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Finder / file selection sequence ?


benos

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When I was on Mac OS 10.5... If I had a folder open, and a column of files going down the right side of the desktop... If I opened one of the files (by having the file selected and hitting the keystroke: Command + Down Arrow) - then closed the file, then hit Command + Tab to select the Finder, then hit Down Arrow to select the next file (to open it) - that sequence worked as described.

Now with 10.6 that no longer works if a folder is open on the desktop. If a folder is open, in the above sequence, after I hit Command Tab to select the (file I just closed in the) Finder, the selection moves to the folder rather than back to the file I just closed.

Which is a giant PITA because I can no longer open and close I column of files in the finder w/o having to reach for the mouse.

Seems like there should be a way to fix that. Very un-Mac like if there isn't.

be

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What view mode are you using in finder? It seems to be working for me. (Now, I'm using Mountain Lion 10.8.4, and you're still on snow leopard, so you're 2 full versions backleveled. I don't remember what snow leopard did in that regard; I was just learning mac at that point and upgraded to lion after a couple of months.)

If you're in THIS mode, I can do everything you describe off the keyboard with the key sequences you describe. I'm using the left and right arrows to go between columns.

post-2179-0-45131600-1372256397_thumb.pn

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Thanks Bill.

I never transitioned to "View: Columns" mode. All my folders are in "View: Lists" mode.

I think I remember seeing a setting that controlled the selection / tab sequence, somewhere once, in some odd place. Now I can't remember where I (thought I) saw it.

I'm betting you can arrow to files because your files, in View Columns mode, are in a folder, not just each setting by themselves, on the actual desktop.

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You mean list mode like this?

Okay, in this example, if I Cmd+down-arrow to open the file Scan 131270013.pdf, he launches adobe acrobat and then pulls in the pdf

If I then cmd+W to close the file (but leave the app still open), my focus is still on acrobat. Cmd-tab takes me back to finder. (If I had Cmd+Q to close acrobat entirely, focus would be brought back to finder directly.)

Now I can down-arrow to the file Scan131270011.pdf or any other and Cmd+down-arrow to open that one.

So I guess I must not be understanding what you're saying or still have the wrong scenario, because this all seems to work in mountain lion.

post-2179-0-50809300-1372340136_thumb.pn

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Thanks again Bill.

Maybe the attached screenshot will help clear it up.

if I open file Test 1, then close it, then Command + Tab back to the Finder, the selection goes to one of the open folders (as opposed to Test 1, so I could arrow down to Test 2).

post-171-0-28405600-1372374811_thumb.jpg

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Don't know. I've got two finder windows open and I used the mouse to single-click on (to establish focus) and cmd+down open something residing directly on the desktop. It opens. Cmd+Q closes the file and the app, and then on my machine focus is returned to the desktop and the same file and I can arrow around the desktop to open the next file, even with 2 other finder windows open.

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Weird.

Thanks again Bill.

I'm pretty sure, when I first got this machine, I found a setting somewhere that had to do with "tab sequence," but now I can't find it. I'll dig around some more...

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