How are files organized on the Mac?

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On a PC, basically, I knew how to find any file in any folder, and how to set up file folders and organize them in a way that made sense to me. There was a root folder, there was a personal folder. there was a documents folder, and a pictures folder. I understood where programs stored their data if it wasn't one of the above. I loved that, but I also came to hate the clutter it supported. One of the reasons I wanted to move to a Mac was to make all of that easier.

But my first days of Mac usage have me struggling on this score. I migrated a small number of photos from my Windows Machine and dropped them on the desktop. I'm sure they're supposed to go somewhere, but it's not intuitively obvious where they're supposed to go.

Likewise, I migrated a small number of Powerpoint templates from my PC, and dropped them on the Mac desktop, again with no way to understand where they are supposed to go.

And then finally, when I open Finder it shows me ALL of my files but I can't tell how they are organized or related to each other. It's just a big list of files in alphabetical order.

So, what's the right way to do this? Where are the right places to put files so that they are organized? I seem to remember something about Macs being object oriented, and that the apps organized their own data, but is that really true? I think the iPad is kind of like that.

Where does one even learn these things, other than to ask here?
 

pigoo3

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On a PC, basically, I knew how to find any file in any folder, and how to set up file folders and organize them in a way that made sense to me. There was a root folder, there was a personal folder. there was a documents folder, and a pictures folder. I understood where programs stored their data if it wasn't one of the above. I loved that, but I also came to hate the clutter it supported. One of the reasons I wanted to move to a Mac was to make all of that easier.

Every system that we previously work with always seems very familiar and logical (because we've used it for years & years).:) A person using Windows for the frist time may also be very confused how file organization is done with Windows.:Confused:

But my first days of Mac usage have me struggling on this score. I migrated a small number of photos from my Windows Machine and dropped them on the desktop. I'm sure they're supposed to go somewhere, but it's not intuitively obvious where they're supposed to go.

Likewise, I migrated a small number of Powerpoint templates from my PC, and dropped them on the Mac desktop, again with no way to understand where they are supposed to go.

And then finally, when I open Finder it shows me ALL of my files but I can't tell how they are organized or related to each other. It's just a big list of files in alphabetical order.

So, what's the right way to do this? Where are the right places to put files so that they are organized? I seem to remember something about Macs being object oriented, and that the apps organized their own data, but is that really true? I think the iPad is kind of like that.

Where does one even learn these things, other than to ask here?

Asking here is a great place!:) Another way is to "Google" just about any question you have...and you will get a ton of answer's. But we're more fun...since we're interactive!:)

File organization on a Mac is pretty easy:

- Double Click on your storage icon on your desktop.
- In the Window that opens you'll see a "Users" folder...double click on it.
- Inside of the Users folder...should be an icon of a Little House...and it should have your user account name on it/next to it. Double click on it.
- Inside of your User folder will be a bunch of folders where your files and applications go:

* Applications folder
* Documents Folder
* Downloads Folder
* Movies Folder
* Music Folder
* Pictures Folder
* Etc.

And you can create your own custom folders as well.

That's pretty easy & simple. Now that you know how...all is good. File organization on a Mac solved!:)

- Nick
 

chscag

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To add to Nick's good advice....

Many applications will automatically store their files in certain places. For example, you mentioned Powerpoint. Microsoft Office will store your custom templates in a special folder called "My Templates". Powerpoint visuals or slide presentations will be stored in your "Documents" folder all under your main User folder. At first it may sound confusing especially coming from Windows, but eventually it will all fall in place. The nice thing about the Mac file system is that there is no registry to mess with. :)
 

pigoo3

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@DThompson55

chscag is absolutely correct (I skipped that part). I was focusing on the files you were transferring from your Windows PC.:)

Apple has an app called "Migration Assistant"....which can be used when transferring files from one Apple computer to another Apple computer. When transferring files from a Windows PC to an Apple PC...you use "Windows Migration Assistant. If this is used...files are transferred & stored where they are supposed to be on a Mac.

Here's an Apple document that explains it in more detail:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204087

- Nick
 
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Since you are coming from Windows, I'll assume the same level of ignorance as I had when I first bought a Mac.

Finder is your friend. It is probably the most powerful aspect of a Mac, and infinitely more friendly than anything on Windows.

Take, for example, All My Files. Click on that and then Arrange...by Kind and it's difficult to lose anything.

Finder is worth taking some time over.

The desktop on a Mac is a really good place to avoid leaving stuff. I know that we used it to dump everything on Windows, but one advantage of a Mac is a clean working environment.

It soon becomes obvious where things are going to go. Take AirDrop as an example. AirDrop an image from an iPhone to a Mac and you'll see a notification that you are receiving a file. It'll be gone very quickly, before you have a chance to click on "Open". You'll find it in Downloads. And that will happen every time.
 
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There are also a set of Preferences for Finder, so you can set t up to better work for you. Click on Finder in the top menu bar and select Preferences.

I never liked the "All My Files" view, so I changed my "New Finder Window Shows" option to open my "user" account, instead.
 
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What I did when I switched (and still do), is to go to Finder/Preferences and on the Sidebar tab, set what I want to see in the sidebar of Finder. I do NOT use All My Files because it pulls in everything that is "mine," including things I don't want to see. So what I have on the Sidebar are the "Documents" folder where my documents reside, plus my Home folder (with my username and the house icon). Yes, Documents is technically in the Home folder, I just wanted it more handily available. I also have "Desktop" showing so that I can open the Desktop as a folder when I need to. Applications is there to make it easy to launch something when I need to.

And like Bob, I changed the "New Finder Wndow Shows" to my user account as well. I really don't use All My Files, ever. Nor the Launchpad. I go to Applications and find the app to launch.

