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General discussion

[Windows to Mac Switcher] Is there an auto arrange?[Leopard]

Dec 8, 2007 2:27AM PST

I just recently switched to Leopard from being an extreme Windows XP user, like...Extreme, I hated macs, I hated apple, I hated everything related like that. I knew almost everything about Windows XP..

Now, I've switched to a mac for School purposes, I needed a laptop that I can take notes with and use heavy software that my course teaches within mac and windows. so only a macbook pro would suffice.

Now to get to the real problem..
Windows had a handy auto-arrange feature which kept everything within the grid and always kept it alphabetical and by kind/type (folder first and then files etc..)

I've noticed that mac doesn't have this.. I'm frustrated by this because it was a key feature in windows that I loved. Now when I trash something, there's a big whole in the grid. I have to right klik and arrange it every single time...

Very annoying.

Thanx in advance

Discussion is locked

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What you really mean,
Dec 8, 2007 3:45AM PST

is that you have not found that feature yet, not that Mac does not have it.

take a look the view options and pick the arrangement that you would like


Is that what you are looking for ?

P

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This is what I mean.
Dec 8, 2007 9:52AM PST

No, I know how to "Arrange" things but if I do anything like delete something from that folder, It's not arranged anymore and I'd have to right klik and arrange it again.
I'm looking for a feature that automatically arranges the folder so that I don't have to right klik>Arrange by>Name/kind/size etc... every single time I modify the folder.

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Start with an open finder window...
Dec 8, 2007 10:25AM PST

? A finder window has 3 different styles in Tiger... 4 in Leopard.

? Look at the drop down menu option entitled view in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Go to the bottom and click on show view options

This will allow you to modify the display options for the finder view you have selected.

? If you have chosen the single column list finder view... or the three column list finder view... you can click on the top of the column name to arrange the column in ascending or descending order.

? You can change the label color of a folder or a file by selecting the object and use file > get info . This is helpful because the finder window will allow you to sort folders and files by color, too.

There are key board shortcuts for everything mentioned here.

Piece of advise... if you're determined to dislike macs, then there is little chance that anything will change your mind. On the other hand, if you are willing to accept that macs are simply just another way of doing the job (like Linux or any other OS), then you will find a lot of the stress related to learning something new...

... will disappear.

Wink

grim (a former xp user) graphix

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Misunderstood again..
Dec 8, 2007 10:49AM PST

I didn't say I hated mac now.. I love mac now, I said I used to hate macs.

Anyway, That didn't answer my question. You basically told me what I already knew.. I have Align to grid on.. and It doesn't even align to grid properly, And I'm still looking for an auto arrange option that let's say I take out something, The next best thing will replace its spot..If macs are suppose to be easy, it's making it a hard time for me.

Do I really have to explain what I'm looking for 3 times?
Do you want me to make a movie of what I'm talking about?
(I have Icon view on, not list view, I shouldn't need to have list view in order for it to auto arrange by name, Keyword is *AUTO*)

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To make it clear..
Dec 8, 2007 10:56AM PST

When you're in View Options under the "arrange by" section, You click the drop down list and it says, "snap to grid" "name" "kind" "size" etc..

To make it as simple as possible for you..
I want it to "Snap to Grid" Aswell as "Arrange by Name" AUTOMATICALLY.

Hope this helps >.>

(to think I thought I was ******** to ask this question. >.>
I thought this would be like a 5 word answer because it was some obvious menu I missed..)

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Trying again
Dec 8, 2007 12:56PM PST

In an open window, in the icon view selected, go to the View menu.
In that window there is an option to "Keep arranged by" with 6 different options, one of which is alphabetically.

Also, under the view menu, there is an option for Show View Options. This also contains the option to keep all the icons arranged alphabetically.

When alphabetical sorting is chosen, the icons snap to grid by themselves, there is no need to select Snap to Grid. In fact, doing so destroys the alphabetizing.

Note under View/Show View Options there is a slider for adjusting the spacing on the grid. With the Snap to Grid NOT selected but with the Sort by Name option turned on, move the slider. You will see the grid size change. Try to move an icon from where it is, to another place, results in the icon moving back to where is was. The whole window is sorted by name with the icons spaced according to the Grid.

Is that what you need?

P

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There we go ^^
Dec 8, 2007 1:40PM PST

"When alphabetical sorting is chosen, the icons snap to grid by themselves, there is no need to select Snap to Grid. In fact, doing so destroys the alphabetizing."

There we go ^__^ that's what I was looking for.
Thank you.

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Using a Mac
Dec 8, 2007 10:46PM PST

One of the good things about using a Mac is that it is very difficult to actually "break" it. From normal use that is.

I'm pleased you finally found the answer you were looking for. Just checking out all the menu options is a very good way of finding out what they do. Don't be too concerned about messing things up, they can easily be put back together again. About the only stuff that you can delete, without using a password, is stuff in your account. The system does not usually allow you to trash its stuff, so if it asks for a password when you move something to the trash, back off and take another look at what you are trying to delete.

I can only assume that you had never had your icons "sorted by name" in a window, as the effect that you were looking for is quite obvious when that option is selected.

Enjoy you Mac

P

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Could you make a movie of what you're talking about ?
Dec 8, 2007 5:28PM PST

That would be nice. Make sure to throw in some of that very helpful sarcasm.

... and by the way. No where did you say you "loved macs now". What you did say was this...

I just recently switched to Leopard from being an extreme Windows XP user, like...Extreme, I hated macs, I hated apple, I hated everything related like that. I knew almost everything about Windows XP..

