MacMost: Finder

Most Mac users know how to use Get Info or Command+i. But there are two more variations of this window that can be more useful in different situations.

When it comes to naming your files, there are many things to consider. The best file name is often a compromise.

The Spotlight index is used to let you search for files on your Mac. If searching is not working properly you can rebuild the Spotlight index.

The normal way to delete files on your Mac is to use the Trash or Bin folder. There are several shortcuts and advanced techniques that you should know about.

How long can Mac filenames be? What characters can you use and which should you avoid? What about if you want to use the files on other systems too? How can you get numbered or dated files to sort properly?

On a Mac you have a main Applications folder, but also a folder for each user account. If you look at the main Applications folder carefully, you'll also notice that some of the app are actually not located there, but in another Applications folder.

Learn how to zip and unzip files on your Mac, including how to create password-protected ZIP files. It is easy to compress a single file or multiple files and folders into a ZIP file archive on your Mac. You can also decompress any ZIP file by simply double-clicking it. The Archive Utility is used invisibly for both commands, and there are some settings you can access. If you want to create password-protected ZIP files, you can do it with the Terminal.

Quick Look allows you to preview files in the Finder. But you can also do other things with it like rotating and editing images, trimming videos, scroll through documents and select text to copy, view multiple files as an index sheet or slideshow and more.

If you like to use Finder tags to organize your files, check out these quick ways to assign and clear tags from selected files. You can use hidden keyboard shortcuts to do it, and also access tags in the Info window, Inspector, or though a special Tags panel.

Title Icons, also called Proxy Icons, allow you to drag and drop files directly from their document windows without needing to use the Finder. You can also use them in the Finder to drag the folder you are currently viewing without needing to go up a level.

The context menu appears when you Control+click, right+click, or two-finger click something on a Mac. Most of the items in a context menu appear depending on what was clicked and which app you are using. But some parts of the context menu can be customized to fit your needs.

Often people ask me about duplicate photos or files when all they are seeing is two different ways of viewing the same single photo or file. For instance, albums in Photos show the same photos as the Library, and Recents and the Desktop in the Finder show files you can also see elsewhere. It is important to understand why these aren't duplicate items to avoid deleting the one and only copy of a photo or file.

When you go to save a file it can be frustrating to find the location you want. But there are many things you can do to quickly navigate to your folders in the Save Dialog. You can also use these techniques when saving downloads in your browser.

You have four choices when it comes to Finder views. List View, however, has several advantages which make it my go-to Finder view.

When you open a new Finder window, it can be confusing as to why the new window is at a specific location, size and view settings. Understanding the difference between Finder windows and folder locations is key, as well as knowing the difference between browsing and opening new windows, and what is remembered by the Finder.

You have a lot of ways to customize your Mac's Desktop. You can use a grid or even have items automatically sorted. You can change the icon and text size, show more information, set a background color, and even show images or information over the background.

If you suspect that you have some large duplicate files on your Mac, you can find them without any special software. You can use the Finder to search for files and sort them so duplicates are together. You can also use the Terminal to find duplicates with a multi-part command.

Accidents happen and things get deleted. Here are several ways you can get back deleted text, files and other items on your Mac.

When you drag and drop a file from one folder to another on a Mac, sometimes this will move the file, and sometimes this will copy the file. Learn when a drag is a move vs a copy and how to choose the other option.

When you transfer a file between Mac and Windows, or upload to a cloud service, you may notice that the file size looks different. Windows and most cloud services use a different way to measure sizes like megabytes than Macs do. The file is actually the same size, just the math used to get those file size numbers is different.