Finder windows won't update?

Have you tried reindexing the drive? See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2409

Does it happen in a test user? If not...try pulling ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist, but you have to be logged in as root and look at your own user folder from Finder there.

If you use or set up another account does the problem persist there?

Does it happen if you safe boot? If it doesn't, reboot normally after that and see if the problem persists.

Actually I think Snow Leopard is much better than, say Tiger, in detecting changes to folders. What you describe always happened to me a lot in Tiger because of the brain dead way the Finder detects (or detected) file system changes. So I am not sure why you are having this problem with your Snow Leopard.

It happens to you with another account, so it can't be some account-specific add on interfering from your primary account. Similarly with any system wide add-ons since you said it happens with a safe boot. So at this point I can't explain why you are having this problem.

Here's an experiment to try...

Open terminal.

Open your ~/Downloads folder and position it so you can see it along with the open terminal window.

Type (or cut paste) the following following command:

touch ~/Downloads/foo

Look at your Downloads folder. Does file foo appear in there shortly after you hit return on the above command? If not type the touch command again. Now does it appear? I would think it should appear the first time you type the command and not if it reproduces your problem. And I would also think that if it doesn't appear for the first touch it should for the second.

When you are done testing this you can trash the foo file.

I have the exact same problem. Not only with the Downloads folder but with all. (Some programs dl files to other folders.) Also when I create a new image in, say Photoshop, and have the target folder open in the background. When I switch to it, the new file won't show up until I change and come back to the folder.

This problem has come up and gone with my Snow Leopard (Mac Mini, 2,26 GHz) and I don't know how to get rid of it for good.

I disagree with Tiger having a worse Finder handling. I've NEVER had these troubles with Tiger. My iBook G4 1,33 GHz running Tiger still handles Finder issues way quicker than my 2,26 GHz Mac Mini running SL. I'm quite disappointed with Snow Leopard.

But the Finder is the worst part about the Apple Mac OS anyway, compared to the Explorer on Windows. (Not what stability is concerned but user friendliness, quick file handling and visibility of files.) WHY the heel can't I have a directory tree on the left side and still different ways of file views on the right side like in the Explorer???

To make things a bit more concise: If I leave my downloads folder open and then download anything to it, when I tab over to the Finder (or any use other way of getting there) the files that were already visible are still visible but the newly d/l'd ones is not. That is, until I close the window or change the directory and then come back to it.

Oh yeah, the tip with the foo-file didn't work. I.e. the file only showed up in Finder after changing the folder and coming back.