Mac mail, send attachment chooses folder instead of opening to choose file

Hi Michelle,

Did you find a solution to this problem in the end? I've had the same issue for 2 weeks and have no idea why this has suddenly happened.

Clicking the folder to open it is a necessary short cut to attach a file - and everything else takes much, much longer. If anyone has any suggestions??

Thank you!

Alex

I figured it out. It depends on what view you have set for the folders. When you're in mail and you click the paperclip icon to attach a window opens where you see all your files. There are options along the top for how to view the files: icons, in a list, coverflow view, etc. Coverflow view is bad (4th from the left)! If you switch this over to be "list" view (second one from the left) you won't have this problem anymore. Attached is a screenshot with it set to list view (good)!

Alternative is to drag the file directly into the body of the message.

Ahhhhhhhhhh - THANK YOU Pixiegrrle! So simple - i thought I had tried that - you have saved me a lot of time.

This is indeed the problem and the solution. Thanks.

See reply below from pixiegrrle.

My wife and I both thank you! This was driving us nutzie-kookoo!

And I thought Macs were supposed to be intuitive...

2 years later, and I've finally ran into this problem. It was driving me nuts! Glad I found this post. Just to add, the ICON view also works in addition to the LIST view. However, besides COVER FLOW, the COLUMNS view also attaches the entire folder instead of opening. Apple needs to fix this. Thank you so much! 🙂

this was just driving me crazy today

Thanks for the solution

shouldn't have to figure this out this way.

coming from PC to Mac should be a breeze

was ready to toss this thing!

Yes indeed - I had the same issue to. So frustrating and a waste of precious time when working on a deadline to submit my newsletter article.

Obviously, this behavior is completely wrong - Rarely would anyone attache a complete folder to their email, it should never be a default selection.

It's another quirk of Apple Mail - lots of features you'll never use, but something as basic as attaching a file is fraught with difficulty.

I have the same problem but need to use the cover flow view because I attach images and have no idea what IMG_3345 (for example) looks like and can't use the list view. Have you heard any solution into on how to disable the ability to attach a folder? This is a MAJOR hassle still for me. Thanks!

So glad to have found this thread and solution. Thank you for saving me lots of hassle and conceivably money too.

Can't understand why my default suddenly became to attach a folder rather than a file after four years of attaching files normally 😕 It's not as if I ever play around with those icons at the top...

Many thanks, good the answer was already there but resolvved my problem quickly.

Thank you so very much. I have no idea how the overflow option got chosen - probably a random keystroke or mouseover - but I'm so grateful for your help, pixiegrrle.!!! 😍

Changing the view is not making a difference in my case. I have attached hundreds of files and never had this issue of being unable to drill down to the file I want. Instead mail attaches the first folder I click on. Any other suggestions? I no longer have AppleCare for this mac.