Finder
From Applepedia
The Finder is the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning, and the last thing you see before you go to bed.
| Finder | |
|---|---|
| |
| Min/Max OS Support | All versions of the MacOS, All versions of A/UX |
| License | System Software |
| Category | System Software |
| Installer | Installed with OS X |
| PowerPC Traitor | {{{universal}}} |
| Website | Finder |
Contents |
Tips and Tricks
Send a file using Bluetooth File Exchange
Click on a file and press ⌘+Shift+B
How to relaunch Finder
Hold down Control and Option, click on Finder in the Dock, select Relaunch. This is a handy way to apply a new language setting to Finder without having to restart or login again.
How to make the return key open a file
Many-a Windows switcher has been annoyed that you can't open files in the Finder by simply pressing return (you have to press ⌘-Down arrow, or ⌘-O). GuyGizmo discovered how to 'fix' this!
- Go to System Preferences / Keyboard and Mouse
- Create a keyboard shortcut for the Finder with the command being "Open" and the key being whatever you want'
- After closing that, open /Users/<your user>/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Go to NSUserKeyEquivalents and find the entry for the shortcut you just made.
- Open TextEdit or something and copy a single newline/return character. (i.e. press return, press shift-up-arrow, then copy that text)
- Paste that into the key for the shortcut in NSUserKeyEquivalents.
- Restart Finder or restart your computer
- Bingo!
HOWEVER, doing this prevents you from being able to use ⌘-O anymore for opening icons in the Finder, which isn't something some would prefer. I you want to maintain ⌘-O as Open as well as making the Return key open, get a program like iKey, and create a keyboard shortcut for Finder that maps ⌘-O to command-down-arrow. Voila!
Only problem with this set up is if you hit return after editing a name to exit the text edit field, it'll open the file.
How to show all file extensions
Open Finder or otherwise make sure it's the active application in the menu bar. Then click Finder > Preferences, or press ⌘, and switch to the Advanced tab and check off Show all file extensions
Window contents updating (10.3 and earlier)
The Finder in 10.3 and earlier doesn't update the files in windows on-the-fly, it only polls the disk when:
- You open the window
- You switch views (icon/list/column)
- You switch to the window from another one
- When an application is smart enough to notify the Finder of a new file
- You use a contextual menu extension like Nudge to update it
The Finder in MacOS X 10.4 fixes this by using kqueue. Thank god!
