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Author Topic: Weird behavior in dock folder  (Read 3836 times)

Offline kimmer

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« on: May 09, 2012, 10:08:36 PM »
Behavior in question: Click on a folder in the dock. It opens and the user can then type a letter and the first item starting with that letter is highlighted.

I have several folders in my dock, and they all work as stated with one exception -- the "Documents" folder. It opens and no matter what letter I type, nothing is highlighted.
  • I've removed the folder and replaced it several times.
  • I've deleted "com.apple.dock.db" (from user library / prefs).
  • I've moved most items so that it only contains a few items.
Still it doesn't work as all other folders do.
  • I've got other folders with more items and I can "search/highlight" those folders.
  • I have folders set to sort by name, by kind, by date, etc and they all work.
  • I have folders set as folder, some as stack.
  • View content as fan, grid, list, auto.
Doesn't seem to matter what the prefs are, they all work as they should -- except for the documents folder. I'm totally stumped as to why and I'd like to fix this.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2012, 06:56:01 PM by kimmer »
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Offline jchuzi

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2012, 05:40:11 AM »
You didn't mention com.apple.dock.plist, located in ~/Library/Preferences. Instead of trashing it, move it to the desktop so that you can easily restore it. You may have to log out/in afterwards (or type killall dock in Terminal) to reset the dock. This will reset the dock to defaults so, if this works, you'll have to reconfigure the dock to your specifications.
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Jon

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Offline kimmer

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2012, 12:29:59 PM »
Thanks, Jon, I'd missed that file when I moved the other one. Just tried moving it, as well as the com.apple.dock.db, and I still can't type a letter and the first item highlighted.

Before I drive myself crazier than I am, is anyone else able to do what I can't with the documents folder in the dock?
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2012, 02:36:57 PM »
QUOTE
is anyone else able to do what I can't with the documents folder in the dock?
Not sure if I have this setup the way you want and I, frankly, don't ever use the Dock for much of anything, but here are a couple of shots showing how this folder is set up and what I get by pressing the "A" key.
[attachment=2585:Docked_D...settings.jpg]
[attachment=2586:Docked_D...nt_Stack.jpg]
Would you like other settings? I'm willing to do some more screen shots  rather than mow the lawn! laughhard.gif
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Offline jchuzi

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2012, 03:10:15 PM »
This is just a guess: Does this behavior have anything to do with Spotlight? You can have Spotlight re-index that folder by opening System Preferences > Spotlight and dragging and dropping that folder (the folder itself, not the dock icon) into the Privacy pane. Then, remove it from Privacy by selecting it and clicking the - icon. Spotlight will then re-index the folder.

This may be a long shot, but it won't hurt to try.
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Offline Paddy

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2012, 04:56:17 PM »
QUOTE(kimmer @ May 10 2012, 01:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Before I drive myself crazier than I am, is anyone else able to do what I can't with the documents folder in the dock?


Yup - no problem at all. I use the Dock to get access to my applications folder all the time - the Documents folder has so much stuff in it, that I usually use the Finder, but it works just fine to type the first letter of the file name in the Dock folder - it takes me to the first thing starting with that letter, as one would expect.
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Offline kimmer

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2012, 06:55:10 PM »
Thanks, XABD and Jon. I tried both of your suggestions, didn't change the behavior.

However, I seem to have an answer, although I don't consider it a solution and I'm still puzzled. From my original post:

QUOTE(kimmer @ May 9 2012, 08:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Behavior in question: Click on a folder in the dock. It opens and the user can then type a letter and the first item starting with that letter is highlighted.

I have several folders in my dock, and they all work as stated with one exception -- the "Documents" folder. It opens and no matter what letter I type, nothing is highlighted.
  • I've got other folders with more items and I can "search/highlight" those folders.


Just for fun I moved every doc from 2011 and prior out of the folder leaving 35 items in the "Documents" folder. Now the folder works as other dock folders do. Moving the docs back caused the folder to no longer work. So it seems that there is a limit on the DOCUMENTS folder, but not on other folders (see my orig. post where I state that I have other folders with more items and those folders work correctly). I find this strange behavior. It means that I can't store all my docs in that folder. Many items are there because a program places stuff there, so it's not truly MY folder. Really an irritation as far as I'm concerned. I think I'll set up a series of document folders (with diff names) and move MY docs into MY folders. wink.gif
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2012, 07:04:36 PM »
QUOTE
Many items are there because a program places stuff there, so it's not truly MY folder.
I think that's exactly what Apple designed it for. You can always create your own folders, anywhere you want, any time you want, but Apple expects developers to use 'standard' methods of handling documents: Put them in the Documents Folder (or in a "NameOfApp Documents" Folder in the Documents Folder).

Now, are you saying that if you have more than 36 items in the top level of that folder or if you have more than 36 items anywhere in the folder (inside various other folders) that you hit the 'limit?' I doubt that 36 is the magic number but there may actually be a limit: Why would anyone ever need more than 760Kbs? Thinking.gif scram.gif
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Offline Paddy

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2012, 07:15:30 PM »
QUOTE(kimmer @ May 10 2012, 07:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Thanks, XABD and Jon. I tried both of your suggestions, didn't change the behavior.

However, I seem to have an answer, although I don't consider it a solution and I'm still puzzled. From my original post:

QUOTE(kimmer @ May 9 2012, 08:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Behavior in question: Click on a folder in the dock. It opens and the user can then type a letter and the first item starting with that letter is highlighted.

