Sierra - From any application, can't sort files in alphabetical order (in column view)

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

The option key in this case only has an effect if it was held down *before* you click that button - unlike the Finder, where pressing the key with the menu already open changes its appearance. Maybe that is why Application is still showing for you, and you see the exact same thing as without the key? Try pressing and holding and then opening that menu.

Hmm.. nope. Holding 'option' down before I click doesn't do anything. Still showing 'Application'

I'm in 10.12.6 and like I mentioned earlier in the thread, the issue does not exist in my Guest User account. However, holding 'option' and clicking in a File/Open panel in the guest user does not switch the options. 'Application' is still there, implying to me that 'Sort By' is still not being activated.

Any ideas on a preference file that would contain something about this? I've been searching and cannot find anything yet.

Thanks!

Barney-15E wrote:

Hmm.. nope. Holding 'option' down before I click doesn't do anything. Still showing 'Application'

I'm in 10.12.6 and like I mentioned earlier in the thread, the issue does not exist in my Guest User account. However, holding 'option' and clicking in a File/Open panel in the guest user does not switch the options. 'Application' is still there, implying to me that 'Sort By' is still not being activated.

Any ideas on a preference file that would contain something about this? I've been searching and cannot find anything yet.

Thanks!

No preference files would affect that. It would most likely be some third-party software interfering.

Another thing to try is to boot into Safe Mode. That will delete some system caches. That might break something loose if it is some type of corruption.

Also, running in Safe Mode would inhibit any third-party software running at startup. So, check to see if you still see the same issue while booted into Safe Mode.

I don't remember if Open/Save in Sierra did both Arrange and Sort, but I think it did.

I've done the Safe Mode with no luck. What operating system are you on where you got the results in your screenshots when File/Open panels allowed for both Arrange and Sort?

The weirdest parts of this whole thing is 1) Finder is fine. I can sort and arrange properly there and 2) My Guest User sorts everything by name properly in the File/Open panel.

Barney-15E wrote:

What operating system are you on where you got the results in your screenshots when File/Open panels allowed for both Arrange and Sort?

I don't think I posted any screen shots.

I am currently running High Sierra. Hence my caveat that I only think I remember it working like the finder.

Oh, I'm sorry. Confused your response with another's.

So if I open in Safe Mode with no third-party apps running and the issue still is in my user but not the guest user... to me that would imply something in my User Library folder... although again, I have absolutely no idea where to look for that.

Do you happen to know what or where the 'thing' is that tells the 'arrange' button how to sort alphabetically? It's almost like it's not linking up (since in the guest user, both 'None' and 'Name' do the same alphabetical ordering and with my user, neither do it correctly)

Still haven't figured anything new out. Any ideas/suggestions would be appreciated. Super frustrating trying to find a file when using 'Browse...' to attach something online or File/Open and File/Save.

thanks!

Barney-15E wrote:

I vaguely remember that being a bug at some point, but thought it had been fixed in one of the updates. Perhaps it was never fixed in Sierra. Someone else will have to confirm that.

Was this recent or from years ago? Googling any of this comes up with only links that I've added in an earlier reply... Apple's solution was to update to High Sierra, which isn't what I want to do right now.

@CountryGirl56 -

I hid them (privacy reasons), but everything else is there.

@CountryGirl56 - when you say it sorts alphabetically, you mean it's working for you in column view, not list view?

Any ideas?

Any ideas?