quicklook defualt select & copy text EL Capitan

Since Apple is not here, we can't ask them, and frankly, they may not even realize that this feature existed, or has been disabled.

Hi Leroy,

Using Spotlight, here is the status of content selection in the Spotlight preview window. It is not clear that Spotlight is using QuickLook as much as it is dividing its document imaging between what Preview or TextEdit will show.

• Yes
  • .doc/.docx/.pps/.ppt/.pptx/.xls/.xlsx (also scrollable)
  • .rtf including text-based .rtfd
  • .numbers '09 v2.3, keynote '09 v5.3 (don't have it, but should allow)
  • .odt
  • all text based documents, including source code, xml, plists, and .command files
  • compatible image types
• No
  • PDF
  • .pages (Pages '09, Pages v5.6.1) - images as a PDF (as it would in Preview), Numbers v3.6.1, Keynote v6.6.1
  • .wpd (Word Perfect via LibreOffice) - does not launch LibreOffice to image these.
  • .pub (MS Publisher via LibreOffice)
  • .cwk (AppleWorks via LibreOffice)
  • .ods (LibreOffice spreadsheet)
  • .odg (LibreOffice Draw)
  • .epub
  • Scripts that start with */awk -f, */sed -f - appear as black Exec icons
  • Binary plists
  • HTML email
  • .css (Cascading Style Sheets
  • .html (Hypertext Markup Language)
  • .md (Markup document)

Interestingly enough, every computer I upgraded from 10.8.5, 10.9.5 or 10.10.5 to 10.11.2 that that this feature enabled, the feature remained enabled.

If I check my settings, it shows 1, not True or yes.

$ defaults read com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection

1

But I did set it back in 10.7.x, 10.9.2, & 10.10.2 with the command:

defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection -bool true

Looking forward to a solution that works on a clean install instead of an upgrade.

As an aside, I've also noticed that you can no longer preview a web page URL sent to you via Messages. :-(

Test whether the pref already exists, & if it does what its current value is, using

defaults read com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection

Then try one of these to set your new pref

defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection -bool TRUE

defaults write com.apple.finder QLEnableTextSelection -bool YES

Test again to check the value was at least written, should return

1

Restart the Finder if your result did change from

0

1

Empirically,

YES

TRUE

NO

FALSE.

On my iMac 27 5k with El Cap 10.11.2 my value is 1, but still can't select text from Quick Look.

Any suggestions? Thanks

I Hope that someone finds an answer for this trouble because it's really annoying. Thanks to all

I had text selection enabled for years, also after the update to 10.11 it still worked.

Now from one day to the next, it’s not working anymore 😟

Maybe the update to 10.11.2 change something for me.

I’m really sad about that.

I will write a bug report and will also use feedback assistant…

Hi Everybody any change with 10.11.3 update ?

No.

Just upgraded from Yosemite to 10.11.4. To the user that asked "any change with 10.11.3 update" -- still nothing. Setting QLEnableTextSelection appears to have no effect.

Hi leroydouglas,

Great find. That works !

Lex

I meant the Spotlight trick !

I miss the Quicklook select copy paste : just today I received a corrupted docx file form te notary, no way to see what was in it, except (as always) with Quicklook. I had to ask the Notary a new one. But then I saw your remark about Spotlight: I saw it, copied the visible text and ready.! 10.11.5.

Lex