Finder back button with last position.

[Sovon Halder]

In icon view or list view if I go back(button or CMD+[), it lands on the previously viewed folder. I remember in Windows there is this option that took me directly to the enclosing folder with the item selected (just like CMD+ up arrow).

Brief research shows that this was like that until El Capitan. Then Apple changed that.

So have people become used to this system right now or are there any workaround in action?

I think highlighting the parent item in the enclosing folder is helpful in most cases. So I would prefer having the functionality of CMD+Up-arrow when clicking the back button. Please correct me if I am missing something here.

 

[MacGizmo]

The back button works exactly as it always has, which is to go back to the previous folder in the file/folder path (the enclosing folder). The Command+Up shortcut works in the same way, as does using the "Path" Finder button and Command+[ shortcut.

Going "back" is the same thing as viewing the enclosing folder — the Finder acts exactly as you appear to want it to, so I'm not sure what you're asking.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I'm not sure what you mean by "enclosing folder with the item selected" but if you want similar behavior as "⌘-Up Arrow" without using your keyboard you can right-click the "Title" of your Finder window.

 

[Sovon Halder]

@BrianBaughn The right click thing is new to me. Thanks for mentioning. However it's still not what I was referring to in my opening post. Let me explain.

@MacGizmo Say we are traversing back from nested folders. Clicking the back button takes to the previous folder(parent) but it doesn't highlight the item (child) which folder we just came back from. The difference between CMD+[ & CMD+Up-arrow

 

[BrianBaughn]

It's highlighted in nested folders if you're using "Column" view.

I don't remember one way or the other if the previous selected folder was highlighted when using the "back" buttons in Finder windows in macOS versions prior to El Capitan.

 

[Sovon Halder]

It's not a huge issue. It's just inconvenient sometimes. Specially when I'm working on a project. So many folders around. I find it tedious to hit a key combo every time in keyboard to go to the previous folder.