I recently installed Mountain Lion and since my "Arrange by" does not work for by name. All of the other sorting methods seem to work but when I try to arrange by name they do not sort alphabetically. They seem to sort randomly. I've searched every where and it seems to be just a problem for me.
Does anyone know anything?
iMac (27-inch Mid 2010), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.1)
Go to your Finder "Go" menu hold the option key and choose Library. Then go to Preferences folder and trash
com.apple.finder.plist
Then, restart, or log out and in again.
(You will have to reset a few finder prefs the way you like them.)
Hrmm Thanks but that didnt seem to help.. I tried it a couple times for good measure but no luck.
Hmm... don't need a few times for good measure. It should work the first time or not.
Have you tried starting in Safe Mode and see if the problem still occurs?
Restart holding the "shift" key.
(Expect it to take longer to start this way because it runs a directory check first.)
In finder open the View settings. Select List (command+2) and then Arrange by None. Then you can click on the list heading to arrange by Name or any other heading Ascending or Descending.
If you select Name from the Arange By it never give you what you think.
You can then switch back to Column view if you like and the files/folder will be listed in Alpha order.
Funny so the list view works alpha order.. Its just when I go back to Column view it goes back out of order..
There is def some kind of bug
MacJack I tried the safe mode and no luck.. I really seems to only happen when Its in column view.. Of course the one view that I use all the time.
If you select Arrange By Name, instead of None. it does funny things. Once you have NONE selected and then arrange by name from the Headers in List view it should stay that way. At least mine does.
Yeah that makes sense.. But I've tried that and no luck.. Its so weird, once I go back to column everything just changes..
You are confusing Arrangement with Sort. Arrangement groups items according to the option selected. Sorting Sorts the items in a particular group by the option chosen. However, Arrange by Name should just sort alphabetically. It does seem to remember the sort direction from List view, so you may sometimes see the sort inverted.
The plain click on the Arrangement button or selection from the menu is an arrangement. If you option-click the button or the menu, you will get the sort options for that Arrangement. If you want to just sort, set the Arrangement to None and then set the sort to by Name.
When you are back in Column view make sure that Arrange By Name is not selected. Finder is Odd and does very Odd things IMHO.
Thanks Barney. I forgot that little detail.
Mine lists alpha order by name in Column View, which my default. Every folder and all it's nested folders listed in alpha order.
Here are my settings...
With Finder window and Mac HD chosen > View menu Arrange by > Name
With Finder window closed View menu > Sort by > None.
Barney this worked! Thanks alot.. I've never run into a problem like this before
THIS WORKED FOR ME!!! Had this issue since purchase of refurbished 2011 MBP 17...and new Finder window opens at top left like old times. Thank-you!
I just don't understand how for WEEKS or Months something works, and then suddenly one day, or one morning, or during the middle of organizing some files, SUDDENLY one loses the settings that have been in place since the OS was installed.
I bought a Mac because I got sick of going into the low levels of Windows assorted OS's and having to fix things.
I find myself spending more time fixing preference files or logs or lists or whatever in the Library for hours at a time; in the meanwhile, I have friends with Macs who NEVER have these problems.
What the **** am I doing with my my MacBook that they are not; all I want to do is watch the shows I pull down into my Download folders put into folders by the name of each show..... I changed NO settings, at all. Suddenly I now had to look this up and I still can't fix it.
How the **** can Apple get away with having an OS (or any company with any OS) that can't show a list in alphabetical order without major effort on the part of the user to make that setting STAY THAT WAY.
I'm trying each option listed here, but the .plist just keeps going back what ever the **** it wants; and every time I try to streamline the names of my flies (changing file names) the sorting goes even more out of control. I don't have "sort by date modified" or any of that on.
I want to shoot myself in the head. None of these suggested fixes are working for me.
Arrange by Name doesn't work
