How to view and or delete smart folder in finder sidebar

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How to view and or delete smart folder in finder sidebar

Sounds easy, but I am having a problem. I recently had my hard drive replaced at the genius bar. I have a smart File on the finder side bar that I can not open or delete. When I click on the file I get the message "the volume for (name of file) cannot be found. I tried using both "spotlight" & "the finder go to" locate this smart folder to no avail. I cannot remember when I created this file but I had labeled it appleworks 6 manual.. I don't ever remember using this smart file, I may have just created it without ever putting anything in it. So how do I open it or just plain delete it. I can remove it from the side board but it just comes back. I also went to /volumes which took me to the hard drive, but when I looked at all the files I couldn't find a smart file with this label. Any suggestion? Thanks Paula

IBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Nov 3, 2008 6:56 AM

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Answer 1

Limnos

Level 10

427,967 points

Nov 3, 2008 7:08 AM in response to Paulaann

Have you tried the options shown when you hold down the control key on your keyboard and then click on the sidebar? I see remove from sidebar and move to trash among others.

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Answer 2

Paulaann Author

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Nov 3, 2008 7:52 AM in response to Limnos

I am I doing something wrong.. I hold down the control key and then click on the side bar, but I'm not seeing any options? I tried holding the control Key and clicking on the smart folder also, but again I am not seeing any options.

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Answer 3

Limnos

Level 10

427,967 points

Nov 3, 2008 8:47 AM in response to Paulaann

Are you sure you are holding the control key and not the command key? Otherwise I believe right click on a two button mouse does the same, but I don't have a two button mouse.

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Answer 4

Nov 3, 2008 9:05 AM in response to Limnos

You need to control/click on the folder.

Or you can simply click hold and drag the folder out if the side bar to delete it.

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Answer 5

Paulaann Author

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Nov 3, 2008 1:04 PM in response to Limnos

Hi, I am using the control key not the command key.. The message I get when I try to click on my smart folder is "the volume for "appleworks 6 Manual" cannot be found.. underneath the message is a box to click okay. I don't really understand what the message means. I can drag this smart folder to the trash, but it will not stay there. Actually I don't think it ever makes it to the trash. I just dragged it to the trash, then I looked inside my trash and it is not there. It is no longer on my finder side bar either, so I closed out finder. Then I selected finder again.. and my folder is back again. I think my not being able to view or delete this folder has something to do with the message I am getting about the volume not being found ??? Any ideas what that is about?

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Answer 6

Limnos

Level 10

427,967 points

Nov 3, 2008 1:18 PM in response to Paulaann

I am puzzled by the control key not doing anything. It seems that when you use the control key while clicking on it, it is doing the same thing as if the control key was not being pressed. I even made a smart folder to test this and the smart folder shows all the same options as clicking on anything else in the sidebar does when I hold the control key. What happens when you use it with a file somewhere? I am wondering if your key is broken.

As far as what it is saying, maybe you have the Appleworks manual stored in an image file somewhere. This is not unusual with application installers which have you mount the image which appears as a volume, and from which you then install things. If you close the image volume the Finder can no longer find it.

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Answer 7

Paulaann Author

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Nov 3, 2008 4:19 PM in response to Limnos

I made another smart folder. I wanted to see if I could get the options with the control key. My test folder worked fine and I was able to get the options. I could delete the test folder without any problems. If it is that I have an Appleworks manual stored in an image file, then how could I find the image file? And if I did find it, what would I do to it, so I could delete this smart folder that I set up? I did a spotlight search for image file, but I couldn't find anything. I also searched appleworks manual and I did find a "getting started with appleworks 6 document" with an path of '/application/appleworks (U.S. English) Applework 6 documentation ... when I click on it it opens in preview.. but that manual is stored in my appleworks in applications, so I don't think it is related to the smart folder in the finder sidebar. If I did manage to close or delete the image file that was related to this folder, does that mean I'm just stick with this smart folder that I can't delete on my finder sidebar?

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Answer 8

Limnos

Level 10

427,967 points

Nov 3, 2008 4:47 PM in response to Paulaann

Well it would be nice to find a more graceful solution but if you go into your user folder, then Library, then Preferences, drag com.apple.sidebarlists.plist onto the desktop and try again. That will completely reset your sidebar to default values. If it works and you are satisfied you can then trash that file.

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Answer 9

evanls

Level 1

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Jan 12, 2009 10:50 AM in response to Limnos

Had essentially the same problem as Paulann: couldn't control-click on a folder in the sidebar to erase it (it referred to a folder that had been erased, I think). I finally got rid of it by removing com.apple.sidebarlists.plist from the Preferences folder, just as Limnos suggested, but had to reboot the computer after removing the .plist file.

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Answer 10

BardOp

Level 1

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Mar 20, 2009 2:22 AM in response to evanls

Install Xcode (or get Property List Editor, apple program). Then open (just doubleclick) the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlist.plist and you will find a section "Savedsearches -> Customlistitems -> Item ##". Check your items and simply delete the stubborn key by Ctrl-clicking it and select Cut.

You could edit with textedit but my plist-file was in the binary format. You have plutil, a command line utility that will convert to text for you. If you don't want to use the Terminal, install Xcode. Property List Editor installs in /Developer/Applications/Utilities by default.

Save the file and you're done.

You might have to restart finder to update the sidebar. Press Alt-Cmd-Esc, select Finder and click Restart Finder. Or just log out and in.

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Answer 11

m0thr4

Level 2

309 points

Mar 22, 2009 1:51 AM in response to BardOp

I have this same problem in 10.5 - can someone tell me where the plist file for sidebar preferences is (because it's not at the location mentioned above)?

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Answer 12

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Mar 22, 2009 7:17 AM in response to m0thr4

Are you in the correct Library>Preferences?

/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist

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