MacMost Now 676: Adding Recent Items To the Finder Sidebar

In previous versions of OS X you could find links to lists of recent items on the left side of the Finder window. You can add those back in Lion if you like them. You can create smart folders and place them in the sidebar to help you find files in ways that fit how you use your Mac.

Comments: 22 Responses to “MacMost Now 676: Adding Recent Items To the Finder Sidebar”

    Kika Wai'Alae
    12 years ago

    Nice, now how do I find and delete the new smart folders? I created smart folders along with you but forgot where I put them(not so smart). Now I want to find them and delete them. :(

      12 years ago

      Maybe you put them in /username/Library/Saved Searches

        Kika Wai'Alae
        12 years ago

        Thatʻs where I first looked but I canʻt even find library in my username either. lol. I pretty much do things and forget what I did. I wish there was a way that it would keep me organized. This is why I moved to a Mac in mid 2007. I guess its just me, he he...Your videos has taught me a bunch! Keep up the great work Gary.

          12 years ago

          In the Finder, use the Go menu. But hold down Option key. Then you can select Go, Library.

            Kika Wai'Alae
            12 years ago

            Very cool! Thanks I got it. Thank you.

    Randy
    12 years ago

    Great…. As I have used your videos over the past months in migrating away from being a longtime PC user; how can create a smart folder to show only the root folders (not sub-folders) in Documents? Thanks again for your site and all your help.

      12 years ago

      Not sure what you mean. If you want to see the folders under Documents, then just look in the Documents folder.

        Randy
        12 years ago

        Sorry, let me try to explain…. in Finder as I go to the Documents folder; I have 100+ docs and approximately 40 folders and many sub-folders within. When I scroll with different views, I can never get the folders to be grouped together as I could on the PC; all I want is a quick view of only the folders (not the sub-folders). So, when I search for “folder” & kind, I get ALL folders & sub-folders. Thoughts? Thanks again...

          12 years ago

          In Lion just do a List view and "Arrange By" Kind. Folders are all at the top under "Folders."

            Randy
            12 years ago

            Awesome... I then right click on the results and select "Show View Options" and sort by "Name". This is the view that I needed..... How can I save this view for a one click option as I do not want it to be my default in Finder? Thanks Gary!!

              12 years ago

              I suppose you could use Automator to set up a service and then set a keyboard shortcut. Experiment with it.

                Randy
                12 years ago

                Will do.... Thanks

    Barbara
    12 years ago

    I spend hours week on your website... love it... comment on this post (676) easier than creating smart folders.... Lion now has "all my files" on the sidebar. Click on that and "detailed view"... click on "arrange icon" click on "date last opened" and this basically accomplishes the same thing so that is my guess as to why they took the original search files out. I have my MUG doing this as we are all seniors and creating smart folders is too complicated for them. Thanks for all you hard work.

    Elaine Morrison
    11 years ago

    thx!
    I had made a special folder while I was making a folder hurriedly messing with the repository and just saw that damn thing just now. You know, right click no longer double clicks on this Mac and I no longer have that mouse specialization option, but I now see that a right click as a special type of command click (it usually is double-functioned as a double click and a special type of command click) still works! Voila! Thx! I'm going to try out the right click to get the menu on other files and items now. Yes, it DOES work. Ah ha. That's helpful to quick look at csv tables. And what's with this spelling correction? It corrects things which aren't wrong unless I stop and click that damn x on its icon. Pain in the Aspen, Colorado.

    Julie Mountain
    11 years ago

    Thanks. Exactly what I wanted to do - recently accessed folders directly from Favourites in Finder. Glad to have found you, MacMost.

    mctavish
    11 years ago

    Gary, have you noticed that a folder opened from an icon on the Dock won't show up in the Today smart folder? Is there a way to fix this?

    Thanks for all you do.

      11 years ago

      Perhaps because the Dock contains an alias to the folder, not the folder itself? Don't think there is any way to change how that works.

    mctavish
    11 years ago

    I tried it several different ways. It will work from an alias placed on the desktop as well from the finder sidebar and from a search done within finder. It will not work, however, from a Spotlight search done from the menu bar. I'd say that Apple hasn't quite finished the job.

    mctavish
    11 years ago

    I tried it more ways. Application and document files (.pages) would show up in the Today folder no matter from where they were launched. Webloc files wouldn't show in the Today folder at all.

    Jules
    11 years ago

    Thank you so much for this clear, constructive tutorial. I have been wanting to know this for a while - it will save me so much time.

    Doug Harter
    11 years ago

    Is there a way to make finder window disappear from desktop like the doc does?

      11 years ago

      You can make Finder windows "disappear" in many ways. The main one is just to close it. But you can also minimize it (yellow button in the upper left) or hide all of the Finder windows at once with Finder, Hide Finder (Command+H). Mission Control might be a useful tool too, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

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