Collapse all Folders in Finder

If you're using List View, Option+Clicking on the triangle of the parent folder will collapse/expand all child folders (downwards through descendant folders). This doesn't work in the other direction (upwards through ancestor folders).

Having, I think, established that you're talking about list view, I don't think there is; not that I've been able to find in the last 15 mins. anyway.

Personally I've never used list view except on Windows, and unless you absolutely need to see the size or dates of every folder/file, I can't really think why anyone would use it when column view's much more logical.

Assuming that the folders are open as finder windows, cmdoptionW.

Hotwheels22 wrote:
Can I please ask you if there is a way to expand or collapse /everything/ in finder?

If you're talking about the entire contents of your machine, then I do not recommend this (this will likely bring your computer down to its knees). You'll need to climb up to the topmost level of your computer hierarchy (it's the Computer in this screenshot ➚), then do Option+Click in List View on your Macintosh HD (or whatever you named your boot drive). This will take a long time to complete, and you will likely end up with an unresponsive Finder.

Edit:
Your reply to noondaywitch makes me think you're trying to do something like close all open windows except the active Finder window (➚). You could use an AppleScript (➚) to create that functionality. I guess I'm not really following what you're trying to do.

Message was edited by: A.Carlo

Hotwheels22 wrote:
is there a way to collapse or uncollapse all folders in finder?

I really still do not understand this question. Presumably you are not referring to List View (which is what I associate with collapse/expand). Icon View will open/close folders; List View will expand/collapse directory trees; Column View will scroll through path hierarchies; which one are you trying to do?

Do you mean you want to open multiple folders while in Icon View? If so, select the folders you want and hit ⌘+↓. All of them will open as long as they are all from the same Finder window. Afterwards, for you to close all Finder windows except one, you'd need to use one of the two AppleScripts I linked earlier.

Maybe you are asking for a method to double-click one folder and have it and all its subfolders open up in their own Finder windows (essentially, you want to open all nested folders with one click)? I think you'd need to build an AppleScript for that. The OS will not have such a function built in because the depth of some directory trees could easily freeze a computer.

i have a ton of documents and it is really inconvenient to have to open /all/ the folder to find things.

If you assigned non-generic names to your folders and documents, you should be able to use Spotlight and Smart Folders to get to your files. For example, since I name my project files with the format DateProject_DocumentVersion, it's easy for me to create a Smart Folder that shows me all finalized/approved parts lists from a project I did two years ago, regardless of where they're located in my archives. It's even easier if you also use Spotlight Comments and/or color labels.

then when i get them open it is a total pita going and collapsing all of them. i guess i can close out of the finder window altogether but i'd like to stay in the same window and keep working.

Did you try either one of the two AppleScripts I linked earlier? They allow you to close all Finder windows except the active one. Finder doesn't have a built-in, default option to close all windows except the active one.

btw, i'd also like to do the equivalent for windows on the desktop so i can get to the desktop quickly. right now I have to move them over or minimize them one by one...

i guess getting familiar with expose or witch may do this?

Exposé can temporarily displace (not hide) all windows to show just the Desktop. ⌥⌘H will hide all other applications except the active one (or if you wish to specify which particular application stays unhidden, ⌥⌘+click the app's icon on the Dock). To actually hide (not close) all visible windows, you'll need to run an AppleScript ➚.

also can i ask you if there is a way for me to post a video of screenshots to this site? i have an issue that would be helped by doing this...

You'd need to upload to a video host, like YouTube, and then paste the link over here.

Hotwheels22 wrote:
I seem to have tried a number of commands for this in terms of trying CTRL, Option etcetera while clicking on the arrow but nothing seems to have worked yet.

I guess this is where I'm confused. In your previous post ↑, you said you got Option+click to work on the triangles, thus expanding/collapsing a folder and all its subfolders at once. Is that not what you're asking to do?

Here is your question:
"I am looking to collapse all the folders (and subfolders) in List View ... there must be an option that will allow me ... to either collapse/uncollapse all folders and subfolders in Finder or collapse/uncollapse all folders and subfolders in that one folder..."

Here is what you said before:
"I can see how option clicking expand opens everything or collapses everything in that folder."

From my point of view, you now know how to execute the functionality you want. However, since you're still asking the question, I clearly don't follow what it is you're asking. You still separately click on each individual triangle, even though you can go to the parent directory and Option+click its triangle to simultaneously expand/collapse everything in it, so evidently I don't get what you're asking.