How Reorganize Folders

[jparker402]

After a number of years using my Mac and filing things, I have discovered I have probably not organized my folders to best advantage. Rather than filing things in Documents, I opted to file things largely by the application I started them in - Pages and Numbers. And I have kept doing this. This has recently became a problem with filing PDF files in amongst the files I want to keep together. For instance, I would like to keep notes on my medical conditions together. But a medical PDF does not want to go into my medical Pages folder. And I would like to keep genealogy info in the same folder, but PDFs aren't going into my Pages folder on family history. Same kind of problem arises with Numbers.

What I am looking for are suggestions on how to conveniently and simply move Pages files out of a Pages folder and into a Documents folder. Without losing anything, of course. And I have enough Pages and Numbers files, that I would ideally like to move big chunks, then go back and sort out subfolders. This rather than try to make a bunch of subfolders and try to move everything into those, if that makes sense.

Hope I have posted this into the correct forum area. And thank you for any help.

 

[jparker402]

Looks like I need to clarify some more. In Finder, the Pages and Numbers folders I need to move around are under iCloud, and I need to move them into Documents which is also under iCloud. I am trying but not having much luck getting both screens up so that I can drag.

 

[p33t3r]

What you want to do is open two Finder windows, using command-N, and then navigate to the folders you want to move files to and from in the two separate windows. Then you should be able to drag the files from one folder to another. To select multiple files, either hold in Shift while clicking on the first and last file in a list of files, or hold Command while clicking multiple files that are not adjacent to one another.
I could move all files from my iCloud Drive>Pages folder to my iCloud Drive>Documents folder and back this way.

 

[Fishrrman]

What you might try...

Open the Documents folder.
Create some new folders within, such as:
- Pages
- Numbers
- Misc
etc. ...

Another way to do it is to create folders by "type", such as:
- Banking
- Bills
- Clothes
- Mac and Home Office
- Financial
- Taxes
etc. ...

And then, gradually move files into their "related" folders.

Personal experience:
For many, many years, I've maintained a separate "data" partition on my Mac, "apart from" the OS/boot partition.
This keeps all my data on one volume, easily and QUICKLY backed-up.
I've got files going all the way back to 1987, still accessible next to the ones I created or modified yesterday.
Works for me.

 

[jparker402]

What you want to do is open two Finder windows, using command-N, and then navigate to the folders you want to move files to and from in the two separate windows. Then you should be able to drag the files from one folder to another. To select multiple files, either hold in Shift while clicking on the first and last file in a list of files, or hold Command while clicking multiple files that are not adjacent to one another.
I could move all files from my iCloud Drive>Pages folder to my iCloud Drive>Documents folder and back this way.

I have tried command-N and it is not opening two Finder windows. I have done this when not being in Finder and being in Finder. Any idea what I am doing wrong?

 

[jparker402]

I am beginning to believe that, as usual, I have been over-thinking this situation. Correct me if you see something wrong with my plan. First, I open Finder. Down the left hand side of the screen I have my Documents and Pages listed. Second, I go to the Pages listing where I find all my Pages folders or subfolders. The Documents folder still remains on the left. Now I simply select a folder from Pages and drag it across the screen to put it into Documents. Next I can make appropriate folders in Documents, and move this new one folder to wherever I want. Don't think I need two screens. And reorganization within Documents is no different than what it would be in Pages. Is that about correct, or am I missing something?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Please, make a backup BEFORE you start re-organizing 😬

 

[Gregg2]

Is that about correct, or am I missing something?

Yes, no. (not a lawyer, eh )
You can create the sub-folders first, and when dragging files from Pages, hover over whichever folder you ultimately want the document to reside in.

 

[jparker402]

Thanks! Didn't think of that!

Yes, no. (not a lawyer, eh )
You can create the sub-folders first, and when dragging files from Pages, hover over whichever folder you ultimately want the document to reside in.

Not sure how to do that (yet). If I have Documents (destination) open on the left of my screen to drag Pages file from right of screen, I can only drag to Documents by name. If I open Documents to see the sub-folders I have made, I lose sight of the sub-folders in Pages and can't drag.

Another, related question. The Mac's "preloaded" Documents folder allows putting PDF and Pages and Numbers files in it. Can I add my own "custom, major" folder (don't know what else to call it) called John, for example, could I load PDF, Pages and Numbers files into that?

 

[Madhatter32]

Thanks! Didn't think of that!