As you can see, there are multiple ways to get things done on a Mac, so you find what works best for you.

Just be sure you don't put too much on your Desktop. That will slow down the system eventually. The Desktop should be as clean as you can keep it. Right now, other than my external drives, I have only eight icons, and it's time to clean that up to get rid of four or five.
 
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To add to all of the excellent advice you have already received, let me add something that isn't obvious to long-time Mac users, but which comes up all the time when I hear from Mac newbies. That is, many new Macs seem to arrive with no icon for your hard drive on the desktop. If there isn't an icon representing your internal hard drive on your Mac's desktop, the hierarchy of things on your Mac may be very hard to figure out at first, and a lot of advice that you receive from Mac users may not make a lot of sense. So, you may want to do the following first thing.

Click on the little Finder icon in your Mac's dock (it's usually at the far left of the dock, and it is a two-tone blue smiley face). Now go into the Finder menu (at the top of the screen) and choose Finder Preferences. Under Show These Items On The Desktop, make sure that everything is selected.

An icon representing your hard drive will now appear on the desktop, and when you double-click on it you will see everything that is on the root level of your drive. In addition, you will see a column on the left that has shortcuts to your most-used folders, such as Applications, Pictures, Movies, Documents, etc. You can add other folders to this column, even folders that you have created.

Here are some free resources that you might find really useful as a Windows switcher:

Mac Tips For Windows Switchers
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204216

Switch to Mac: Translating Windows to OS X
http://www.macworld.com/article/2039343/switch-to-mac-translating-windows-to-os-x.html

Switch To Mac
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2046...d-your-favorite-windows-features-in-os-x.html

Most folks like having a book with really comprehensive help to get them through the transition. This is the best one that I know of:

Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual (about $25)
https://www.amazon.com/Switching-Mac-Missing-Manual-Capitan/dp/1491917970/?tag=macforums0e4-20
(The above link is for an edition of this book dealing with El Capitan, OS X 10.11. It's the most recent edition on the market. A new edition of the book for Sierra, MacOS 10.12, will be out eventually. The differences aren't great, so you may not want to wait for a Sierra edition.)

Good luck! And don't be afraid to ask questions. The Macintosh community is extremely giving and helpful.
 
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That's a great point, Randy. The missing drive icon knocked me for a six when I bought my Mac, so I added it to the desktop and all was good.

As I learned more about the Mac, I found I didn't need it and recently got rid of it.
 
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To add to all of the excellent advice you have already received, let me add something that isn't obvious to long-time Mac users, but which comes up all the time when I hear from Mac newbies. That is, many new Macs seem to arrive with no icon for your hard drive on the desktop.

I was just about to post the same comment when I just started reading this thread, and then noticed that Jake had already mentioned the solution using the Finder/Preferences options.

I sure hope the OP noticed them and changed Apple's stupid omission, plus all the other good suggestions.

And I sure hope they figure out Apple's stupid "Stacks" idea for the default "folders" they stick in the Dock (and where their originals live in that hidden users area) that don't even work like normal Finder windows…





- Patrick
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Yes, Patrick, that stack is just nasty. I discovered, quite by accident, that if you move the dock to the left side of the screen, you get a much more palatable version when you mouse over it. Still not a Finder window, but better than the stack.
 
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Yes, Patrick, that stack is just nasty.


I also discovered which still seems to work, (at least up until El Cap'n, which is the latest Mac OS I'm using), if one creates an Alias of a folder and click&drag it to the right side of the Dock or wherever one is allowed to drop it, it will then work as a more normal Finder window for that folder.

Much more useful at times for many users IMHO!!! And a bit more user Finder consistent I might add. Or have both available if the user wants. :D






- Patrick
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M

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Here is what I tried and sort of worked: Open Powerpoint. Create a template from any template and give it a name that is totally unique. (I named my template "Garbage template so I can find it.") Save the template and then quit Powerpoint. Now search for that template name in Finder (Enter the name in the search box upper right corner of a Finder window). Once it shows up in the Finder window, where it is is where templates go. Now, I don't know if you can just copy other templates into that location, but that's where PPT will put any new ones you create. I didn't put any there to see if they would show up later. I also don't know if template formats change from one version of Office to another, but it is what it is.
 
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MacInWin

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One thing: I don't know if anyone has said this to you but one of the differences between Windows and macOS is that in Windows you HAD to worry about where things are put so you can get them back again. But in macOS, you don't have to worry about WHERE at all. Just let the applications worry about where and enjoy the application itself. When you save a file and then later want to open it again, it will be where it was put originally and the system will know.

Also, 99.9% of the time the file will be in YOUR account home folder, or some subfolder of that home folder. That's why it's called YOUR folder! Even your desktop(s) are in YOUR home folder! Very little of your stuff will be stored anywhere else, unless you override the applications and force the location of the files. That's part of the "it just works" experience of macOS. If you stick with it and learn the Mac way, going back to Windows will be a shock because of all the maintenance Windows requires.
 

Rod


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There are so many hints and tips we can give, Mac OS for Dummies series (no offense intended) is also pretty good but this forum is really good for general help and queries related to native software. I may as well get in early and strongly suggest that you begin a backup. You can use the native Time Machine application or a third party application to create a bootable clone. That way you can be sure that any mistakes you do make are quickly reversible. Then you can just start playing around with preferences and settings which to me is the best way to learn.
 
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Then you can just start playing around with preferences and settings which to me is the best way to learn.


+1.

Not forgetting a lot of the built-in Help help topics or clicking the "?" in some windows to access some related topic.






- Patrick
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