I made a smart folder i no longer want, how to i throw it away without throwing away all files inside?

Close, but the original items stay in place, not hidden. The folders you see in the Smart Folder are the result of a search, displayed as folders and files.

Mail and iTunes (to name but 2) use the same method.

A "smart folder" isn't really a folder, and there are no files inside. It's a saved Spotlight search. Just delete it.

Hi overwhelmed with data,

I can relate to your name. I created a smart folder on the desktop. I added a file to it. I trashed the smart folder and the file I added to it popped back onto the desktop. After emptying the trash, the file still remained on the desktop.

gl,

Take the files outside the folder and then trash the mepty folder ..You can select all and drag them to other location or just outside the floder and then just delete the folder..But a folder really doesn't take much espace...

Because kelhak1 you added a file to it,may the file exist in your HD to so then you need to delete it from where you drag it..No sure about it though.

Don't do what I said before, lost my way and thought I was in the Mail forum.

OK, just checked, you can delete the smart folder, the files will remain, (this applies in mail and in Finder)

Thebestplacehere wrote:

Take the files outside the folder and then trash the mepty folder

See my reply, don't do this.

My theory is that the items you put in the smart folders are alias items to the real items. I think, that the real items become hidden when you put them into smart folders. Then when you trash the smart folder, they become revealed. Just guessing.

gl,

Try creating a file on your desktop. Then, create a smart folder. Drag the file to the smart folder. Drag the smart folder to the trash. Walah, the file reappears.

Because there is a difference between deleting a file and deleting a smart folder. You can delete the smart folder, you can not delete the files it shows (unless you want them gone).

A smart folder is NOT a folder.

kelhak1 wrote:

Try creating a file on your desktop. Then, create a smart folder. Drag the file to the smart folder. Drag the smart folder to the trash. Walah, the file reappears.

You can't drag items into a smart folder. Like Csound1 and Linc point out, it's not actually a folder. It's just a search filter that displays in a finder window.

edit - Wanted to also mention, though, you can drag an item from the "smart folder". If you do that, where you drag it becomes the item's new location, moving it from its old location. (I suspect in some situations it may copy the file, rather than move, depending on the originating location, but I've never tested that before.)

kelhak1 wrote:

Try creating a file on your desktop. Then, create a smart folder. Drag the file to the smart folder. Drag the smart folder to the trash. Walah, the file reappears.

You can't drag files to a smart folder, please don't post such inaccurate information.

Try creating a file on your desktop. Then, create a smart folder. Drag the file to the smart folder. Drag the smart folder to the trash. Walah, the file reappears.

As the others have already pointed out, you cannot drag a file into a smart folder, because a smart folder is not an actual location. You can, of course, drop a file on top of a smart folder icon, which could ultimately result in the file being obscured behind the smart folder icon. Deleting the smart folder would reveal that file simply because you have moved it out of the way and can now see what was behind it... much the same as moving a piece of paper to see the paper that is underneath it.