Finder columns jump back to last column

I had the same issue and I too thought it was a bug, but now I think it's just a new feature... albeit a bit buggy. Because I figured out that if you first press esc on the selected folder/column so that it's selected but not highlighted, it then allows you to scroll back and forth through the columns without jumping back to the highlighted folder/column... hope this helps.

Has this issue been resolved for anyone else? I updated to 12.1 and when in column view my screen still jumps back to the first column and it's super annoying. I have had to switch to list view just to keep my scroll in place. Would be great if Apple could fix this issue.

I don't know if it has been solved before.

But I have changed in : System Preferences > Show scrollbars , the Automatic to When scrolling and it worked. I no longer have the problem of jumping to the last column.

Maybe this can be of help to someone.

Yeah same, did not work for me. It keeps jumping back. It constantly wants to jump to where my mouse was last clicked/the file that's highlighted, instead of letting the trackpad control the scroll area like it used to.

Hello ado_apple,

I don't understand the connection between your answer and the question? The problem was very well described and the suggestions you posed obviously have nothing to do with it. Is there any hidden option that can be activated through the terminal. The issue in Finder - I don't know whether it is a bug or not - is very annoying. If it's not a bug, it's definitely not a feature. It's now several months since the problem was posed. Still I cannot see the problem resolved. One might think it's a very easy thing to solve.

I don't think premium priced products should have these kind of issues for so long.

It worked for me to go to system preferences>general> Under show scroll bars select: when scrolling. That resolved it for me, when it was on automatic that is when it was jumping like crazy. This resolved the issue for me, I am also using the current Monterey.

Did you try this? It worked for me to go to system preferences>general> Under show scroll bars select: when scrolling. That resolved it for me, when it was on automatic that is when it was jumping like crazy. I am also using Monterey and was about to pull my hair out, it's annoying for sure, but changing the above settings and doing a restart fixed it for me.

This is definitely a bug.

Unfortunately, it's not consistent. I'm having this issue on my iMac but not on my laptop at the moment.

The situation I'm experiencing is:

1) I'm in the finder with a column view window open

2) I'm in the last column, at the far right of that window

3) I try to (use my magic mouse or key commands to) scroll up through the parent folders to get closer to the root

4) after a second or two, the finder automatically jumps back down to the far right column

5) this repeats until I am able to highlight a folder or file in any of the parent columns

6) however this process will repeat when I try to navigate up to another parent folder or file using the same steps (3 & 4)

MacBook Pro 13" circa 2019. I've reinstalled Monterey. I've updated to 12.2.1. I've switched from automatic scroll bar appearance to show scroll bar when in use only -- and restarted -- and switched back and restarted. I removed the Logitech software that controlled my external mouse. None of that has cured this behavior.

I spent a long time on the phone last week with second-tier Apple support, which including running several diagnostics and screen sharing. Nothing we tried worked. The support specialist had me send him a disk image and a screen capture video of the behavior for forwarding to Engineering. Apple called me back on Wednesday of this week to say that they were still looking into it, but had no solution. At least they acknowledged that the problem was widespread and not limited to my device.

When I'm using the Finder, several columns deep into subfolders, and I want to look back at a column to the left, the finder keeps jumping to the last highlighted file to the right, So frustrating!

It does to me as well, and the 12.1 update didn't work for me either. I think is a very very very annoying bug, and it is really getting to my nerves. I am really thinking on going to a previews version of the software because I cannot work like this its very frustrating to work this way.

I think Apple should really hear people about these issues, and really help us here. I am very disappointed in apple lately.

They are doing things wrong on many fronts not only software.

More weirdness. In Safe Mode, the first time I try to browse the Finder in column view, the cursor jumps back to the last file highlighted. After that initial glitch, it doesn't do it any more. After a regular startup, the problem is there all the time.

I've noticed something else. When the window is open, showing a long list of files/folders in column view, the cursor won't scroll down. I have to click on a file/folder and then use down arrow, then I can use the trackpad again. I am using a Logitech Trackpad. Waiting for it to happen again, I have an Apple trackpad to see if the same thing happens. Its an intermittent problem.

I've got the same problem -- it wasn't happening a year ago so it must be a recent buggy phenomenon.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO MOVE A FILE FROM A DEEP-NESTED FOLDER TO A FOLDER CLOSER TO ROOT OF THE NEST? I CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER WAY TO DO IT & THE LATERAL JUMPING TOTALLY FRUSTRATES THE PROCESS. I WISH APPLE WOULD COME UP WITH A MOVE FUNCTION AS ONE OF THE DROP-DOWN OPTIONS AFTER SELECTING A DOCUMENT.

I'm also a longtime Mac user, having watched the OS evolve since 1989. Monterey has a lot of bugs including this one. This is a legitimate bug, and the answer from the "Community Specialist" looks like a form letter that was just shot out in response. Other comments are from people whose Macs are working just fine and don't believe this is a problem. These comments are not helpful.

One of the biggest reasons I use a Mac is because of column view. Yet, Apple has made few useful improvements to it since 1999. It could be so much better, and this snapping back to the last column is a nuisance worthy of cursing. Also with Monterey are brand new bugs, including "things just won't click the first time" or "the mouse lags." I've got a pretty souped up iMac Pro, so I don't think it's a hardware issue.

Come on, Apple. You can do better than this. Monterey is rotten in my view.

The "escape key" method seems to work, but only if you have a folder selected, not a file. The escape key does nothing to a selected file... so if I need to drag a file from one folder into another further up in the hierarchy, the view jumps back to the file's original folder repeatedly and won't allow me to move it. The only workaround I'm finding so far is to just move the file a few columns at a time (so the original never scrolls off screen). Or to create a new folder, place the file into it, move the folder as you describe, then remove the file from the folder and delete the folder. Obviously either method is big bother compared to simply selecting and dragging to another folder as I used to do. The first method risks losing track of your file and leaving it in the wrong place. The second method is just too many extra steps to do something so simple.