Change the keyboard controls

Question

Change the keyboard controls

Every time I get a new Mac, I change the keyboard controls so that Command-N creates a new folder instead of opening a new Finder window, but I can’t see how to do this in Lion. In the keyboard section of System Preferences, I see options on the left hand side for Launchpad & Dock, Display, Mission Control, Keyboard & Text Input, Screenshots and so on. I do not see a way to swap the keyboard shortcuts for creating a new folder and open a new Finder window.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Dec 18, 2011 6:24 PM

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Answer 1

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Dec 18, 2011 8:28 PM in response to Timothy Arends1

Select the + sign, choose the Finder, and try the setting.

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Answer 2

Dec 18, 2011 11:00 PM in response to Timothy Arends1

Try this in System Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts -

Select the item at the bottom of the list in the left pane, "Application Shortcuts".

Click the "+" button under the right pane.

In the new dropscreen, select "Finder" from the Application pulldown menu.

Enter New Folder in the Menu Title box.

Click in the Keyboard Shortcut box, then press Command-N

Click the Add button.

I haven't tried that, but in another instance a new shortcut did override an existing one.

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Answer 3

Dec 19, 2011 8:34 PM in response to Don Archibald

Yeccch, it's buggy. I tried creating the new shortcut and then I looked in the Finder to check my work. It removed the old shortcut for New Finder Window but now it refuses to recognize my new shortcut for New Folder, Insisting on leaving the old shortcut for New Folder in the menu, even though I have changed it in System Preferences. Now it has the same shortcut for both New Finder Window and New Folder, which is obviously not right. Tried deleting the one and then re-adding it, etc. No dice.

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Answer 4

rzm2u

Level 1

0 points

Mar 10, 2012 1:26 PM in response to Timothy Arends1

10.6- I'm just adding here that the technique described by Don Archibald does still work with 10.6, but not until you've quit the Finder -- use Activity Monitor to force-quit the Finder or just re-start the computer.

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Answer 5

Jul 25, 2012 10:50 PM in response to Timothy Arends1

I just got a new MacBook Pro. I can verify that Don Archibold's instructions work on Lion 10.7.4. I added New Folder with ⌘N, then added New Finder Window with ⇧⌘N. I did like rzm2u suggested and used the Activity Monitor to force quit the Finder after each change, and it works perfectly. The actions show up with the correct command keys under File in the Finder. Will upgrade to Mountain Lion tomorrow, and if the settings don't stay, I'll try this modification again. (By the way, command-option-esc to force quit Finder did not work for me. Only quit process in Activity Monitor did the reset.)

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