How to create a folder and methods of working with it on Mac OS X. How to add and remove a program icon from the Dock of a Mac computer Why simple things are not done in such a “convenient” OS as MacOS

09.08.2023 Computers

Mac provides the ability to create folders through various applications. One of the simplest methods is to create through Finder. When saving or updating a saved version of a document or file (“Desktop” => “File” => “Save”), you can create a new folder. In the same “File” menu there will be a “New Folder” item, which you should click on. If active windows are open, then it will appear in one of them; if there are no similar windows, then you should look for it on the desktop. The “Empty folder” that appears should also be named. Immediately enter the required name and click on the “Return” button. Finder must be active at this moment.

Create for selected folder

A very nice feature for users allows you to create folders for specific files. How it's done? Select files (from one directory) and press the hotkey combination: “Control-Command-N”. In the active window in which the folder was called, the desired object called “New folder with elements” appears. Well, now you can rename it and move on. The method will only take a couple of seconds and does not require a lot of knowledge.

Folders are files that can be worked with in a very wide range. You can copy them, move them to another location, put a password on them and change the picture that displays them. However, most of these actions are very primitive or were discussed in another article. Therefore, we will consider only a few in detail.

Fast access

When working on a MacBook, the efficiency of processes often plays an important role. Sometimes, to find the necessary data, you need to sift through a huge pile of files and documents. Are there ways to speed up the search for what you need? There are three methods:

  • Place the file on the desktop;
  • Place the required file in the details menu;
  • Creating a shortcut (alias).

The first method does not need explanation, just like the second. But let's look at the third one in more detail. An alias, or more simply a shortcut, is a link to the desired object. To create a shortcut, you must first select the change object by selecting it with one click, and select “Create Alias” from the “File” menu. A copy appears next to the original element, which repeats the name of the original, but with the addition of a “pseudo” insert. This name, of course, can be changed (see how to rename it below), and the label itself can be placed anywhere you like. By clicking on the nickname, you will automatically be shown the original version, everything is clear here.

Replacing the icon

Not all people need this option. Changing the icon is usually necessary for neat aesthetes, so to speak. If this topic is relevant to you, then we provide five different methods for consideration. They are all simple and very fast.

  1. The first method is to donate an icon for the desired folder. Select a document or program with a different icon from others. Click on the object once and hold down the keys: “Cmd ⌘ + I”. You can replace this combination by right-clicking and selecting “Properties” from the menu that opens. We perform the same actions with the folder that is waiting for the change. We have two windows in front of us, at the bottom of which icons are displayed on a large scale. Next, drag this large icon from the donor window into the “acceptor” window in place of the small (!) icon at the top.
  2. The second method is absolutely similar. We repeat the first method, calling the properties of the donor and the mutable object. Now we copy the icon that the third-party file provides us at the top of the window (small icon) and in the editable window, paste the copied one in the same place.
  3. The third method is even simpler than the previous ones. Open the “Properties” of the acceptor. Now we find a program with the icon we like anywhere on the MacBook and drag it to the top of the window of the modified object. In place of a small icon. The change will take place automatically.
  4. Another similar method: copy any file with a beautiful icon, call up the properties of the folder that needs to be changed and paste it into the area of ​​the small icon. That's all it takes!
  5. Lastly, let’s look at a method that allows you to use not a ready-made icon, but any picture. Everything is much simpler than it might seem. Open any photo or image using the “View” function and select the desired area. We copy it and call the properties of the object being changed. In the already familiar area of ​​the small icon, insert a picture and it automatically replaces the original. Removing installed icons is also a simple process. Find the properties of the already changed folder and click on the small icon at the top. Press Backspace and the delete key. Pleasant Easter eggs from Apple often pleasantly surprise and delight.
Renaming

Renaming a folder is also very simple. As easy as creating or moving. The simplest method allows you to rename any object by clicking on it twice or clicking once and then pressing “Enter”. All other methods don’t even need to be considered, because the ones listed above are perfect for any user, both a green beginner and an experienced “user.”

If you'd like to quickly access individual folders stored on your Mac directly from your desktop, creating a file alias is a solution. In the Windows operating system, this is called a desktop shortcut.

A file alias is a folder that opens a specified folder or file. It can be moved to any directory on Mac; in this case, the original folder (file) will not change its location. This way, you can create a shortcut to your most frequently used folders on your desktop and launch from there without having to visit the directory where the required data is located.

If you want to create a shortcut on your Mac desktop, follow the instructions below.

How to create a shortcut on your desktopMac

Step 1: Launch Finder file manager.

Step 2: Find the folder (file) for which you want to create a shortcut on your desktop.

Step 3: Click on the document or folder and select Create Alias.

Step 4: Specify a name for the file alias or use the default one.

Step 5: Grab and drag the created file alias onto your desktop.

Now you can use the alias as a shortcut - by double-clicking on it, you will launch the folder (file) to which you have set access. If you need to delete a file alias, simply move it to the Trash. This action is performed only on the shortcut and does not delete the original files.

That's all you need to know to create shortcuts on your Mac desktop. If you encounter any problems, write to us in the comments.

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Restart your computer. This way you can remove (from the Dock) the icon of a program that does not close properly. Many problems cannot be fixed using this method, but it is very simple and it is better to use it.

Find the program in the System Monitor application. If, unlike many other programs, a program's icon is not removed from the Dock, most likely the program is not closed (even if it seems otherwise). If restarting your computer does not produce positive results, do the following:

  • Open “Applications” – “Utilities” – “System Monitoring”.
  • In the list of active processes, find the name of the application whose icon you want to remove from the Dock.
  • Click on the relevant process and click the "X" button (at the top of the window) to close the process.
  • Repeat the steps described for other processes with a similar name.
  • Check that the Parental Control feature is active. If parental controls are enabled on your user account, you cannot change the Dock. If you know the administrator password, activate the ability to make changes to the Dock:

    • Open the Applications folder and click System Preferences.
    • Select an account.
    • If the options are grayed out, click the lock icon (in the lower left corner of the screen) and enter your administrator username and password.
    • Go to the "Advanced" tab.
    • Uncheck the option “Prohibit making changes to the Dock” or “Allow this user to make changes to the Dock”
  • Restore disk permissions. Problems accessing or modifying files may be due to corruption of the files that define user permissions. Try running automatic repair to try to resolve this issue:

    • In OS X 10.11 El Capitan, the system automatically protects access rights. This option is only available (and required) on OS X10.10 Yosemite and earlier versions.
    • Open Applications - Utilities - Disk Utility.
    • In the left pane, select your hard drive.
    • Click "Fix" (at the top of the window).
    • Click "Repair disk permissions" and wait for the process to complete. This can take a long time, especially if your computer has a large or slow hard drive. During the recovery process, your computer's performance may decrease or it may freeze.
  • Restart the Dock (in Terminal). The Terminal can be used to enable the ability to make changes to the Dock and to restart it to troubleshoot problems; both processes are started by the same command. Follow these steps:

    • Open “Applications” – “Utilities” – “Terminal”.
    • Copy and paste the following command into Terminal: defaults write com.apple.dock contents-immutable -bool false;killall Dock
    • Click ⏎ Return. The dock will restart within a few seconds.
  • Reset your Dock. If the above methods don't work, reset your Dock to default settings. This will remove all icons that have been added to the Dock by users.