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I hate the new tags in Mavericks, need coloured folders!!

Is there a way to return the colour folders when using the new tags like the old behavior of labels? These new circle thingees are too small and barely noticable.

OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Oct 23, 2013 6:45 PM

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1,803 replies

Aug 26, 2014 1:25 PM in response to Vectorat

XtraFinder and Total Finder work just like the old Apple system with other benefits/functionality, as well.

Been using this for months on Mavericks and even works with the extra functionality on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Both of these give you what you need.

Why revert when there are two solutions that will solve your issue?

If no backup of your previous OS version, the reversion process is long and tedious (basically a complete clean install from scratch and you will still need a way to back up all of your important data).

Why not just download and install one of the two solutions that will do as you need?

Aug 26, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Madashelluphere

Ok I tried Both Total Finder and Xtra finder . They only bring back the color bars when you enter a folder normally.

But If you're in Say, Photoshop or some other program and want to either "Open" a new file from that program or "save as " Your full color file names are lost you're looking at the same lousy interface that comes with Mavricks.. it goes back to dots. Does apple have any idea how much harder I have to look to save something now? These bunch of Bunglers completely ruined what was a perfectly fine labeling system in favor of something they thought was slick. Well it's not slick , it's completely destroyed my workflow. If it was actually a real improvement that would take some getting used to I wouldn't be complaining but these dots are atrocious.

Aug 26, 2014 3:10 PM in response to Vectorat

This isn't any different from the way it used to work.

If you are opening/creating a new file or saving an existing file as a new file name, the old system never color coded it automatically, either.

WIth the old system you still have to color code the file after its creation in either icon OR list/column view.

How would OS X know what color you would want to color code a new file as it is being created?

Apple's old color coding system never worked automatically. You always had to manually color code files manually. You can still color code groups of files in same color as in the old system (using the Shift key to select appropriate files) using either XtraFinder OR TotalFinder.

Aug 26, 2014 3:34 PM in response to MichelPM

Not true, I'm home now and am on Mountain lion. All the files that I colored are still colored in my Photoshop "Save As " Window.

Yes I'm aware that I have to color tag them in the folder after I've saved them. I'm saying that all the color tags you made prior with the plug in are not visible in the "Save as" or "Open" windows. It goes back to displaying crummy old Mavricks dots. I don't blame the plug in . I blame apple for this mess. I shouldn't need plug ins for their IOS to get my old colored files back. I wonder if Yosemite will be as obnoxious. Did they name it that because users will be steaming when they try to label their files I wonder.

Aug 26, 2014 4:10 PM in response to Vectorat

Okay,

Yes, you are correct.

In various open or save windows in applications, the colored folders do not show in those particular windows.

The file folder/name/list view/coulumn view color coding only shows up in the Finder application, itself.

Got it.

It is probably this way in both apps (XtraFinder and TotalFinder) because there are no actual application hooks programmed to access anything from the OS X system folder.

Aug 26, 2014 6:29 PM in response to MichelPM

Ok, I can make due with the plug in for now because it's better then nothing but I'm due for a new home IMac. I will most likely get a higher end 27inch or a large laptop w Retina display. I do not want these color dots on my future IOS. I deal with folder structures that are folders within folders within folders within folders. When I color a folder it's to highlight it's importance. It's for me to quickly see the latest version of a project so I can jump into that layer structure. I don't want every folder that I turn the color red to be accessible in a side bar. That's not organization to me , that's just chaos. I hope Yosemite resolves this.

Aug 27, 2014 4:17 AM in response to Csound1

Well then they're going to install Mountain lion on my new machine . It would literally take days for me to make tags for all the different categories and all the different folders and files within those categories. And even if I put myself through that when I'm viewing my folder structure in columns the color dots are worthless. They just don't grab your attention the way the full highlight does. This is just Apples way of forcing you into some nut job organizational system they cooked up out of nowhere. It might be nifty to make a label for your vacation photos and graduation photos and then be able to pull each category up in one big mess at once. But I'm working, I'm not playing games here.

Aug 27, 2014 10:49 AM in response to Vectorat

Vectorat wrote:


Well then they're going to install Mountain lion on my new machine . It would literally take days for me to make tags for all the different categories and all the different folders and files within those categories. And even if I put myself through that when I'm viewing my folder structure in columns the color dots are worthless. They just don't grab your attention the way the full highlight does. This is just Apples way of forcing you into some nut job organizational system they cooked up out of nowhere. It might be nifty to make a label for your vacation photos and graduation photos and then be able to pull each category up in one big mess at once. But I'm working, I'm not playing games here.


That is not going to happen easily.

New Macs, now, have Mavericks installed on them and, in the near future, upcoming Yosemite installed on them as the minimum installed OS X version.

You will not be able to install OS X Mountain Lion or any other older OS X version on any current and future Macs.

If you want to install an earlier OS X version, you maybe able to install Mountain Lion to an external hard drive and run it from the external hard drive and /or you will have to use virtualization software like VMWare Fusion, Parallels Desktop or Virtual Box and install OS X Mountain Lion within that virtualized environment to run it from the internal hard drive of a new Mac.

There will no other way to run an older OS X version on a new Mac.


Your only other option is to purchase on older Mac (either new/refurbished from Apple or used) that can still run OS X Mountain Lion as either a newer, upgraded OS X version or as it's minimum OS version.

I hate the new tags in Mavericks, need coloured folders!!

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