Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

sir-blah Author

Level 1

8 points

How do I stop the finder from jumping around?

I move a lot of files from web pages I manage to folders on the hard drive by dragging. I like to keep certain files visually grouped together in certain folders. But every time I drag a picture, link, pdf, etc. from a web page; the finder jumps to the alphabetical part of the window that it names the file, and the file is where I put it/want it. How do I stop the finder from jumping around? I have hundreds of files grouped in a window and if I put a file "bbs.htm" in a location that I have for that catagory of files I want it, but its closer to a file named "qs.pps" The finder window scrolls up to whereever the B's are in the window!

How do I stop the finder from jumping around? I don't want to just make folder because I group upload the entirety of the folders with folder names already in the correct place

How do I stop the finder from jumping around?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.1)

Posted on Aug 28, 2011 6:17 PM

Reply

Best reply

Level 10

112,650 points

Posted on Aug 28, 2011 7:28 PM

Tried for quite a while trying to replicate this. Finally figured it out. If you have a Sort By or Arrange By option set, it will reorder. To get to the Sort By options, hold down the option (alt) key and press the Arrangement button or in the View menu. Set both to none.

Shortcuts for both off is cmd+ctrl-0 and cmd+ctrl+opt-0.

Also note that I thought I didn't have a Sort By option because my icons were strewn about. However, the strewn-aboutness might have been inherited, and for some reason Lion defaults to a Sort By name. Not sure. Didn't spend much more time experimenting.

View in context

7 replies

Best reply

Level 10

112,650 points

Aug 28, 2011 7:28 PM in response to sir-blah

Tried for quite a while trying to replicate this. Finally figured it out. If you have a Sort By or Arrange By option set, it will reorder. To get to the Sort By options, hold down the option (alt) key and press the Arrangement button or in the View menu. Set both to none.

Shortcuts for both off is cmd+ctrl-0 and cmd+ctrl+opt-0.

Also note that I thought I didn't have a Sort By option because my icons were strewn about. However, the strewn-aboutness might have been inherited, and for some reason Lion defaults to a Sort By name. Not sure. Didn't spend much more time experimenting.

Reply

sir-blah Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 29, 2011 12:26 AM in response to Barney-15E

Nope, I made sure that they were both set to "None." I can't figure out any reason. I can't give one of my websites so say apple, but do a Google search with images then drag a located image to a huge folder and **** if you can replicate.

I dragged your avatar image icon to my folder and instead of just showing the file/icon/preview/etc as a file in the finder it jumped up to 47.jpeg in the directory for some reason because it named the file "46.png." Yet I have a chunck of files grouped in 4 corners of my screen that this file doesn't boelong.

Reply

sir-blah Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 29, 2011 12:29 AM in response to Barney-15E

If I can use ScreenFlow to record my problem and upload it let me know how. I cannot find how to do that on the apple.com question site.

Reply

Level 10

112,650 points

Aug 29, 2011 4:43 AM in response to sir-blah

I think you can only upload small pictures, here. You'd have to post the video to a video sharing site (Vimeo, YouTube, etc) and then post a link to it.

However, I did see what you describe, but only when a sort option was present. I was using National Geographic as the source. I could drag an image in and drop it anywhere, including wedged between two normally spaced icons.

I also just tried with my Avatar and it dropped just fine wherever I wanted it to be (its name is 46.png).

Have you tried restarting? Or, Relaunching Finder. Maybe it's confused.

Reply

Level 10

112,650 points

Aug 29, 2011 4:57 AM in response to Barney-15E

Perhaps try deleting the .DS_Store file in that folder. That might un-order all your groupings, though.

Try creating a new folder and see what happens.

Reply

sir-blah Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 7, 2011 11:41 AM in response to Barney-15E

Ihave restarted, and deleted the .DS_Store file; Same problem. This happens in every single window, not just the folder I have files in. I've tried new folders and have the same problem. Also, every once in a while a file I create becomes a hidden/invisible file for no apparent reason. Not sure what the heck is going on here with my Finder!

Reply

sir-blah Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 7, 2011 12:03 PM in response to sir-blah

Further - I have set every single folder I can find to "Arrange by - None" and "Sort by - None"

The finder window still jumps all over every time I drag a new file into a folder from a web browser.

Same thing with Safari, FireFox, and Chrome.

Reply

How do I stop the finder from jumping around?

Welcome to Apple Support Community

A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.

Learn more Sign up