Docs from Documents only open in iPhoto.

I can't open my Documents folder in Finder. It will only open in the default application of iPhoto. I am unable to change this in Documents Info (command I). How do I get rid of the iPhoto default?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Sep 30, 2013 9:15 AM

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19 replies

Sep 30, 2013 9:27 AM in response to lm194

If you select the file by clicking once, then right click to "open with," you should get a menu of applications from which to open it. You don't get that option?


EDIT: not necessary to select it first, just right click on it. You should be able to do a Get Info and then Change All.


If the above doesn't help, then please explain the problem again in more detail. You mean the Documents folder doesn't open at all? You do know you don't open the entire Documents folder with an application, just the individual items within it.

Oct 1, 2013 6:12 AM in response to WZZZ

Somehow Documents' Open With has been set to iPhoto so that when I click on Documents to open it, the only thing that happens is iPhoto opens, with a grey screen and white dotted squares. So, if I want to open a Pages document, for instance, I have to go into Pages first, rather than being able to see my folders via Documents.

Oct 1, 2013 6:33 AM in response to lm194

I'm still not certain I understand. If there's a particular item inside Documents you need to open, but it's set to some default application you don't want, you should have the option from Open With>Other. Selecting that will lead you to a menu of Applications set to Recommended. But if the application you need doesn't appear in Recommended, you can then choose Enable>All Applications.


When you find the application you want, then do a Get Info and do a Change All.

Oct 2, 2013 11:01 AM in response to WZZZ

Mr. WZZZ,


When I ran the Terminal with your instructions, I got lots of lines like this one:

drwxr-xr-x 11 paulhickman staff 374 Jul 3 09:43 Licence plate

drwxr-xr-x 9 paulhickman staff 306 Sep 20 13:12 Microsoft User Data.


Is that a good sign?


Also, (thanks so much for the second idea) I installed Onyx for Snow Leopard and ran the Rebuild Launch Services, but it didn't help. Documents still opens in iPhoto.

Oct 2, 2013 1:14 PM in response to lm194

I was hoping to see the full output of that command. But it's probably not going to reveal anything very useful. You see all your Documents items there?


You could try moving this file in your user Library/Preferences to the Desktop, com.apple.finder.plist. Then hit Option(alt) and right-click on the Finder icon in the Dock, and select Relaunch.


That might do it, but if not, I'm stumped.

Oct 2, 2013 9:32 PM in response to WZZZ

I don't get an Open With option for Documents. But someone else is saying


I get any folder to show "Open with iPhoto ,Aperture, ...." as soon as a folder has a filename extension "photolibrary". Simply creating an empty folder named "Documents.photolibrary" with the filename extension hidden will show this folder as "Kind = iPhoto library" in the Finder with the "fan of pictures" icon and trying to open it in iPhoto.

I'd recommend to check for hidden filename extensions and to disable the flag "Hide extension" if present. Removing the extension will instantly turn an empty folder back into "Kind = Folder", while copying the contents of an iPhoto library into this folder does not change the "Kind".


A test with changed filename extensions, hidden:

User uploaded file

Removing the filename extension turns the iPhoto Library into a plane folder, and adding the extension turns the "documents" folder into an iPhoto library.

Oct 3, 2013 7:43 AM in response to WZZZ

WZZZ,

The only file in my Library/Preferences folder is com.apple.LaunchServices.plist. And that contains this one bit of code: bplist00— ZLSHandlers†


I ran a search to find your "com.apple.finder.plist" but turned up nothing.


All my documents seem to be still on the harddrive. I mean, every time I reach for something through the appropriate software, it's there.


Also, thanks to wjosten and you, WZZZ, I checked the default library to choose from using the Option key. It was set to Documents rather than iPhoto. However, Docs still opens with iPhoto.


I'm going to call Apple and I'll post what they tell me to do. Thanks, everyone, for your time and input. I've learned a lot!

Oct 3, 2013 8:31 AM in response to lm194

You're looking in the wrong library. The one you want is the Library in your home folder. But anyway, that's probably not going to solve this. Stay posted; I've been trying to get some more help for you. Perhaps leonieDF will clarify or give you step by step instructions to implement her suggestions.

Oct 3, 2013 9:07 AM in response to WZZZ

Apple, of course, was terrific. I had to get bumped up to the Supervisor, Colin F.

So, after we cleaned up some loose iPhoto paraphernalia and an iPhoto link or folder or something from Documents, we replaced the old Documents with a new version, one we'd moved to the Desktop.

Then we went into the root folder and deleted the old Docs folder and created a new Administrator (me). After I logged out, then logged back in as the new Administrator everything worked fine.

I know that's a cryptic explanation, but really, Colin was bouncing around faster than I could take notes!

Thanks for your help, WZZZ!

Oct 3, 2013 9:49 AM in response to lm194

Thanks for the feedback, though I'm not certain just what you did. At one point I was thinking you might just create a new Documents folder and move all your enlosed items into it. Not sure it would have been the solution, but it might have been worth a try. I could have given you instructions for getting the proper icon onto the new one.


But glad it worked out for you, one way or the other.

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Docs from Documents only open in iPhoto.

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