I have several folders in my dock, and they all work as stated with one exception -- the "Documents" folder. It opens and no matter what letter I type, nothing is highlighted.
  • I've got other folders with more items and I can "search/highlight" those folders.


Just for fun I moved every doc from 2011 and prior out of the folder leaving 35 items in the "Documents" folder. Now the folder works as other dock folders do. Moving the docs back caused the folder to no longer work. So it seems that there is a limit on the DOCUMENTS folder, but not on other folders (see my orig. post where I state that I have other folders with more items and those folders work correctly). I find this strange behavior. It means that I can't store all my docs in that folder. Many items are there because a program places stuff there, so it's not truly MY folder. Really an irritation as far as I'm concerned. I think I'll set up a series of document folders (with diff names) and move MY docs into MY folders. wink.gif


Well, I hate to shoot holes in your theory, Kim, but I have a mere 522 items (folders mostly, but some stray items as well) in my Documents folder, and every single one of them show up in the Dock folder and I can get to the first item for each letter of the alphabet...not that this really makes life a whole lot easier, what with 522 items. Sheesh...I knew I needed to do some housekeeping, but YIKES. The MBP has a much more *modest* 286 items in its Documents folder and it behaves as expected as well. (So that covers both 10.6 and 10.7 for you...). Have you tried moving just one item back - do them one by one perhaps and see if maybe there is one that, for some strange reason, the Dock just doesn't like?
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Offline kimmer

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #9 on: May 10, 2012, 08:55:01 PM »
Okay, I've moved things in and out and the only way this folder works is if I have less than 50 items in it.  dry.gif  My pictures folder (also in my doc) has thousands of items and it works. I'm totally stumped.
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Offline Xairbusdriver

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #10 on: May 10, 2012, 09:07:55 PM »
Remember that you aren't limited to a single typed letter. You do have to be fairly fast but typing a few more letters of the can sometimes help you get to the exact item. Frankly, I find that to be a rather inefficient method of selecting an item, probably not only because I'm not a touch-typist! blush-anim-cl.gif That's one reason I use the Dock so little, it simply provides such a small space for seeing what's where. Having even one Finder window open (even without colored icons in the Sidebar) will show you everything that's in that stack, in much less space, no matter how it's sorted. Of course, if you like icons instead of actual names... Want to drill down into one of the folders? Click. It's done. No typing even needed, the arrow keys can do it all (probably also in that 'stack,' I've never tried it). I've been using the 'columns' view since well before OS 7, I can't remember when 'Greg's(sp) Browser' was first implemented but it is almost exactly the same thing as what we have in a Column View (command-3) Finder window. <-end of rant-> I do remember that the app (probably an 'extension, back then) was around before the term was used with an app to surf the web! The column view is actually a Unix method of files display. laughhard.gif

But you certainly have a problem with your Documents behavior. Have you tried (excuse me if you already stated this) deleting the ".DS_Store" file? It doesn't sound like you have this problem with any other folder, so I don't think any System/Finder .plist is going to affect it. dntknw.gif
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Offline kimmer

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #11 on: May 10, 2012, 10:55:15 PM »
QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ May 10 2012, 07:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Remember that you aren't limited to a single typed letter. You do have to be fairly fast but typing a few more letters of the can sometimes help you get to the exact item.

Tried that. No go. I personally don't care for the "finder window in column" view. For me, it's very inefficient. I love that our Mac OS allows us so many ways to accomplish things. smile.gif

QUOTE
But you certainly have a problem with your Documents behavior.

Agree that I do have a problem with this folder. I even tried to move it to the trash and I couldn't. It only duplicated itself. Go figure.

QUOTE
Have you tried (excuse me if you already stated this) deleting the ".DS_Store" file? It doesn't sound like you have this problem with any other folder, so I don't think any System/Finder .plist is going to affect it. dntknw.gif

No, don't even know where it is and searching doesn't show it. I'll try that if you tell me where to find it. This is what I've deleted:

com.apple.dock.db and com.apple.dock.plist.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2012, 10:55:41 PM by kimmer »
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Offline jb

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2012, 11:49:00 PM »
Instead of putting your "Documents" folder in the Dock, put it where it is supposed to be, i.e. in your Users folder,
and put an alias of your "Documents" folder in the Dock. May be then you'll be able to put an "unlimited" number of files
in the "Documents" folder by dragging whatever new file over the Dock "Documents" alias.

jb
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Offline kimmer

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2012, 03:32:53 AM »
My documents folder is in my users folder, right where it belongs; and the folder in the doc is an alias -- but it was a good thought. Thanks.
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Offline jchuzi

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Weird behavior in dock folder
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2012, 05:37:36 AM »
QUOTE(jb @ May 11 2012, 12:49 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Instead of putting your "Documents" folder in the Dock, put it where it is supposed to be, i.e. in your Users folder,
and put an alias of your "Documents" folder in the Dock. May be then you'll be able to put an "unlimited" number of files
in the "Documents" folder by dragging whatever new file over the Dock "Documents" alias.

jb
Just to be clear, all items in the dock (files, folders, applications) are aliases. If you accidentally (or deliberately) remove something from the dock, the original remains in its proper location and can always be restored to the dock.
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Jon

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