Change Documents Folder View

[tghuguenin]

macOS sierra 10.12.1

Hello,

I've googled for answers for this, but whenever i google Mac OS Sierra Documents Folder View all i get is stuff about icloud, which doesn't concern me since i don't use icloud

what i need is how to get the view of my documents folder back to normal. When i upgraded, it now separates the folders into this side-scrolling thing, then has documents in another section, and some other formats separated from that. I see the "Show All" where it lists all folders and i don't ahve to scroll, but i did that, closed the window, opened it again, and it was back to the scrolling thing, which drives me nuts. At the very least i would like to know how to make it show all by default.

What I REALLY want, however, is how to disable this view in the first place. I'm sure many find it helpful, but personally it drives me crazy, and i'd like to view my documents folder the same way i view any other folder. I can't find out how to change it back. Thanks.


Tim

 

[DeltaMac]

There's nothing special, or different about your Documents folder. Except for the name, it is just like any other folder.
In fact, it is one that I don't actively use (documents go in locations that I choose, not where the system defaults would take my files - they are my files, after all. )
The ONLY folders that have some need to be slightly different is your home folder, and the Desktop folder.

The "side-scrolling thing" is column view - one of the 4 view choices.
How to change that?
Open your Documents folder.
From the View menu, choose another view option - either Icon, List, Column (that's what you have now), or Cover Flow, which is an animated view that I personally don't like. I use one of the other 3, depending on what I use that particular folder.
Or, just change the View option, whenever you want to do at the time.

Usually - when you open the folder, change the view, or change how files are sorted, etc. - then close that folder window, then reopen it, you should see that the folder remains in the same view setup from the last time that you changed it.
Unless something else in your system changes that view. That happens on certain folders on my system quite often. Just go to the View menu, and change the option to what you like. Takes a whole half-second to change.

 

[tghuguenin]

There's nothing special, or different about your Documents folder. Except for the name, it is just like any other folder.
In fact, it is one that I don't actively use (documents go in locations that I choose, not where the system defaults would take my files - they are my files, after all. )
The ONLY folders that have some need to be slightly different is your home folder, and the Desktop folder.

The "side-scrolling thing" is column view - one of the 4 view choices.
How to change that?
Open your Documents folder.
From the View menu, choose another view option - either Icon, List, Column (that's what you have now), or Cover Flow, which is an animated view that I personally don't like. I use one of the other 3, depending on what I use that particular folder.
Or, just change the View option, whenever you want to do at the time.

Usually - when you open the folder, change the view, or change how files are sorted, etc. - then close that folder window, then reopen it, you should see that the folder remains in the same view setup from the last time that you changed it.
Unless something else in your system changes that view. That happens on certain folders on my system quite often. Just go to the View menu, and change the option to what you like. Takes a whole half-second to change.

I'm in icons view. It is different than the icons view of any other folder.

Below is my Applications folder, in icons view. This is how I want my documents folder to appear in Finder.

However, see my documents, also in Icons view:

Do you see the difference? It's sorting things, and putting them in different sections, and I don't want that

 

[CoastalOR]

You need to change the Documents folder View in Finder.
Change:
View>Arrange By>None or use control+command+0 keyboard shortcut in Finder.

 

[tghuguenin]

Update on the issue.

I found out that is has to do with my Arrange By settings. I like it in Arrange By>Kind. However, in Snow Leopard, when i did that, it would just separate out each document type and show them in a normal icons view without the dividers and the "Show More/Show Less". I want that old view. Is there a way to do this without going back to Snow Leopard? This new Arrange By Kind view is very frustrating for me. No offense to anyone who loves it. I understand. It's just not for me.
[doublepost=1480366858][/doublepost]

You need to change the Documents folder View in Finder.
Change:
View>Arrange By>None or use control+command+0 keyboard shortcut in Finder.

Thanks CoastalOR. you replied as I was typing, so i didn't see that when I posted.

However, I don't want "None" in my arrangements, i still want it arranged by kind, but without the divider lines and having to scroll sideways for the folders and such.
[doublepost=1480366913][/doublepost]maybe there's some bash voodoo or some hidden preferences pane that will take me back to how it was in Snow Leopard?

 

[DeltaMac]

Change those options, too. It's all in the View menu, or right-clicking on the folder.
It looks like you have "Arrange by" set for "Kind"
If you don't want any arrangement, then turn that option off, or change it to something else, such as "name"

And, there's at least two main methods to get at those options.
View menu, or right-click on the folder, or Command-J to toggle the folder view options window appear.

 

[tghuguenin]

Change those options, too. It's all in the View menu, or right-clicking on the folder.
It looks like you have "Arrange by" set for "Kind"
If you don't want any arrangement, then turn that option off, or change it to something else, such as "name"

And, there's at least two main methods to get at those options.
View menu, or right-click on the folder, or Command-J to toggle the folder view options window appear.

Yes, we're closer now with the Arrange By stuff, but it's still not right. I do want arrangement, i just don't want it arranged like this. I want it arranged by kind but not separated by those dividers. Just the way it was in Snow Leopard. I understand this may not be possible but i thought maybe someone on here might know a hack or something.
[doublepost=1480367225][/doublepost]

Yes, we're closer now with the Arrange By stuff, but it's still not right. I do want arrangement, i just don't want it arranged like this. I want it arranged by kind but not separated by those dividers. Just the way it was in Snow Leopard. I understand this may not be possible but i thought maybe someone on here might know a hack or something.

Thanks guys. I figured it out. It's Arrange By>None and then Clean Up By>Kind. Just an extra step I don't think i had to take in Snow Leopard, but worked out like i wanted it now. Thanks.

 

[DeltaMac]

If you don't want to see the category dividers, then in the View Options window, set "Arrange by" to None, and set "Sort By" to Kind.
That should be the closest to what you are asking about.

 

[tghuguenin]

Success This is what it looks like now, how I wanted it. Arrange By>None and Clean Up By>Kind. Didn't have the Clean Up By> in Snow Leopard, as far as I remember, so that's why I kept getting stuck. Sorry for all the confusion

If you don't want to see the category dividers, then in the View Options window, set "Arrange by" to None, and set "Sort By" to Kind.
That should be the closest to what you are asking about.

This sounds the closest--maybe "Clean Up By" used to be "Sort By" in snow leopard? I can't remember now. Anyways, thanks for helping me figure it out

 

[Gregg2]

Usually - when you open the folder, change the view, or change how files are sorted, etc. - then close that folder window, then reopen it, you should see that the folder remains in the same view setup from the last time that you changed it.

I've found that to be true if I open Show View Options to make the change(s). However, last I knew (haven't checked this in Sierra) using the View Menu Arrange command will not make the changes stick if you close and reopen the folder. It's good to have both options.

 

[tghuguenin]

I'm on Sierra, i changed it by right clicking within the folder and setting it how i finally figured out i used to have it (View>as icons, Arrange By>none and Clean Up>by kind) and it is sticking fine for me.

i may be remembering incorrectly, but in previous versions the Clean Up By was called Sort By or something, which is part of the reason i was getting confused

 

[Gregg2]

i may be remembering incorrectly, but in previous versions the Clean Up By was called Sort By or something, which is part of the reason i was getting confused

Yes, it was. I had not noticed that change. Maybe in El Cap also? I jumped there from Snow Leopard.