could some one explain what I did

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Im not to comp savy,This is what was going on on my IMAC. For some reason every time I right clicked on a photo and then saved it to download,I would try to open it up. Up in the right top square of the screen were it says Download, it would show (today) instead of (image) and then it would go to full screen {aol mail). OK after and hour messing around I ended up going into the (force quit) drop down under the apple icon. And I noticed something that said (Text ) something. So I forced Quit it (text?) and now every thing is back to normal. Sorry about the length of this. Can can you tell me what I did to get into that mess to begin with?Thanks a lot Bob
 
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Bob, can you add some punctuation to your post, please? I cannot make out what you are trying to say.
 
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TextEdit?

The most confusing part of your post is the beginning. Please explain what you are clicking, selecting or typing that causes something to "try" to open a photo. Where is the photo from?
 

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Hello Bob

Can we take this in slow motion? You have a photo. Where was the photo? For example, in an email? On a web page? Right clicking on the photo does indeed produce a drop down menu including "save to downloads folder". You then have to select this option by left clicking it.

Are we together on this so far? If you did this, then the photo would be copied to the Downloads Folder which normally resides in the Dock to the far right, close to the Trash. If not there, it can be found by going into Finder. Downloads is listed on the left.

Now, I don't quite understand the next bit. You say you tried to open the photo - that is, view it, presumably in the Downloads Folder? Yes? Normally, you'd do this by double clicking the file; or you could just highlight it and press the spacebar. Both methods use the app called Preview.

Where you've lost me is when you say that: "Up in the right top square of the screen were it says Download, it would show (today) instead of (image) and then it would go to full screen". Sounds like you were in the menu bar at the very top of the screen rather than in Downloads.

Can you help us here? Tell me which parts of the sequence I've guessed correctly and where you did something different from what I've suggested.

When you used Force Quit, I'm guessing again that you closed Text Edit.

Sorry for these tedious questions, Bob, but give us as much info as you can and we'll do our best to help.

Ian
 
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Normally, you'd do this by double clicking the file; or you could just highlight it and press the spacebar. Both methods use the app called Preview.

Where you've lost me is when you say that: "Up in the right top square of the screen were it says Download, it would show (today) instead of (image) and then it would go to full screen". Sounds like you were in the menu bar at the very top of the screen rather than in Downloads.
Sorry, pressing Spacebar doesn't use Preview, it's Quicklook.
It'll say "Open with Preview" in the right corner which is where his problem might be.

Up in the right top square of the screen were it says Download,
Are you using Firefox? Or is this something else?
 
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Ok guys I believe Ian might be on to it (text edit). What I am talking about is right clicking on a photo and the drop down menu including "save to downloads folder" I right click and save it to download like I always have done, then I could go to the upper right side of the Safari screen I think thats were I confused everyone.Sorry, there is the box under the magnifying class icon that I would open and it will drop down.What was Happening was it would say (today) in the squares instead of Image. I could always click on image and it would open up the pic. But what was happening was I would click on (Today) and my aol mail would open up. If this makes any sense to you guys. what I think I did to solve to prob. was force quit (text edit) Then every thing is solved. Question is how did I end up with text edit open in the first place? Thanks for taking the time.Bob
 
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From what I can understand from the post, I believe that something has changed on your system, and its changed .jpg "Open With" TextEdit.
If you go to the Downloads folder, and right click or ⌃Click the image, and in the Contextual Menu click on "Get Info"
Now in this window it will have a bit of information about the image, but go down too the part where it says "Open With" What does it say under there ?? Text Edit ?? If so, click on the Drop Down and Choose Other and navigate to the Applications folder and select Preview, and then Change All in the Pop up Window.

If this Window doesn't show Text Edit in the Open With area, let us know, so we can weed it out . . .

EDIT: If this was the issue, I suggest you Repairing Permissions on the Macintosh HD as well.

Open Disk Utility from the Applications>Utilities Folder and select the Macintosh HD from the left column.
Then click the First Aid Tab and then Repair Permissions at the bottom of the window.
Let DU do its thing and DONT worry about the Permission Errors, and when its done, close DU down, and restart your Mac and see if that helps.
 
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tattooedmacI got as far Downloads folder, and right click or ⌃Click the image, and in the Contextual Menu click on "Get Info" there was no (Open with) in the drop down.
 
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You should have something that looks like this

9LE6trO.png
 
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This is what Ive tried- Bottom left of screen on dock-clicked on finder bottom left - then under favorites-Right click documents- then get info,that scene has no open with
 
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then under favorites-Right click documents- then get info,that scene has no open with
Documents is a folder. There is not going to be an 'Open With' for that.
To open it, click on it. Then right-click on the IMAGE and do Get Info on it.
 
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Even if there was something telling the Finder to Open a .jpg with Textedit, there's no way in hedoublell that anything other than a bunch of garbled graphic text would show. TexeEdit is a "text" editor, period!!
 
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Documents is a folder. There is not going to be an 'Open With' for that.
To open it, click on it. Then right-click on the IMAGE and do Get Info on it.

Yes I should of explained it a little more precise. . .

@OP you said the image was in the Downloads folder. Open Downloads and then right click the image there . . . Then follow my above instructions.
 
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OK Guys,now I understand what you wanted me to do,I was right clicking the folder itself.No wonder there was no open with! Now I (got info) on a random image, and it opens with Preview!
 
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