How to persist change in finder sidebar width?

Try opening Script Editor and

Running this and change the number to whatever size you want. You can always save it as an app if it doesn't persist, hopefully it only has to be run once though.

tell application "Finder"

set sidebar width of every window to 280

end tell

Hi kashif789us,

Thanks for the question. For most applications, when you resize a window, you need to quit the app and relaunch it for the changes to take affect. The Finder app is a little different, since you can't quit it.

I would recommend that you make the change to the sidebar width, then choose Force Quit from the Apple menu. You will be given the option to relaunch the Finder app. When you do, choose File > New Finder Window. You should see the resized sidebar in the new window. When you restart your Mac, this same window should persist.

OS X Yosemite: Customize the Finder toolbar and sidebar
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH19079

Customize the sidebar

Hide or show the sidebar: Choose View > Hide Sidebar or View > Show Sidebar. (If Show Sidebar is dimmed, choose View > Show Toolbar.)

Resize the sidebar: Drag the right side of the divider bar to the right or left.

Change what’s in the sidebar: Choose Finder > Preferences, click Sidebar, then select or deselect items.

Rearrange items in the sidebar: Drag an item to a new location. You can’t rearrange items in the Shared section.

Add a file, folder, or disk: Drag the item to the Favorites section.

If you don’t see the Favorites section, go to Finder > Preferences > Sidebar, then select at least one item in the section.

Add an app: Hold down the Command (⌘) key, then drag its icon to the Favorites section.

Remove an item: Drag the item icon out of the sidebar until you see a puff of smoke.

The sidebar link disappears, but the original item is still on your Mac. You can’t remove items from the Shared section.

To change other Finder preferences, choose Finder > Preferences. For more information, see Finder preferences.

To set the scrolling behavior for Finder (and other) windows, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click General.

OS X: How to quit an unresponsive application using Force Quit - Apple Support
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201276

OS X: How to quit an unresponsive application using Force Quit

Press Command-Option-Esc, then select the unresponsive app from the Force Quit window that appears, and click Force Quit.

OS X automatically relaunches the Finder when it is quit. If the Finder is unresponsive, use Force Quit to relaunch it. Select Finder in the Force Quit Window or Dock, then click Relaunch.

Give it a try!

- Judy

Hi kashif789us,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue or question you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://getsupport.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action

- Judy

There seems to be a bug in Yosemite Finder.

The user settings of sidebar width etc do not seem to be persistent when you close the Finder and reopening, like we are used to in the past.

Frustrating yes, but don't feel alone.

Apple Feedback http://www.apple.com/feedback/

While the next version doesn’t fix this bug I propose an different solution. But I like it so much that I will use it forever:

1. With Automator create (or copy and past from link bellow) an applescript to open a new tab in finder (from the last opened folder):

https://gist.github.com/n8henrie/0ceef75964bd153f910d

2. Before the last line of AppleScript ("end run”) copy and paste this line to set the sidebar width:

tell application "Finder" to set the sidebar width of every Finder window to 180

3. Run and test the script and set the sidebar witdh (180) to the best value for you.

4. Use OSX AppleScript Editor to Export this script to an “Add New Tab.app”. A good tip is export and save it to the folder that you want to be the default tab folder (in the case when no tab was already opened).

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/13/applescript-saving-scripts/

5. After export and save it, move “Add New Tab.app” to Applications folder.

6. This app is going to use some Accessibility features, so is necessary add it to the list "System Preferences-->Security and Privacy->Privacy->Accessibility” and authorize it to control the computer.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202802

7. Now we need only create an keyboard shortcut (Shift+Command+T) in Finder to run “Add New Tab.app” to open a new window (if no window already opened) or tab. After this we can use it in place of default shortcut (Command+T) to open new window or tab with correct width (see the tutorial bellow):

http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-launch-any-app-with-a-keyboard-sh ortcut--mac-31463

ps: A good tip is to set this shortcut in all applications and not only in Finder to open a new finder window when necessary. You have to make some small additional steps:

8. Go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Application Shortcuts -> All Applications

9. Add new line with properties:

Application: All Applications

Menu Title: New Tab

Keyboard Shortcut: Shift-Command-T

10. Now, test the shortcut. This Service will appear at every app into Services menu and will work as you want.

-- This is a feedback on Voulembrar answer

At first, this didn't work for me: moving the App to "Application folder" (as you say mentioned in step 5.) didn't work. I got an error message like "This App doesn't have autorisation to access Help" (I tried my best to translate the message from french...).

Then I tried placing the App in another folder. At the moment I placed it in a new sub-folder in "Downloads" (I guess I should find a better place, but I won't place it in "Application folder") and now all seems to work fine!

I hope it will help.

P.S. : shortcut "Shift+Command+T" didn't work as it's already a shortcut for "Hide the tab bar" in Finder. Then I chose "Shift+Option+Command+T"

Hi kashif789us,

Forgive my confusion, but the instructions that I gave you were for changing the size of a sidebar in a Finder window. These instructions work for changing the size of a window, in any app, like Safari, as well.

However, your notes above indicate you are trying to change the dimensions of a folder?

- Judy

Hi kashif789us,

Thanks for clarifying. Could you please restart your computer and try the instructions I gave again? I am using Yosemite and am able to resize the sidebar in Finder following the steps above. Perhaps restarting the computer will help refresh.

- Judy

Seconded - I'm getting the same frustrating behavior, in that no matter what I do to resize the Finder sidebar (hold option or not, quit Finder or not, reboot or not), the change doesn't persist. This was working before Yosemite, so something seems to have changed - if there's either a fix or a workaround I'd be very interested.

Yeah, the behavior's pretty bizarre now that I mess with it - if I manually edit FK_SidebarWidth in com.apple.finder.plist and restart Finder, the _first_ window opened has the correct width. But every subsequent window resets to default, and the property never seems to get modified except by my manual edit. It bugs me enough that I'm willing to try one of the AppleScript workarounds, but that's pretty ugly...

Well, happen to me in 10.10.2, this bug does not appear in 10.10.1

BTW, the Sidebar size only changing it's size when open new tab if USB Device(s) connected,

everything revert back when all USB Device(s) released.

What bugging me, I cannot resize the new tab exactly like my other tab when USB Device(s) connected.

Same problem here. I am so sick and tired of Apple thinking they are above reproach. They need to get off their throne and LISTEN to their customers! This is ridiculous. Yosemite also jacked up the way multi monitors work and I spend time every day rearranging my windows to my 10 different desktops, nothing stays put even when you tell it to. And now this stupid Finder issue. Sigh .....