iMac Finder Column Settings?

[gathompson56]

When moving files from one folder to another I prefer to use the Column setting in Finder. But I am continually have to adjust common width in order to read the full file name.

Is there a trick to set Finder to automatically adjust columns to accommodate full file names?

[Bob White]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

When the arrow cursor turns into the vertical adjustment icon, double click immediately. The column to the left of the cursor will resize to the longest name. No automatic in the OS. There may be some third party app out there that does this, so it wouldn't hurt to check.

[gathompson56]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Thanks Bob. The "double click" is handy but is only valid until you move to a new folder then you must start again.

Last night I upgraded to Yosemite. Here is the best solution I have found after playing around this morning (This may have also been on Mavericks).

- set your view to columns
- drill down through a folder and sub folders until you get to your files
- move your cursor over top of one of the vertical lines that divides the columns
- press "option" while clicking and dragging the column divider. This will set all column to the same width
- adjust font size for finder as required.

This is not exactly the solution I was looking for but saves a lot of steps especially when reorganizing and renaming files, which is what I have been up to the last few days.

Grant

[Bob White]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Hate to say but the option drag trick only holds temporarily also.

[gathompson56]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Hate to say but the option drag trick only holds temporarily also.

Bob:

Perhaps that is the case with Mavericks but not with Yosemite. If you Click and drag while pressing "Alt" all columns widen and seem to stay at the widen setting even after rebooting the system.

Downside: If you are widening the columns in order to see your longest file name then some columns are MUCH wider than necessary and the entire width of your screen can be filled by the finder columns.

Oh well, it is a reasonable compromise until such time that an automatic setting for column width is introduced.

[Susan Freas Rogers]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Grant, there IS a free third-party solution to this.

It's Total Finder. I have had it for nearly two years and love it. It automatically adjusts widths, up to a maximum you set, and down to a minimum you set. I was being frustrated with cut-off file names as well, and today realized I just had my maximum set too low. Put it up to 500 and now it's probably too long and I'll dial it back.

See image attached for how to get into Total Finder to make the adjustments once it is installed. The bottom of the image shows my Finder window with a wide column and a narrower column, created automatically.

Two other things it does which I find indispensable:
1) Forces folders to the top of the column list when in Finder mode, when and if you set it to do that in the settings. Saves a lot of time when drilling down.
2) With keyboard Control+U, opens a second Finder window side-by-side with your first one. Makes it super-easy to drag files from one folder to another when you can see both the origin point and the destination.

To get this, google Mac App Total Finder. I thought I'd paid for it (totally worth it) but I guess it was free and I made a donation to the developer, who makes frequent updates.

[kmgenealogy]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Grant, there IS a free third-party solution to this....<snip>
To get this, google Mac App Total Finder. I thought I'd paid for it (totally worth it) but I guess it was free and I made a donation to the developer, who makes frequent updates.

I found it at http://totalfinder.binaryage.com. Demo is free but license costs $18. Seems well worth that price. I'll wait until I've installed Yosemite before I buy it. Thanks for the heads-up on what looks like a great app!

[gathompson56]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Thanks Susan. I will give this a try.

grant

[Susan Freas Rogers]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

Thought it was $18 so thanks, Kaye. And yes, totally worth it.

A correction: it is COMMAND+U that brings up the side-by-side Finder windows (not Control+U). It's a toggle -- do that again to get back to one window.

Also, your width adjustment changes don't "go live" as soon as you change the settings. You have to close Finder, then open again.

Excess length (characters beyond your maximum width setting) is taken out of the middle of the filename, not the end. This lets you still see the file type (pdf, jpg, etc.).

If you like the idea of folders being forced to the top (which is how I found this app initially, having been used to that after 30 years on a PC), be aware it will only do that when in Finder. If you are saving a file (such as in Word), it will still go back to the incredibly inefficient Apple way of alphabetizing the folders along with the filenames. I solved this by inserting a blank space in front of my folder names (even two blank spaces if I want to prioritize my folders) to force them to the top. Am still glad I have Total Finder for its other helpful features.

[alan]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

There is also another app that I was only made aware of 2 days ago and its totally free and supports 10.10.

Its called "XtraFinder" and one aspect I find pleasing is that you can make your folders coloured instead of having a coloured dot at the end of the row which I don't like.

It will also automatically adjust the width of colums to your liking.

Their home page is; http://www.trankynam.com/xtrafinder

Alan

[baddorfdeb]

Re: iMac Finder Column Settings?

I've been using XtraFinder for 5-6 months, since going to Mavericks (late). I like the colored folder names (instead of just the dot at the end of the name). I don't think I've used an other features, but I haven't seen any problems. I like it.

Deb