Applications folder confusion

I accidentally deleted my 'applications' folder on my dock, I dragged it back from 'finder' but when I click, it says it's empty. Although when I click on 'applications' in the sidebar, all my apps are there.

I copied all my apps from my sidebar 'applications' into my 'applications' folder but it used up 12GB of my memory duplicating everything. I have no idea how to link the folders up again or at least be able to click on any 'applications' folder or link and see all my apps.

Can anyone shed some light on what happened and how I can fix this problem?

You more than likely dragged the folder Macintosh HD>Users>(your username)>Applications to the dock after you deleted the link from the Dock originally. This folder is where apps available only to your user account are installed, and is probably why it showed as empty when you drug it to the Dock. Normally, installed apps are available to all users on the system. The Main application folder is Macintosh HD>Applications and all of you apps are installed there, ands this is where the link on the Finder sidebar points.


To get things back to normal, you can delete the copies from the Applications folder in your Home folder, drag it off the dock, and then drag your main applications folder (Macintosh HD>Applications) to the Dock and you will be back to normal. As always, it is advisable to have a current backup before making major changes to the system like this.

Hope this helps.

This is what I think you needed to do - DO NOT drag the Applications shortcut from the sidebar - instead Click on Macintosh HD and from the drop down list, select Applications and drag THIS to the Dock.

The Sidebar Applications is a shortcut and my guess is that you may need to remove it from the Sidebar and replace it, as above, from the Macintosh HD.

Then you can delete the 12GB of copies.

Try and let us know.

Ian