Finder sidebar preferences

robertkoons · Oct 28, 2012

I've recently migrated my fathers user profile from one Macbook pro to another Macbook pro. Everything seemed to go fine (this was several weeks ago). But tonight he tells me that ever since the migration his Finder windows open with on the HD link in the side bar and column view in the main window.

I've (finally) found his preferences folder (in Mt Lion) and deleted his Finder preferences and Sidebar preference files. Emptied the trash. Logged out. Logged back in, and the same problems are there.

When I go back to the preferences folder the new plist files are there (with todays date) but the Finder windows are still stubborn and won't change. When I open the sider bar option in the Finder preferences menu most of the items are unchecked, and it won't let me check anything.

TattooedMac · Oct 28, 2012

Go into Finder>>Preferences>>General and half way down the window there is "Open Finder Window in" and then there is a dropdown menu there. Pick which window you want Finder to open in.

Cheers

robertkoons · Oct 28, 2012

If you read past the subject of my post you'll see that I tried this. These setting don't stick.

TattooedMac · Oct 28, 2012

robertkoons said:
If you read past the subject of my post you'll see that I tried this. These setting don't stick.

Sorry i did, and you said in your post you tried the **SideBar Preferences** in the Finder Preferences window, look at the image on the left, not the right as you stated and you will see what i mean. If you have tried that, you need to get the terminology down pat please.......

TattooedMac · Oct 28, 2012

Oh you could try, if your happy to play with Terminal, Open it and copy and paste this into it

Code:

killall Dock

And hit return

robertkoons · Oct 28, 2012

All those little check marks in the right image... those are what the problem is. It will not let me check them.

It doesn't matter what options I selet from the left image, the sidebar info does not change.

I created a new user account, and this isn't an issue there. Just in the migrated account.

toMACsh · Oct 29, 2012

Ok, assuming you deleted the Finder plist file for that account... Since that didn't fix the problem, and probably should have, there is some other problem in that account. Sometimes it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. You might be better off copying the files in that account into a newly created one, then deleting the corrupt one.