Finder not showing files

Notoriously slow Finder updating mechanism. When this occurs, OPTION-click & hold the Finder's Dock icon and select Relaunch. That'll force it to update itself. If that fixes the issue, file a bug report with Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html.

I've also got this problem. I need to restart Finder to get it out of this apparent loop. (Hadn't realised there was a Relaunch option.) I also sometimes discover that files I have just saved to the Desktop aren't visible there and don't show when I navigate to the Desktop within the Finder hierarchy. The restart (and I assume relaunch) fixes this.

I am having this problem right now. A folder on my external hard drive which I was just editing, shows 60gb.

Lots of files and folders in it.

Now showing nothing in it.

Still says size is 60gb, but when I open it, the files do not show.

What is going on?

I tried the fix above a few times, it did not work.

If you can help me with this, it would a huge help.

Thank you.

ps. in mountain lion, late 2011 mac.

I actually just had this same problem yesterday. I moved 7GB to a folder that had 1.7GB before. Now finder shows 8.7 GB folder size but I only see the previous 1.7GB files.

Lots of important files in there.

Mac experts, Your Prompt help is highly appreciated.

Mac OS X, v10.7.5

MACbook air 1.7Ghz, i5.

Thank you.

EDIT:

Hi Serene.

As I wrote above, I was having this problem the other day.

I ended up fixing it thanks to the help of others.

Take a look here.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4578900

I can't remember exactly what I ended up doing that fixed it, but I remember I wrote down what I did.

Much thanks Benway1,

After enabling the viewing of hidden files I discovered folder ~/Dropbox/.dropbox.cache which had 6.1GB of files!! It turns out dropbox has its own recycle bin (trash) so the issue for me luckily was different.

I was myself confused as I had been moving pictures around and in my last action I wasn't sure of the folders sizes so I assumed it was not being shown properly by finder.

As a precaution I double checked the list of files in dropbox trash and found them all in my backup drive.

It was a good learning experience!

Thanks again,

Like magic! Thank you! I was getting a bit concerned ...!

Hi, I am facing the same problem my file is showing 30.9 MB size but not showing anything, and even after relaunching it, I am not able to view the files. Is there any other solution?

I have had the exact same problem these last few days making it impossible to do any work - cannot get at files or attach them in emails, upload them etc.

But I found this post: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/135379/finder-does-not-show-files-in-fo lders

and doing this worked:

Running

mkdir ${TMPDIR}/com.apple.IconServices

Suddenly all my files appear again. I hope this continues.

I have had the exact same problem these last few days making it impossible to do any work - cannot get at files or attach them in emails, upload them etc.

But I found this post: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/135379/finder-does-not-show-files-in-fo lders

and doing this worked:

Running

mkdir ${TMPDIR}/com.apple.IconServices

Suddenly all my files appear again. I hope this continues.