Not sure how to do that (yet). If I have Documents (destination) open on the left of my screen to drag Pages file from right of screen, I can only drag to Documents by name. If I open Documents to see the sub-folders I have made, I lose sight of the sub-folders in Pages and can't drag.

Another, related question. The Mac's "preloaded" Documents folder allows putting PDF and Pages and Numbers files in it. Can I add my own "custom, major" folder (don't know what else to call it) called John, for example, could I load PDF, Pages and Numbers files into that?

You can just use the Documents folder and have your Finder open directly into Documents. Then you will have immediate access to all your files (excel, pages, word, numbers, .pdfs even .jpgs if you do not want to use the Picture folders for those). Why would you want multiple Documents folders? I would recommend arranging your subfolders by subject, not file type.

 

[jparker402]

You can just use the Documents folder and have your Finder open directly into Documents. Then you will have immediate access to all your files (excel, pages, word, numbers, .pdfs even .jpgs if you do not want to use the Picture folders for those). Why would you want multiple Documents folders? I would recommend arranging your subfolders by subject, not file type.

Like I wrote at the beginning, for years I have been filing documents by file type. I want to change that and file them by subject in Documents. That is why I am trying to move things from Pages (and Numbers) into Documents.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

As #7 above very wisely advises, back up your files before you make significant changes like this... just in case you want/need a path back to "as is."

1. Open finder window on Mac
2. Go into Documents folder in that window.
3. Create "new folders" by "subject" as you desire.
4. Now your Documents folder will have these empty subject folders as you want them.
5. Move this finder window to the right half of your screen. Think of it as the target destination for your files.
6. Go up to File menu, choose "New finder window." Put this new window on the left side of your screen. Now you have 2 side-by-side finder windows. Think of left as "origin" and right as "target."
7. In the left window, methodically go into your iCloud folders, open each one of them, select files by "subject", drag and drop them into the right finder window subject folders you just created where you want them to now reside.
8. Repeat 7 until all of the files in iCloud are moved into these "by subject" folders in the right window.

When done, your iCloud side "finder window" should be empty of files because you've moved all of them to Documents (in the right finder window). Any remnant (presumably folders in iCloud) could be deleted since they are now empty folders. Be sure they are empty by opening them. If so, you could delete them.

After looping back to #7 over and over until all of your files are moved (and reorganized by subject folders as you want them), you now have your files reorganized by subject, all stored in your Documents folders on your Mac.

 

[Appleminded]

Hey!

If you’re not already in Icon View, change Finder’s view into Icon View, as this will make things easier.

You can open a second Finder window by right clicking any folder and selecting ‘open in new window’. Then you can drag the window tab out to pop-it out. Now you have two windows (or more if you chose to). Resize them to make them small and easy to work with.
I wouldn’t suggest dragging out, but instead copying those folders so that you have duplicates. I wouldn’t recommend deleting the ones in iCloud, you can just open those files from the new folders you create. Make sure that those iCloud folders are fully downloaded before proceeding, so right click and select “download now” if it’s available.

To copy paste you can either right click a file or folder in Finder, then click copy, and to paste you would right click inside an empty spot in the Finder window of the folder you want your files/folder to be in and click paste, or you can CMD+C to copy then CMD+V to paste.
Another option that I wouldn’t recommend if you’re a beginner is to drag and drop while holding the option key before you drop. This will copy the items instead of moving them.

Doing it this way you can sort them out without worrying, knowing you have a backup just in case.

If you come into any issues, please post screenshots —redacted for privacy— so that I can help you as best I can.

Take care!

 

[jparker402]

HobeSoundDarryl and Appleminded: Don't suppose there are YouTube videos on how to do these procedures? I'm afraid I am getting lost. But I will keep trying.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Not that I know of. This is basic Finder "move/copy" (files) stuff. I now suggest taking your Mac into an Apple Store and explaining what you want to do. One of their employees can help you learn to do this and then you can take it back home and finish the process there.

Or if you have a "whiz kid" type in your life, maybe pay them a few bucks to teach you how in person or even just do this for you. Once you see how to open two Finder windows side by side, create folders in the target (right) window and then drag and drop files from the left (iCloud) window to the right (target) window in Documents, you'll likely easily be able to do the bulk of this job yourself.

 

[Appleminded]

Hey,

I suggest leaving the files where they are and using tags as a way of organizing them. You can rename the tags, change the colors and create new ones. Please visit the Apple article on their official website: “Use tags to organize files on Mac”.

Good luck!

