Work easier with the Finder (Mac)

The Finder provides access to the files, folders, and applications on the Mac. Launch the Finder from the smiley face icon on the far left of the Dock. In the following paragraphs, we assume that the Finder is already open.

Whoever opens the Finder always sees the same folder. Default is ‘Recent’. It is useful to set the folder that you use the most here.

• Click in the menu bar at the top finder > Preferences.
• click on General.
• Click the drop-down menu under “Show in new Finder windows.”
• Click on the desired folder. Is this not among them? Then click on Others, navigate to the folder, click it and click Choose.
• The settings have been saved. Close the preferences window.

The Finder provides access to all files, folders, and applications on the Mac. The path bar, also known as the breadcrumbs, always lets you know where you are in the Finder. By default, the path bar is not visible.

• Click in the menu bar at the top Display.
• click on Show path bar.

A folder tree appears at the bottom of the Finder window. Here you can see where the open folder is located.

In the left pane of the Finder is the ‘Favorites’ section. Below are shortcuts to folders and functions on the Mac. Determine which favorites are here:

• Navigate to the folder that should come under ‘Favorites’.
• Click the folder and hold down the mouse button while dragging the folder to the left side of the Finder, under Favorites.
• Release the mouse button when a horizontal line appears between the existing favorites.
• Change the order of the favorites by clicking an item and dragging it up or down while holding the mouse button. When the favorite is in the desired position, release the mouse button.
• Remove an item from favorites? Right click on the item and click Remove from sidebar.

The extension of a file indicates what kind of file it is. It can be useful to make these extensions visible to immediately know whether it is, for example, a jpeg image or a PDF file.

• Click on the menu bar at the top of the screen finder > Preferences.
• click on Advanced.
• Put a tick in front of Show all filename extensions.
• The settings save automatically. Close the preferences window.

The Finder window has several display options. By default, the ‘List’ option contains all kinds of information about the files, namely the name, editing date, size and type. Users can sort files accordingly. It can be useful to add columns, such as the creation date.

• Click in the menu bar at the top Display > List.
• click on Display > Show display options.
• A window with options will appear. Under ‘Show columns’, put a checkmark in front of the desired columns.
• Close the window by clicking on the circle with a cross at the top left.

The sorting then proceeds as follows:

• Make sure the ‘List’ view option is open.
• Click on a column name, for example Edit date.
  
• The files are sorted in descending order by the column’s property. Click the column name again to sort the files in ascending order.

You give conditions to smart folders. Then the folder automatically fills with programs, folders or files that meet these conditions. Think of a folder with photos from the past year or a folder with music of a certain genre.

• Click in the menu bar on Archive > New smart map.
• A folder opens in the window. To actually make the map ‘smart’, you need to add conditions. Click the plus sign in the top right corner next to ‘Save’.
  
• Set the conditions for the smart map. The possibilities are enormous. Click on the first drop-down menu. In this example we choose Last opened.
• Enter ‘7’ in the field. The window displays folders and files opened in the last seven days.
• It is possible to add more rules. Click on the plus sign on the right.
• Finished? Click on the top right Keep.
• Type a suitable name for the folder. Should the folder also appear in the sidebar on the left side of the Finder window? Then put a check in front Add to sidebar.
• click on Keep.

If you delete files from the smart folder, they will also disappear from their original locations. If you delete the entire folder, the files will remain in their original locations.

Like Internet browsers, the Finder has tabs. Open multiple folders side by side within a window. Handy when moving files, for example.

• Click in the menu bar at the top Archive.
• click on New tab.
• A new tab will open’. You can browse to different folders in the Finder in both tabs.
• Open another tab? To the right of the rightmost tab, click the plus sign.
• A new tab will open on the right. If you want to close a tab, click on the cross on the left of the tab. It appears when you hover over it with the mouse pointer.

On the Mac, users can view a file with quick view. This allows them to immediately see whether it is the correct file.

• Click on the file.
• Press the Spacebar on the keyboard.
• A view of the file opens. The formatting may look slightly different from the original program. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to view the other files in the folder as well.
• Press the Spacebar again to close the view.