Applications Folder Missing

I was so impressed with the iMac I went ahead and bought a Macbook Pro. It came with Lion installed. On initial boot, everything is fine EXCEPT there is no Applications folder on the dock. I can find the folder in Finder, but if I drag it to the dock, the icon is not the normal Application Folder Icon but the Address book, which I assume shows because it is one of the first programs in the folder. I have tried repairing permissions, but that made no difference.

Help.

right click on it


You really need to experiment with all the different options available to you there.

Sorry - right click on what? The Applications folder in the finder or the copy I dragged to the dock?

... the one in the Dock. Select Display as Folder

And play around with the other settings there, as suggested above. You won't be able to do anything you can't undo.

Thanks - I see what you both mean now. I was surprised that there was no Application Folder in the dock initially as i am sure it was there on the iMac. But no big problem.

I don't recall Apple actually putting the Application folder on the dock by default. Downloads, yes. Not sure about Applications.

As you say, you've sorted it out. PS. Just to be a nomenclature nerd, the alias in your dock isn't a "copy" of the Application folder, it's a shortcut or alias. As you probably know.

By default, folders that are dragged into the dock manually start off in "Stacks" view, which I find works swell for things like iWork folder or Adobe folders but much less so for more generic folders. Happily, as described, a right-click on the dock icon can change it to one of several useful appearances.

I think you're right. Apple loads the Downloads and Documents alias folders on the Dock but not Applications. I remember moving it there myself.

Well, I adopted a Leopard in Dec. 2007, so more recently than most of the members here. I do recall the Applications Folder being in the Dock "out of the box". One caveat: I had the Apple Store move my files from my old G3 with OS9 installed. Not sure why the tech would have put the Applications Folder in the Dock as part of that service, but I suppose it's possible.