Preview's "open all files in one window" not working

Display several files in one Preview window - Apple Support

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed
• Loads only required kernel extensions
• Prevents startup items and login items from opening automatically
• Disables user-installed fonts
• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

"Nothing to do with opening multiple PDFs in multiple tabs."

I understand what the OP wants and didn't mean to emphasize tabs, they are just there because I have "Always open documents in Tabs" turned on in System Preferences > Dock. Out of interest I turned this tabs option off, and now I can't open my PDFs in one window either, which is new to me! So maybe the answer is to have the tabs option turned on? And Preview on my System still has the option to open in one window (sorry about the German!):

FWIW, this is what people are trying to achieve. In this example three different PDFs opened in one window.

FWIW, this is the sticking point for some. This is from the SLA for Sierra but most versions of the OS are similar.

(iii) to install, use and run up to two (2) additional copies or instances of the Apple Software

within virtual operating system environments on each Mac Computer you own or control that is

already running the Apple Software, for purposes of: (a) software development; (b) testing during

software development; (c) using macOS Server; or (d) personal, non-commercial use.

Make of it what you will.

Link to the SLAs Legal - Software License Agreements - Apple

I could say the same about users like you, that come to these forums and assumes that the "experts" here work for Apple.

Apple doesn’t routinely monitor the discussions. If you want Apple to know about your problem send Apple feedback:

BugReporter http://bugreporter.apple.com

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How to attach a sysdiagnose to send Bug Report

Mac OS X Feedback (no account needed)

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

I understand this is an important feature for many users. I'm offering two alternative suggestions for users that need this feature now. Neither are free. Sorry!

1) Check out PDFpen or PDFpenPro. Both versions have demo you can try first.

https://smilesoftware.com/pdfpen

Besides the drag and drop thumbnails, they offer these additional options:

• Combining Two or More PDFs Using AppleScript
• Merge Every Other

Search in Help: Combine PDFs for details.

2) Install a prior version macOS in a VM using Parallels or VMware.

Based on prior experience when Apple removed a feature much to the loud lamentations of many users, the feature was never added back. Tags as dots rather than labels comes to mind as one of the most vocal requests ever to bring back the old behavior.

I used to say it would be a cold day in July when Microsoft would add support for syncing contacts and calendars to anything other than Exchange. Well, I ate my words when they added support for outlook.com and Google this year. Still haven't added iCloud support though.

Hi dialabrain!

"FWiW, the feature has been removed. You can open one PDF first then drag the rest into the Preview sidebar."

Er, no, not quite, at least not on my iMac running High Sierra 10.13 (German version). Preview 10.0 still has the "open all files in one window" option! I use it a lot.

Just to try it out again I selected 3 random PDFs and opened them together. Everything worked as it should, all in one window with 3 tabs showing at the top.

But to be quite honest I've no idea if this option was maybe missing when I did a clean install of HS, but I recently installed the High Sierra supplemental upgrade, so maybe that fixed it? Or could this be some anomaly between the English OS and German OS? Just thought I´d let you know...🙂 Cheers, Ian.

Ian Leckie wrote:

So maybe the answer is to have the tabs option turned on?

No the answer to open multiple PDFs in one window is not to have them open in multiple tabs. Tabs are basically the same as multiple windows in a more convenient form.

There is a way to do it as I showed in my screen shot and have explained quite a few times.

The feature that was removed is to have PDFs behave in the same way as images, as Preview did previous to High Sierra.

Well thanks, I just opened up 3 jpegs and they do indeed open in one window in Preview! I wasn't aware of this because I open all images in Photo Shop. And my "test" PDFs were just texts. So thanks! One never stops learning...

FWIW, make a copy of the first PDF from within Preview. That way you avoid modifying the original. I don't think it's a bug. I think Preview was modified to accommodate tabs. Why images still work I don't know.

dianeoforegon wrote:

2) Install a prior version macOS in a VM using Parallels or VMware.

Technically this solution may violate Apple's SLA. Some say you can only install the same OS as a guest as the host is running. I'm not so sure it's true but thought it was worth mentioning.

I don't think the apps could publish instructions if it weren't legal. I seem to remember way back you had to buy a server version to legally installed but sometime around Mavericks that changed so you can use the installer in a VM.

You can even install Sierra for free using Parallels Lite.

http://osxdaily.com/2017/04/11/run-macos-virtual-machine-easy-parallels/

I have Snow Leopard installed using Snow Leopard Server. I bought my copy in August 2016.

Snow Leopard Server for $19.99 + sales tax & shipping costs at 1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only).

Nothing chaps my *** more than someone coming to these forums with a legitimate workflow problem that sprung up after an update... and the "experts" start talking about booting in safe mode and other time-wasting nonsense instead of addressing the problem. This has been an issue in my office since the last update as well. It has nothing to do with any conflicting software, or non-apple plug-ins. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH PREVIEW. FIX IT!

FWiW, the feature has been removed. You can open one PDF first then drag the rest into the Preview sidebar.