Now, I've switched to a mac for School purposes, I needed a laptop that I can take notes with and use heavy software that my course teaches within mac and windows. so only a macbook pro would suffice.


Pardon me for interpreting your words as if you were saying that you always hated macs but now you have had a mac forced on you by your class work requirements. I totally should have picked up on the fact that you love macs. Completely my bad...

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Oh my bad.. >.>
Dec 9, 2007 1:16PM PST

Oh sorry I didn't realize that you don't read very well..

"I hated macs, I hated apple, I hated"

"hated" is a past tense of the word hate. Meaning I used to hate, and in turn, not hating, therefore liking, which could also be expressed as "loving"

Sorry..
I'll make a movie about what I'm talking about if you want..

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You just don't get it, do ya...
Dec 9, 2007 2:05PM PST

The only difference between my post and Peters was I told you where to go to change the view options... Peter told you which option in the control panel to choose. Now the fact that you had to be told exactly what changes to make before you could figure it out on your own is one thing, the fact that you chose to get sarcastic with me just because I didn't give you the exact answer you were looking for is another. Especially considering I know how to control my Finder options, and you obviously do not.

Now I could have overlooked the poor way you communicate, but you talked down to me after I went out of my way to try to help you. Thus, I pointed out that even though you may think you said you love macs, your words could be interpreted more than one way. Any which way you want to look at it... the one thing you can't deny is you came looking for help. I tried to give it, and got disrespected for my efforts. With an attitude like you have... all I can say is good luck getting sound advice in the future.

Wink

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Thread deleted after here
Dec 23, 2007 3:36AM PST

Signing up just to tell everyone that he hates Mac users is just a waste of bandwidth.

BMF & Grim, your stuff went when his did.

P

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I'll miss that stuff so much, sniff... :-(
Dec 24, 2007 7:31AM PST

LOL. Personally, I laugh at the folks who like to rant about PCs and say Macs are terrible. Especially my friends who are Dell fanboys! To think that the iMac in '99 saved Apple... Love the iMac. Mr. High and Might Dell once said he'd close Apple down, and I'm sure others said that too. Now Apple and everyone else are eating Dell's market share. Funny how a few years turn the tides. Keep it up Mac haters, I encourage it, really. Try to trash Leopard if you want, but take a few looks at Vista first Wink.
Pretty soon I'll wind up as a PC hater talking like that. Impossible, I use them too much. XP is my good friend, along with Tiger and Leopard.

Anyone that signs on to trash Mac users has no class. Why, I bet he owns a few iPods. Most people do these days, if they don't have some other MP3 player. Anyway... how bout that auto-arrange feature? LOL. Am I wasting bandwidth? Happy Merry Christmas everyone.
-BMF

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I missed the posts that were removed but...
Dec 24, 2007 11:38AM PST

Personally, I find the whole argument over which OS is better to be a ridiculous effort to do nothing more nor less than looking to pick a fight. What counts is when people with questions treat each other with respect.

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I'll second that.
Dec 24, 2007 2:55PM PST

Personally, it is a matter of taste, not which one is better. Both Windows and the Mac OS are incredible in their own right. They have evolved enormously since the were first developed. And both are capable of doing everything a computer needs to do, just depends on what software you put on it. OS X has built in firewalls and "better security" to some (depends) while Windows has worse, though that's because of the Windows majority. However, I think Windows allows more user control than OS X does, which is a good thing in itself. Then that's where viruses come in... but anyway, grim is right Wink.
Who can say what is really best? Macs and PCs are very different and similar at the same time. Macs would be PCs if they weren't Apple branded and didn't run OS X. Point is, anyone who insults and rants against the opposite group of users is ignorant. That and pathetic stereotypes. Before when I use a more avid PC user, I use to think Macs were for only the high and mighty, but I soon learned how wrong that was. Also, PC users can have lots of music and graphics software loaded up on their machines. They may or may not have more of those applications to use than Macs do.
Still, I think it's best to use both, as do many of us, since it's nice to be able to help a friend with his or her computer regardless of what type it is. It would be easier if Apple just bought out every other company and Microsoft, loaded all Macs with Windows and OS X for awhile... but that wouldn't happen for a long, long time, unless Steve wins the lottery a few times.

I think I speak for all of us when I say that it's good to respect others regardless of what question they ask. Anyone looking to challenge someone is in the wrong place. You know, we could make a movie on that. iMovie and Movie Maker would do the job, though I don't think my PCs will run Movie Maker very well. I don't know why. Time to go find my XP discs and fix up those old things. LOL.

Happy Holidays to all,
-BMF

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It also violated forum policy regarding
Dec 24, 2007 9:36PM PST

the use of profanity, however well you thing it is disguised.

Merry Christmas, y'all, I have to get my iPhone activated.

P

I used "y'all" in a sentence? Say it ain't so!

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You also said
Dec 25, 2007 2:39AM PST

"get iPhone activated" in one sentence. You didn't specify what carrier it's on Wink. Did you load it up with some fancy stuff yet?
Me, I'm waiting for the 3G version. No point in getting one now if some new model with a 32GB flash drive pop up in a few months (and MacWorld!).
Still, those phones are incredible. I'm stuck with a Touch, and for some reason, I hardly use it... Lately I've had less time to even listen to my iPods for a few minutes... I feel deprived, sniff... LOL.

"y'all" is a great word. Everyone I know uses it. Why even people I know in the mid-U.S. use it, and that's in the heart of the U.S. Southern culture spreads far it seems.

Merry Christmas,
-BMF