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Can't move desktop icons... sometimes

Here's an odd one. I am using a Macbook Pro Retina and the newest rev of Mountain Lion.


I have only two icons on my entire desktop: the Macintosh HD icon, and a folder named "Attachments". Picture them stacked vertically, with Macintosh HD on top.


If I click and drag the mouse from the top-down to select the two icons (so drag over the Macintosh HD and then the Attachments Folder), then try to move them, they won't move. I get the little grey "no" indicator and they just drop back where they were after I let off the mouse.


If I click and drag in reverse - that is, I drag over the Attachments Folder first, and then Macintosh HD, and then try to move them, they move compliantly to wherever I drag them to.


Now, if I rearrange the icons, no matter how I arrange them, if I drag across the HD first in pursuit of marking both icons, they will not move. If I drag first across the folder, and then the HD, they move just fine.


Any thoughts on this?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Nov 12, 2012 4:11 PM

Reply
5 replies

Nov 12, 2012 5:40 PM in response to csk01

I've never hear of that problem but perhaps a fur ball in Finder prefs...


Go to your Finder "Go" menu hold the option key and choose Library. Then go to Preferences folder and trash this file:

com.apple.finder.plist


Then, restart, or log out and in again.

(You may have to reset a few finder prefs the way you like them.)

Can't move desktop icons... sometimes

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