After upgrading to OS X 10.10.3, you may find that navigating the Finder can be arduously slow at times, where the contents of folders you open may take a while to display, and otherwise scrolling and navigating may be overall sluggish. If this occurs, then you can likely fix it by clearing some Finder-related cache information from your Mac. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Finder
How to fix unexpected error -50 in OS X when deleting or moving files
Despite its user-friendly interface, OS X sometimes gives no more information than an error code when something goes wrong. One of these is error code -50, which may occur when you attempt to copy, move, or delete files from external hard drives. If this occurs and you are stuck with a file you cannot manage, then you can likely overcome this error with a few possible approaches. Continue reading
Fix inaccessible and grayed out folders in the OS X Finder
All files and folders that you encounter when browsing the Finder in OS X should be displayed in regular font and icon color; however, there may be times when this is not the case, and one or more folders may appear grayed out and otherwise faded. When this happens, you will not be able to open the folder, and unlike other folders that may show a small entry triangle next to them in list view, these will not have options for viewing what is inside. Continue reading
Four ways to quickly access a file or folder in the Terminal
If you are at least vaguely familiar with the Terminal, then you will know that performing actions on files and folders requires you specify their full paths, and often this means you need to change to a specific directory. While you can use the “cd” command and then type out the path to the desired directory, often the sheer length of the path makes this an impractical approach. However, in the Terminal, there are four approaches you can take to make accessing a desired file or folder quicker. Continue reading
Fix the inability to access a file in OS X
For security and privacy, you will not be allowed direct access to some hidden system files and those in other user accounts on your Mac, but otherwise you should at least be able to see and read the files on your system, and especially should have full access to all files in your Mac’s home folder. However, there are times when you might find yourself barred from editing or reading files for which you ought to have full access. Continue reading
How to reveal files in the Finder with Spotlight
Spotlight allows you to search for all of your files, applications, and other items on your Mac, allowing you to open them directly by highlighting them and pressing Enter, or even dragging them off the Spotlight menu (or window, for Yosemite) for various drag-and-drop purposes in OS X. While you can manage your listed search results in this way, if needed there may be times when you might want to find exactly where the file is on your Mac, or otherwise handle it in the Finder. Continue reading
Show missing hard disks in the Finder sidebar
The Finder sidebar is a convenient location to access frequently used items such as hard drives, various folders in your home directory, network shares, and any custom items you drag there. If you use the sidebar for accessing hard disks, then there may be times when certain hard disks do not show up here, while others do.
The likely reason for this occurring is if you have removed that specific hard drive Continue reading
How to include system files in OS X searches
Searches in OS X will by default only include files you have access to, such as documents you have saved, and applications that you use; however, there may be times when you might want to search for system files as well, either by name or by content. These can include fonts, preference files, cache files, and other files you might not usually access directly in the Finder. Continue reading
Mac Skills: Switch to top-most windows
When you use multiple applications on your Mac, you may end up with many windows open at once in each application. This may be for work you are currently doing, but at times you might find yourself with a mountain of open windows that contain progress for various projects, and you might wish to keep them open for the sake of your workflow. Continue reading
Tip: Quickly zoom and open images with QuickLook
When browsing files in the Finder, you have the option for previewing them using Apple’s QuickLook feature. This allows you to either see some general information about files such as file size and last modification date, but for supported files you should see a preview of their contents, simply by pressing the Space bar with a file selected. While convenient, for previewing a file or two, you can use QuickLook to zoom in on images, as well as open files you are previewing. Continue reading