Selecting Multiple Items; I'm Feeling Pretty Stupid!

[tawcat]

So I open a folder containing photos (jpg files) in "Finder." I want to move a bunch of files to different folders. I click one file, then hold my shift down, click on another file. Now I have two files selected. How do I select multiple files?

I read the help and it stated, to select first file, press and hold the shift, click the other file and all files in between the two selected files will be selected. Not working that way for me.

I have an new iMac with the wireless keyboard,what am I doing wrong?

 

[cwa107]

I think you may be releasing the shift prematurely. Click the first item in the list, scroll to the last. Press and hold shift. Click the last item. Everything should be selected (highlighted). Now, continue holding shift and click and drag the files (they should all start to show "ghosted images" of themselves to indicate you are dragging them. Then drop them onto the new location.

To be honest, Finder is not all that great about managing files (IMO). It works, but it can be cumbersome. If you do this sort of thing with any kind of regularity, I highly recommend TotalFinder, which is an add-on for the Finder that makes it much more useful.

 

[cwa107]

Oh - another note. You can use Command + click to individually select files simultaneously. For example, if they're not sequentially listed, but you want to select a bunch of files to move at once. You would use Command + click to select each, then continue holding command and click and drag them.

 

[tawcat]

Thanks for the Total Finder tip.

I have no problem selecting multiple files if they are listed by name, but if I have them displayed as thumbnails, I can only select one file at a time.

So maybe I can't select multiple displayed photos.

 

[cwa107]

Thanks for the Total Finder tip.

I have no problem selecting multiple files if they are listed by name, but if I have them displayed as thumbnails, I can only select one file at a time.

So maybe I can't select multiple displayed photos.

That's interesting as I can do it in any of the display modes. Is it possible you're using Cover Flow mode and trying to select the images in the Cover Flow, rather than the list (below)?

 

[tawcat]

Hmmm. Well here is what I do. I open Finder. Click on the Mac HD. It opens listing all my folders. I click the desired folder open. My photos are displayed as small icons. I click (highlight) first file, then scroll down to last file I want to copy/cut etc. I press and hold the shift key, then place my cursor on the last file and click. I now have the first and last file highlighted, but nothing in between is highlighted.

Kinda sounds weird to me. But thats how I've always done it. For some reason it's not working. Too many years working with Windows I guess!

 

[cwa107]

I see what you're saying (I think) - and I'm not sure if this is new with Lion, but I don't remember experiencing it before.

In "icon" mode (not in any of the other modes), if I shift-click, it doesn't do a sequential (from point A to point B) select. It will allow me to select multiple icons as though I was holding Command, but it won't multiple select a sequence of files. Not sure if that's a bug or a feature. Very strange!

That is very strange. The easy fix is to put your view in List mode or Cover Flow instead, that will do it. Or, you can click and drag a select box around your items (i.e. click, hold and drag - which will yield a box that you can drag over multiple items).

 

[tawcat]

Seems to me with the original OS I could do that, might be a "new" feature in Lion. Oh well.

Thanks for taking the time to help.