How do I disable Preview on iMac High Sierra!??

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Level 1

9 points

How do I disable Preview on iMac High Sierra!??

Aauuggggh! I'm working in High Sierra 10.13.3 on my iMac and for the three weeks or so, Preview keeps opening all of my files, jpeg, tiff, png, even .psd files -- hello? These are not downloaded files from Safari (and the "open safe files box is unchecked), these are artwork images created on my computer. I open the thumbnail icon's info window each time this happens and change the "open with" app from Preview to Photoshop (which, by the way, never comes up as a suggested option though Illustrator does). This works for a while but then it begins all over again and Preview sneaks its insidious little self back into my life. Photoshop CC 2018 and Illustrator are both running current updates from the Adobe cloud. I can definitely live without Preview -- how do I obliterate it? In a humane way, of course.

Or not.

Thanks.

iMac, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)

Posted on Feb 14, 2018 11:28 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,656 points

Feb 14, 2018 11:40 AM in response to ldecook

This could be a problem with a corrupt preference file not remembering your settings.In Finder click on Go in the menubar then click on Go To Folder and enter ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist press Go. A new Finder window will open with the file highlighted, move it to your Desktop. Restart your mac, a new finder plist file will be generated. Now choose a jpeg. tiff or pdf or whatever and press Command-i in the info panel select Open With and choose the app you want to open the specified file type with now press Change All. Restart the mac and see if the changes have stuck, if this has helped and the changes have stuck then you can delete the plist file on your Desktop.

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Answer 2

lkrupp

Level 7

22,609 points

Feb 14, 2018 1:57 PM in response to ldecook

Try using a utility like Onyx (highly recommended and free) to rebuild Launch Services. Launch Services is the framework that decides which app to launch for a specific file type. Sometimes it gets corrupted and confused.

https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html

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Answer 3

Feb 14, 2018 2:08 PM in response to ldecook

ldecook wrote:

Hmmm, I do have Firefox Quantum. I will keep this in mind if I continue to have problems. Thanks!

Trust me. See: File Associations Keep Changing. You might as well go to the last page.

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Answer 4

leroydouglas

Level 10

199,344 points

Feb 14, 2018 11:40 AM in response to ldecook

Preview has always been the default. Before you open your file, select it and command i to open the info pane —change the default AND change all

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Answer 5

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,656 points

Feb 14, 2018 12:22 PM in response to ldecook

Do as I suggested enter the correct text in the Go To Folder text box ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

all macs have this file.

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Answer 6

Feb 14, 2018 1:57 PM in response to ldecook

FWIW. if you happen to use Firefox Quantum there's a known problem with it changing file associations. Of course it could be something else.

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Answer 7

ldecook Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 14, 2018 1:59 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Well duh, I obviously typed it in wrong the first time. So far, so good ... as I mentioned before, the fixes I have tried have been temporary but somehow I think this one may stick. If not, I shall return. Thanks Eau Rouge.

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