to quickly access the current folder either in the Finder or in the Terminal. Sometimes navigating through folders can be easier in the Terminal, and at other times it can be easier in the Finder, but the problem comes when you try to combine the use of the two environments in the same task.

Finder to Terminal

Unfortunately the Finder does not have any built-in means to open the current location in the … Read more