I like the look of having all filename extensions hidden on my files. I have my folder setup to separate files by their type so I don’t need to see what each one is because they are already grouped that way. I already know that you can go to the finder settings and uncheck the box “show all filename extensions” but that is already unchecked and yet all new files come in with their extensions. Not sure if at some point there was some terminal command that undid this default on my computer but I would love to fix it because I organize our companies new files each month and having to hide all the extensions through multiple folders each month is a hassle.
MacOS Mojave
Version 10.14.2
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
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Braden
For those that still show extensions, check you checked to see if those files have that setting turned on? Select one of them and get info on it (Command+i). Look for the Hide Extension checkbox under Name & Extension.
If that is the problem, you can always check it for that file. If you want to do it for multiple files, you can use Command+Option+i and get an info window for all selected files.
Correct, I can manually check each file (or a group of files with the shortcut) and I do this for every file that comes in.
I was wondering how to get it to default to hiding the extension instead of me having to do this for each folders contents.
It seems that on most peoples videos that when they uncheck the "show all filename extensions" in the finder preferences that all the files change simultaneously and that doesn't happen to me, only extensions I have previously hidden change.
Braden: That setting for each file overrides the general setting. Test to see what happens when you create a new file.
That's not exactly true. Unchecking the general setting will leave it able to override by changing each file individually, but checking the general setting will override my individual changes.
It's strange that my computer defaults to showing everything when I seem to be the only one with that.
I wonder if my work installed some script or something at some point that changed this deep in the system code. That would be frustrating.
I just tested this on another computer. One I know hasn't been messed with by anyone else. And all new files downloaded by that one do the same thing, they come in with the file extension showing, even though the general setting is unchecked. Strange, am I doing something wrong? Or maybe that's how it's supposed to work. If that's how it's supposed to work then is there a way to create an automation that auto hides the files after they are downloaded?
Braden: I'm stumped too. Maybe try using the AppleShowAllExtensions setting in Terminal?
defaults write NSGlobalDomain AppleShowAllExtensions -bool false
killAll Finder
Not sure if that will work.
I tried that. All it does is toggle the general setting.
Just to clarify. When you download something, say a pdf, it comes without the filename extension on it without having to do anything else to it?
I tried this with a pdf from your website and it comes with the filename extension shown and I have to manually hide the extension.
Braden: I'm out of suggestions. There might just not be a good way to do it with some files, other than changing the setting on the file.
Well, with your videos and some googling I found a way to do it with scripts and automator.
-Script for an automator quick action:
tell application "Finder"
set extension hidden of every file of entire contents of (selection as alias) to true
end tell
-Script for automator folder action set to your desktop:
tell application "Finder"
set extension hidden of every file of entire contents of (POSIX file "/Users/braden/Desktop" as alias) to false
end tell
Braden: Hopefully, though, it is a bug or something and is fixed in a future version of macOS so you don't need the scripts.
Hey thanks Gary for the keyboard shortcut, it worked wonderfully. As for the downloading of files and their arriving with the extension, I too have that same problem. No matter how I set the Finder preference. Even when I rename the file prior to downloading so that the extension isn't part of the name, it arrives with the extension just the same.
I don't remember this ever occurring in the past, but I cannot remember when I noticed that it my mac was doing it until recently.
Thanks again