finder crash when clicking on any web link located inside the folder

This just started on my mac 10.12.6 with Firefox links just a day ago and I have not downloaded any new programs or software updates as far as i know. when i open them up from a folder, the finder crashes. Tried Disk Utility but did not help. Chrome crashes the finder as well. ???

How can we even upgrade to High Sierra now on older devices that aren't compatible with Mojave? The only upgrade option shown is Mojave and High Sierra is gone.

Plus, I really resent the fact that Apple has left such a blaring, huge bug left festering in their OS this long for customers that can't upgrade to High Sierra because of compatibility issues made through new bugs in that OS. Do they want us to switch to Windows machines?

Hi dogalog,

I used the instructions listed on the attached image which I believe I got from MacRumors and it's working very well for me and only took a few minutes. It's a fix but I do hope Apple releases another working version of Safari 12.

Cheers!

This problem was first reported here a month ago . One participant in this discussion noted that it was duplicated on a mac in an Apple Store. Why hasn't Apple fixed this or offered a work-around, or even acknowledged it?

I'm literally having the exact same problem as you. Posted on similar threads!

I'm also having this problem with Finder too--and it started around the same time as you after upgrading some applications in late September. I've tried re-installing Sierra 10.12.6 and while it fixed the problem for a few days, just last night Finder began crashing again with basically any folder that had a URL file in it. Regardless of whether I was actually clicking on a URL file. And it doesn't seem switching/testing other users works either, it's only a temporary fix along with re-installing your OS.

It's happening to any URL file from any browser (I've tried all of them) too. It's refreshing to know it's not just a me problem, I was worried that I would need to get a new computer... I hope that Apple fixes this soon.

Oh, I definitely wasn't seriously considering buying a new computer--I was more worried if it was personal or a program issue as a whole.

Yeah, the Safari 12.0 and additional security update have seemed to fry a lot of peoples' Finder whenever there is a .webloc file in a folder. I'll see what I can do, since I've basically tried everything up to this point and don't want to try to update anything too much because I'm currently in school and the set up I have is ideal.

Thanks for your advice!

I reported this issue as mentioned and did the try out at a local Apple store, with a machine they had.... absolutely disgusted with lack of attention to this problem since then by the Apple team. The consequences are in fact far reaching for many users and I fear that Apple is going the way of Microsoft in the early days.

DG, the finder crash issue can occur on all browser url links, chrome, safari, firefox. I am not a mac software expert, though have been using it for 30 years in the design applications world. I doubt Safari is the problem since i never used it until when i started testing what types of browser links within folders would cause the finder to crash...it was all of them.

Well, it lasted exactly 20 minutes, back to before again with the finder crashing. A second run of Onyx didn't help either, however clicking links on the desktop still works for now. Puzzled. Anyway, the happiness didn't last long:)!

Yes, that I discovered as well lately. Funny that all worked well just after the first run of Onyx, I really experimented in a few windows and the finder did not crash, it worked fine (I was really surprised). And after a few minutes the crashes again, so it must be something under the hood.

I just saw the 005 update pop up and was hoping against hope Apple would FINALLY address this glaring bug they've created for Sierra, but I also figured it was going to be fixed in the Safari 12.0.1 update, but nope. This is starting to feel as if Apple is either inept or purposefully hobbling perfectly good systems that just have to stay at Sierra for now. Either way, it's making Windows 10 look better as it's working great on older systems right now. Apple needs to stop dragging feet on this. This unaddressed, glaring bug makes them look trite and very anti-consumer. Perhaps Apple is getting too big and anti-trust needs to look at their business practices?

Thanks for this tip ! It's at least a workaround to get Spotlight decently running again. It has never been one of my favourite search tools, but last months I noticed how much I've been using (and missing) that good-old golden retriever dog...

On a side note: I tested another user account on my machine (which I use regularly for demos and giving courses), but that account doesn't have the problem ! I can safely preview web links. So there must be something fishy in the User Library, maybe in combination with a System component...

I never use Spotlicht, find it counter intuitive. So if it crashed on you use EasyFind (is what I always use) https://www.devontechnologies.com/products/freeware.html. The advantage is that it can also search in the parts of the System that Spotlight does not.

Thanks for the referral :-)

I used it long time ago, until Spotlight shed its light on search. The super quick response of Spotlight (because of its pre-indexed volumes) is a big advantage on a system with a couple of million files (and their scannable content). But I'll give it another try, it sure beats Spotlight when it comes to boolean searches, wildcards.

Now, back to the main problem – crashing Finder on web previews...

Please let's continue our discussion in this similar thread:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8547433

BTW, the above-mentioned attempt contains a nasty typo:

the terminal command "qlmaange" needs to be "qlmanage".