 

[jparker402]

Thanks folks. May try to find someone to drive me to the Apple store. Forgot about it. Not sure Omaha still has one, but I will check. In the meantime, on YouTube I did find "10 Ways To Move Files From One Folder To Another In The Finder" by MacMost. I may experiment with that, as well. Wish I did know a local "whiz kid" on the Mac to help with this. But I live in a senior living home. Few have computers and those that do don't have Apples (their loss).

 

[ForkHandles]

After a number of years using my Mac and filing things, I have discovered I have probably not organized my folders to best advantage. Rather than filing things in Documents, I opted to file things largely by the application I started them in - Pages and Numbers. And I have kept doing this. This has recently became a problem with filing PDF files in amongst the files I want to keep together. For instance, I would like to keep notes on my medical conditions together. But a medical PDF does not want to go into my medical Pages folder. And I would like to keep genealogy info in the same folder, but PDFs aren't going into my Pages folder on family history. Same kind of problem arises with Numbers.

What I am looking for are suggestions on how to conveniently and simply move Pages files out of a Pages folder and into a Documents folder. Without losing anything, of course. And I have enough Pages and Numbers files, that I would ideally like to move big chunks, then go back and sort out subfolders. This rather than try to make a bunch of subfolders and try to move everything into those, if that makes sense.

Hope I have posted this into the correct forum area. And thank you for any help.

One feature that may help you to avoid all the stress, baked into MacOS is “Tags”

You can block select all of the files related to Healthcare and Tag them with a labelled colour.

Then when you select the Healthcare Tag from the sidebar in Finder, all of the files will show up, regardless of their folder location and file type.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Thanks folks. May try to find someone to drive me to the Apple store. Forgot about it. Not sure Omaha still has one, but I will check. In the meantime, on YouTube I did find "10 Ways To Move Files From One Folder To Another In The Finder" by MacMost. I may experiment with that, as well. Wish I did know a local "whiz kid" on the Mac to help with this. But I live in a senior living home. Few have computers and those that do don't have Apples (their loss).

Presumably you are close to Omaha. Maybe you should reference any town even closer to you and perhaps someone with good Apple knowledge lives close enough to your location to offer to stop by to help you with this? A classic good deed from one Apple person to another. Pay them a few bucks and they should be able to help you quickly or teach you how to do it and then you can help yourself with confidence. There's probably somebody around here living not too far from you.

I'm in Florida but if I was within maybe 50 miles, I'd come lend a little help.

 

[jparker402]

Problem is solved! I called AppleCare Assistance today, and a gentleman named Guri showed me just how easy this was to do! One simply opens Finder (on one screen), selects and opens Pages for example, selects the file or folder, and then smartly drags it across to Documents. What I had done before was to drag the file out of Pages to the desktop, then drag it back into Documents. He simply eliminated the step of dragging it to the Desktop.

Also found out that the Omaha Apple Store is alive and well. Sounds like they did shut down during Covid, which is when I probably heard they were closed. They offered to help but allowed as how I could easily call AppleCare without having to drive 15 miles to and then from where the Apple Store is.

I sincerely appreciate everyone's suggestions as I fought through my dilemma. Having someone screen sharing as one goes certainly makes things clearer.

 

[ChrisA]

... One simply opens Finder (on one screen), selects and opens Pages for example, selects the file or folder, and then smartly drags it across to Documents....

I think this is what people here were saying, "just drag the files to whatever you like". But perhaps the support person said it better. He likely gets lots of practice explaining this to different people. Also, Windows PCs work about the same way, the same for Linux.

But now the problem is remembering how you organized things. Look at the search icon. If you can search, you almost don't need to organize.

 

[Appleminded]

Problem is solved! I called AppleCare Assistance today, and a gentleman named Guri showed me just how easy this was to do! One simply opens Finder (on one screen), selects and opens Pages for example, selects the file or folder, and then smartly drags it across to Documents. What I had done before was to drag the file out of Pages to the desktop, then drag it back into Documents. He simply eliminated the step of dragging it to the Desktop.

Also found out that the Omaha Apple Store is alive and well. Sounds like they did shut down during Covid, which is when I probably heard they were closed. They offered to help but allowed as how I could easily call AppleCare without having to drive 15 miles to and then from where the Apple Store is.

I sincerely appreciate everyone's suggestions as I fought through my dilemma. Having someone screen sharing as one goes certainly makes things clearer.

It is indeed quite amazing to see how easy it is when guided through it!
I’m glad you sorted it out, but make sure you check the tags’ features too, it’s quite neat.

Take care!