Finder Tabs not preserved when reopening Finder

I have always kept multiple tabs open in the Finder, even when closing and reopening the Finder. Now, when I reopen Finder, the multiple tabs are no longer being opened - it reverts to a single tab.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Feb 28, 2024 2:41 PM

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Posted on Feb 28, 2024 6:26 PM

Hello LorraineWDC,


Indeed, there is no such setting. The previous contributor must have been thinking of Safari, which does have such setting.


I observe the same behavior on my Mac using macOS Sonoma 14.3.1. Once I close the Finder window using the red icon (top left), the tabs are not preserved when reopening Finder. I also tried with a Mac using macOS Ventura, the previous version of macOS, but I got the same result.


I would advise to minimize (orange icon, top left) the Finder window instead of closing it. The next time you open Finder, the tabs will still be present. I don't know if they would be preserved after a restart, though.


If you decide to do this and you use multiple Spaces/Desktops, I would advise that you changing a setting. Right-click on Finder in the Dock, click Options and choose "All Desktops". this will allow you to open Finder in the current Desktop (Space) with its tabs intact. Otherwise, Finder will automatically go back to the Desktop it is assigned to.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 28, 2024 6:26 PM in response to LorraineWDC

Hello LorraineWDC,


Indeed, there is no such setting. The previous contributor must have been thinking of Safari, which does have such setting.


I observe the same behavior on my Mac using macOS Sonoma 14.3.1. Once I close the Finder window using the red icon (top left), the tabs are not preserved when reopening Finder. I also tried with a Mac using macOS Ventura, the previous version of macOS, but I got the same result.


I would advise to minimize (orange icon, top left) the Finder window instead of closing it. The next time you open Finder, the tabs will still be present. I don't know if they would be preserved after a restart, though.


If you decide to do this and you use multiple Spaces/Desktops, I would advise that you changing a setting. Right-click on Finder in the Dock, click Options and choose "All Desktops". this will allow you to open Finder in the current Desktop (Space) with its tabs intact. Otherwise, Finder will automatically go back to the Desktop it is assigned to.

Feb 28, 2024 2:54 PM in response to LorraineWDC

One thing you can try is to check your Finder preferences to ensure that the option to restore windows and tabs from the previous session is enabled. To do this, open Finder and go to the "Finder" menu in the top-left corner of the screen. From there, select "Preferences" and then navigate to the "General" tab. Make sure the box next to "Restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps" is checked.


If the option is already enabled and you're still experiencing the issue, you may want to try resetting the Finder preferences. To do this, go to the "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar and choose "Go to Folder." In the window that appears, type "~/Library/Preferences/" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Look for a file named "com.apple.finder.plist" and move it to the Trash (or simply delete it). Then, restart your MacBook Pro and check if the issue persists.


If the problem continues after trying these steps, it's possible that there may be a deeper issue with your macOS installation. In that case, you may want to consider backing up your important files and performing a clean installation of macOS to see if that resolves the issue.


If you're not comfortable performing these steps yourself, or if you'd like further assistance, I recommend reaching out to Official Apple Support or visiting Apple Store Online - Apple for personalized help with this issue. They can provide additional guidance and support based on your specific situation.



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Finder Tabs not preserved when reopening Finder

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