Need Beginner's Help with Finder

[jparker402]

I have been scanning photographs into my computer lately through Image Capture, then trying to get them from t leahere into Photos. Have succeeded, at least in a roundabout way, but find myself questioning what I can do with files/folders/etc in Finder. Finder is what I am using to locate the where the scans really went and to get them ultimately into Photos

I find that in Finder, my Recents, Downloads, Documents, and Desktop are getting loaded up with files (which is what I think they are called). They are getting loaded up sufficiently that they are loosing their value as a reference for finding things. Can I safely delete them without loosing them from the computer?

I really don't have a good concept of where my stuff is going. For instance, when I make a scan I know I get the scan from Recents into Photos. But if I delete the scan from Recents, does picture in Photos remain? How about other stuff, like files in Documents that also show up in Finder under Pages?

 

[barbu]

Lots of things to go over here. Maybe too many. I’ll try to be quick but I’ll start by saying that maybe you should get an iPad. If you are struggling with file management, no modern desktop OS is going to come easy. iPad takes care of a lot of that stuff for you. Just a thought.
Your Mac is a UNIX operating system. What that means in a larger sense isn’t important but it is important for your files. As with any UNIX like system, you (as in, your user account on your computer) have a home folder. Your home folder is named after your username. This folder is where you are expected to store most things. Inside it are several starter folders such as Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music, etc. These are simple places to put things. You may create your own folders inside your home folder or any folder inside your home. So you could create a folder inside Pictures called Scans. Then you could configure Image Capture to import to that folder and you’ll always know where they are. You could create sub folders and organize by year, whatever you like.
Your Recents folder is not a folder at all. It is a saved search that presents files that were used recently. It is NOT part of the file system. Items in there are just aliases,so they take up no room and are not worth worrying about.
Here is what I would do:
- open finder preferences. On the general tab, set “New Finder window show:” to your home folder. This will avoid having to deal with the Recents folder
- configure Image Capture so you know exactly where the files are going. It is simple to configure thru it’s preferences
- go thru your desktop and documents and file everything by type into the correct folders. Try to get everything into a folder inside home (remember, the desktop is a folder inside home, too, so it’s ok to keep everything there. You could make a few desktop folders and file everything into those)

 

[jparker402]

Thanks, Barbu! I am going to have a ton more questions, I am sure. I am now going into the "digest this info" mode! But I have been busy looking at related things on YouTube. Have discovered where I have been getting lost with Image Capture and getting things into Photos. I will work on that more. Hope to find a nice set of YouTube tutorials on the file system. Did find tutorials on Finder, but they haven't clarified things that much yet.

Barbu, you suggested setting New Finder window show to the home folder. I just checked, and mine i set to iCloud Drive. Only thing I can think of is that I must have done that based on something I read, probably on YouTube four years ago when I first got the computer. Is that causing a problem/confusion for me, do you think? And is the home folder the one with the "house" symbol? Also, any idea what will happen to the files if I change from iCloud to home now?

Edit: Also just noticed that in my Finder sidebar there are three major headings: Favorites, iCloud, and Locations. My home folder is under Favorites, and Documents is under iCloud. Don't know if that makes a difference relative to your suggestion on changing the New Finder window.

 

[barbu]

Setting the finder preference for home folder only affects what happens when you open a new finder window. Nothing you do with finder preferences or view can possibly affect your files. same for the items on the sidebar, they are just quick ways to access the folder. Nothing on the sidebar affects where your files are.
It really sounds like you might want to consider a switch to an iPad. You’ll have a lot fewer problems.

 

[jparker402]

Will consider the iPad option, but now have a lot of stuff on my MacBook Air! Haven't really had a problem until I started thinking about what I was doing! Ignorance is bliss!!! Been a user of computers since about 1967, but never did get the hang of file structure.