Why do comments in finder get info window disappear?

Question

Why do comments in finder get info window disappear?

I'm on MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015) using macOS Sierra 10.12.6.

If you highlight a file in the finder and bring up the get info window (Command I) there is a box for comments. It is a box where you can actually type information, like the "add Tags" box at the top of the window. I sometimes actually put comments in those boxes, like for things I want to remember about an application. I have done this for a long time, going back numerous operating systems.

Recently, these comments have started disappearing, sometimes for no readily apparent reason, but other times (on a fairly regular basis) after restarting the computer.

If these comments boxes are not actually for comments, what are they for? If they are for comments, it would be better if they didn't disappear erratically. Is there something I can do to make these comments not disappear? There is not a lock for this like there is in the Sharing & Permissions section at the bottom of the same window.

Another user also noticed this issue in another context and posted in a less relevant forum, but the problem isn't addressed in the answers. http://www.mac-forums.com/macos-operating-system/145282-spotlight-comments-info- disappear.html

MacBook Pro, macOS Sierra (10.12.6), null

Posted on Jan 30, 2018 6:04 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

rose_10

Community Specialist

Jan 31, 2018 10:23 AM in response to David Williams11

Hello David Williams11,

I see that you're having an issue with comments disappearing when you add them in the "Get Info" window in Finder. I can understand your concern since this was not happening before, and I'd be happy to help.

Let's start by testing this out in another user account and see if the issue remains:

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac
If after testing in another user account the issue still remains, reply back letting me know if the comments disappear right away, or if it takes a couple of days.
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Have a great day!

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Answer 2

Eric Root

Level 10

684,657 points

Jan 31, 2018 9:46 AM in response to David Williams11

Might be a corrupt .plist.

Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.

Re-launch Finder by restarting the computer and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.

If the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.

Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

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Answer 3

Jan 31, 2018 10:23 AM in response to rose_10

Before I saw your post, from my regular user account I did a security update that required a restart. Get info window comments disappeared, so this is pretty consistent with a restart. I then tried the same thing from a different user account with the same result: Get info window comments disappeared with the first restart. I haven't yet tried the .plist recommendation from Eric Root, but I have done this in the past for other issues so I should be able to try it sometime today. I'll post results in a reply to his post.

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Answer 4

Jan 31, 2018 10:32 AM in response to Eric Root

Since the problem occurs across user accounts it's probably not a result of the .plist file in my user library, but when I get a chance I'll give it a try. I've done this in the past on another issue and I regularly keep my user account Library Folder visible and do Time Machine backups. I guess I can also check to see if some of the Get Info Window comments are preserved in the backup.

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

684,657 points

Jan 31, 2018 6:24 PM in response to David Williams11

It probably isn't the .plist if it happens in 2 different user accounts.

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Answer 6

Feb 25, 2018 12:56 PM in response to rose_10

The issue still occurs in another user account. I also recently upgraded to High Sierra and that did not resolve the issue. I did not clean install High Sierra.

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Why do comments in finder get info window disappear?

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