Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
i have Seriously Nested Folder Heirarchy Syndrome (SNFHS) sometimes and i would like a tool that will let me manage this condition by extracting all the files from any particular parent folder and all subfolders.
is there a balm for this condition in the form of an app or script even if i won't cure it?
TIA
Open the parent folder and type Command + F. Select Kind = Document. That should display a list of all files in the folder and sub folders.
You can then select all and drag them to a single designated folder.
What was bad about the advise. You wanted a way to extract all files, image files, from a folder and it's subfolders. I gave you that. The fact that you selected the wrong parent folder is called user error. And the fact that you don't have some sort of a backup is your responsibility. I'm sorry it happened but the suggestion I gave you was good.
where to start? stop and think about this for a minute.
first off, you gave me advice to use finder to move all files from a folder - whereas the other poster suggested i use terminal commands - and the very real result of this suggestion for /anyone/ including expert users is to not catch and/or not see and/or not understand what is being searched in what by any stretch of the imagination is a visually un-intuitive Finder interface for the Search Function. the logical consequence of not catching this is to catastrophically move files - with potentially no option to UNDO - or tellingly at least no advice to make sure to run an Undo if it screws up for some reason...
for instance, my Finder Find interface right now shows This Mac, All My Files, and Shared.
then you blithely suggest that i should restore from the backup that i ran prior to attempting this. what's wrong with my telling you to STRONGLY SUGGEST to someone that they verify their backup before they run this when you suggest it? what is wrong with your STRONGLY SUGGESTING they verify that they MAKE SURE the folder they are searching shows up in the top left of the Finder window when they attempt this for the first time? why not recommend running an Undo immediately after trying this if it runs for a very long time or appears like it didn't perform as needed?
also - if your advice doesn't work on the other end i would think that you would want to try to figure out and/or want to get to the bottom of why it wasn't working instead of just blaming user error or assigning responsibility for my backups or simply saying your advice "was good".
i just ran your suggestion /again/ on a folder on my desktop and two folder in my documents folder and in all three cases Finder defaulted to searching THIS MAC. in fact, i've never found Finder to get me a search in this manner of the folder i am actually in so i have never really used it from Finder. maybe this is something peculiar to my OS or my install or maybe it is due to Preference settings of some other issue i have no idea.
but again, this isn't really about the fact that i followed the advice and it created a tremendous problem almost trashing my install. what i am suggesting is that you alter your advice in this case so it doesn't end catastrophically for someone else...
OK. again, your recommendation was to open the parent folder and type CMD + F. in my case this does not bring up the image you show as i indicated in my last post (it brings up This Mac, All My Files and Shared as i have indicated). so again, i am going to recommend that you advise others as i have indicated in my follow up post. since you've been very helpful in a pretty reliable way i am not sure why you would be resistant to advising others in this manner in the future.
i mean, for those following the danger here is to trash your system to a point of - well - being trashed.
i think you are being a little passive aggressive with the discussion on backups so i am not going to respond except to say that i think the original advice to "Restore your hard drive from the backup copy made prior to this happening" was in itself putting the proverbial cart before the horse. what i am saying is that IF you think you may need to advise someone to restore from a backup, any clown would advise that the recipient of their advise should make sure they have a backup prior to taking the advice. also, for a lot of us who do a lot of work at any particular time - restoring from a backup is not a simple matter and should not be treated as cavalierly as i think you are treating it.
futhermore - IF you didn't think you would need to advise me to restore from my backup after taking your advice then i am telling you now that you need to do so in the future if you are going to continue with this kind of suggestion.
everything else on this thread is just words so i will reiterate the facts.
1. following your advice on this thread almost trashed my system.
2. it is highly advisable to advise others to make sure they have a backup prior to issuing advice that almost trashed the system of a previous recipient of this advice.
3. don't treat restoring from a backup cavalierly (it is not).
if you continue to insist that your advice was good on this thread and that somehow i didn't follow it correctly then i would advise others to be very cautious of any future suggestions you might have...
somehow i find it interesting that after almost having my system trashed - five days later i am advising you as to a good way to help others in the future - and instead of asking any questions you continue to issue advice on this thread and tell me why your advice was correct….
Extract all files from Parent Folder and Subfolders
