deleting folders and files nusiance

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Level 4

2,481 points

deleting folders and files nusiance

I've discovered a problem in finder that is driving me up the wall.

SL 10.6.6 (happens on SL Server too)

Whenever I delete a single file and/or folder a few levels/folders down in Column View in Finder, the folder selection will jump to the top folder or to the root level of the hard drive/mounted disk depending on where the file/folder was.

The folder selection jumping very annoying because I have to re-navigate back into my folder to delete anything else. When deleting old pictures and folders, this is making my progress very slow. Yes, the Command and Shift keys help, but sometimes it's point, click delete. And the folder selection jumping sill happens!
Yes, I could use Bridge, but that's not the point.

File structure example-

Root level of an external disk
2011> IMGS > Basshunter > IMGP1000.TIFF
2010 > Models 2010 > IMG2.CR2
2009 > Spring > Tulip HDR.PSD
Notes.pages

If I delete the spring folder from 2009 or the tulip HDR.PSD
the folder selection will jump back to the 2009 folder.

If I delete Notes.pages, the folder selection will jump to the root level of the disk.

Please note, this also happens the same way in my home folder, I used an external disk example to show it happens everywhere.

I am not afraid of command line, so I'm up to try anything to fix this.

Is there a fix to keep finder from jumping to the root folder whenever I delete something?

MBP i5, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 24, 2011 8:43 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 31, 2017 2:49 PM in response to chattphotos

Has anyone found an answer to this? Found some talk about deleting files for universal permissions but that doesn't seem to do the trick. This is one of those hard-to-google questions and is eternally frustrating.

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Answer 2

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 24, 2011 11:13 PM in response to chattphotos

I don't think you can fix it, but suggest using list view, wherein that doesn't happen.

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Answer 3

Feb 25, 2011 12:38 AM in response to chattphotos

Can't replicate that here. What method are you using to delete the sub folders or files? I just tried with right click>Move to Trash and with Cmd+backspace; in both cases it stays in the same folder. No jumping back.

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Answer 4

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 25, 2011 12:56 AM in response to noondaywitch

Thanks for checking. I never use the column view, so didn't try testing.

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Answer 5

chattphotos Author

Level 4

2,481 points

Feb 25, 2011 6:15 AM in response to baltwo

List View is a pain to work with... folder tree view as I call it (reminds me of windows) It is not as fast for navigation or as efficient for file/folder management as Column View.

I use Cmd + Delete (backspace) to delete all files/folders.

In some more detailed testing my problem most noticeable with mounted external/network drives, it jumps back to the root level of the drive every time I delete a folder.

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Answer 6

Feb 25, 2011 6:40 AM in response to chattphotos

Well, I've just tried it again on my backup drive, and it still stays in the folder it began in whether I trash a file or a sub-folder, so I don't have a clue what's going on with yours.

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Answer 7

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 25, 2011 10:37 AM in response to chattphotos

Then I can't help. Select all and CMD+right arrow or left arrow, opens and closes every folder in list view, so jumping around is simpler to me than resizing a window to go down hill. I guess that's why there are multiple view options, including the obnoxious icon view. Still the GUI method is light years ahead of cding around in a Terminal window.

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Answer 8

chattphotos Author

Level 4

2,481 points

Feb 28, 2011 5:29 PM in response to baltwo

I just got off the phone with Apple, the engineer said this is by design because I'm removing files from the network drive thereby since the path doesn't exist anymore, it works best to reset browsing/folder selection to the root level.
Yippee! (not) Oh well, maybe I can employ a 3rd party app like Adobe Bridge instead. Or I can put the back/forward buttons back in my finder... I found that I can click on the back button to get back where I was. What a novel concept 😉

I made a loaded comment to the tech saying, I hope this is improved upon in OS X 10.7 Lion.

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Answer 9

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 28, 2011 6:08 PM in response to chattphotos

Thanks for the feedback. Missed the network drive attribution.

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Answer 10

andyface

Level 1

4 points

Jun 24, 2011 3:09 AM in response to chattphotos

I guess that kinda makes some sense, though i would've thought there was a better way to do this than throw you back to the root, at the least it could try to return you to the nearest parent folder rather than get you to click back. Hopefully Lion will solve this as it's a real pain when trying to clean out folders.

I didn't realise that this was only happening on remote drives, as i tend to work both on my local drive and network without really knowing which I'm in specifically. Which does make me less frustrated, had it been for all drives I would have considered this a pretty major flaw.

I have found that if you don't have the folder/file you're deleting selected then right click and select 'move to trash' it keeps you in the folder you're working on, as it's not trying to show you content from a deleted file, though this isn't as easy as using cmd+backspace, especially if you're doing a lot of keyboard shortcuts.

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Answer 11

Nov 6, 2011 6:35 AM in response to chattphotos

I also noticed this problem. I am experiencing this on my local drive, not a networked or external drive. I can't stand this. I hope apple fixes this poorly thought-out "feature." I would at least like the option to have it or not.

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Answer 12

Karen PQ

Level 1

119 points

Nov 15, 2011 4:28 PM in response to chattphotos

This drives me crazy as well. 3 column view is quicker than list view with THIS exception. Getting set back to the beginning of the directory makes folder maintenance a total drag. Working through Bridge might help, but I'm also using a network and big files, so I'll have to see how it all works out. This used to be a simple workflow but it seems like it was changed in Snow Leopard. Don't know if it's improved for Lion.

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Answer 13

JADDEY10

Level 1

0 points

Nov 27, 2011 5:18 AM in response to baltwo

Can't use listview for my purposes as I need to see the file.

So is everyone saying that in all other views this is impossible to fix?

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Answer 14

BarrrtL

Level 1

0 points

Feb 17, 2012 3:13 AM in response to chattphotos

I have the same problem here, whenever i delete a file the cursor dissapears, if I use the down arrow key after this happens it will select the top row in the folder, if I use the up arrow key it will begin on the bottom row in the folder.

Osx should be user friendly right ? Well it is a very very annoying feature, absolutely not user friendly, I would like this feature to be removed from OSX.

This functionality makes browsing through your folder using your keyboard and deleting files cumbersome to say the least.

One more note, I have this in ALL folders, so also the macintosh hd folders

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Answer 15

jbtwist

Level 1

0 points

Mar 13, 2012 11:55 AM in response to chattphotos

There is no "design" to this. The action acts different when using the keyboard vs. the mouse. If you cmd+delete the file on the network drive, it takes you to the root. If you right click and select move to trash, it leaves you in the parent folder.

There is no doubt this is a bug. Super annoying.

MacOSX is a joy to work in, I love most things about it...this needs fixed. And it seems as though it should be a simple fix.

-Jason

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