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Mac Files and Folders

Professor S

• 4 min read

Welcome to the first tutorial in the Noob2Poweruser series for Mac! We're here to walk you through the basic yet crucial concepts of how your computer organizes information. Understanding files and folders is a fundamental skill that can elevate your computing experience from a novice to a power user. Let’s dive right in.

(For the Windows version of this same content, go here)

Goals

  1. Use Finder to explore files and folders
  2. Update Finder settings to show important folders
  3. Create a new folder and file

Introduction to Files

Files are the fundamental units of work on your computer. Whether you’re dealing with documents, images, or any other type of data, understanding how files are stored and accessed is crucial. If you’ve mostly used cloud storage solutions like Google Drive, this guide will help you get familiar with the local file system on your computer.

Open Finder

Finder is your gateway to managing files on a Mac. It’s anchored in your dock and serves as the command center for all file interactions.

  • Locate Finder in the Dock: It’s that happy face icon always present in the dock.
The Finder icon
  • Click to Open Finder: Clicking the icon opens a Finder window you can use to navigate your files

Upon opening Finder, look at the sidebar on the left. This section provides quick access to key locations on your Mac.

  • Favorites: Applications, Desktop, Documents, and Downloads are marked as favorite by default.
  • Customize Sidebar
    • To remove from the sidebar: Right-click (or two-finger click on a trackpad) on any item to remove it from the sidebar.
    • To add to the sidebar: Click and drag any folder from the Finder window into the Favorites section to make it easier to navigate to.

Understanding File Paths

Every file on your computer has a path that indicates its location. A typical path on Mac looks like this: /Users/username/Documents.

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Notice that the file path has sections that are separated with a forward slash (/). On Mac and Linux, that is how the path is divided up. On Windows, a backslash (\) is the path separator.

To make Finder show you all parts of your computer, there are a couple settings you can update:

  • Open Settings: Click on Finder in the menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "Settings."
  • Sidebar Customization:
    • Home Folder: Click on the "Sidebar" tab and select your home folder (labeled with your username, e.g., ryan). This will make your home folder readily accessible.
    • Hard Disks: Ensure the box next to “Hard disks” is checked to view all disks connected to your Mac.

These settings ensure that you have quick access to critical areas of your computer.

Exploring Your Home Folder

Now that your home folder is a sidebar item, let's take a closer look.

  • Contents of Home Folder: You’ll find folders like Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Movies, Music, Pictures, and Public.
  • Functional Overview:
    • Desktop: Controls what is visible on your screen’s actual desktop.
    • Documents: General storage for all document files.
    • Downloads: Stores files downloaded via web browsers like Safari or Firefox.

Most of your day-to-day activity happens within these folders.

The Applications Folder

The Applications folder is where all your installed applications reside.

  • Navigate to Macintosh HD: Click on "Locations" in the sidebar and select "Macintosh HD."
  • Finding Applications: Open the "Applications" folder found here.

This folder is essential as it contains all software installed on your Mac. You'll install new software by putting new applications in this folder.

Customizing the Sidebar with Personal Folders

Let’s personalize your sidebar by adding a frequently used folder.

  • Create a New Folder:
    • Within Home Folder: Let’s say you want to create a folder for coding projects.
    • Naming: Name this new folder code
  • Add to Sidebar: Drag this new folder to the Favorites section in the sidebar. This makes accessing it much easier.

Step 7: Utilizing Spotlight for Quick Access

Spotlight is a powerful built-in search feature.

  • Open Spotlight: Press Command + Spacebar.
  • Search for TextEdit: Type “TextEdit” and press enter to open it.

Spotlight can quickly locate files, folders, and applications without needing to navigate through Finder manually.

Step 8: Creating and Saving a File

Finally, let’s create a new file and save it to your Desktop.

  • Open TextEdit: As previously done via Spotlight.
  • Type Something: Enter "Hello there" into the new document.
  • Save the File:
    • File Location: Choose “File” from the menu, then “Save.”
    • Selecting Desktop: Ensure the save location is your Desktop folder.
    • Naming the File: Name the file “Hello” and click "Save."

The saved document should now appear on your Desktop and in the Desktop folder within Finder.

Conclusion

By mastering these steps, you’ve taken the first significant step towards becoming a Mac power user. You've learned how to navigate and customize Finder, manage your home directory, leverage Spotlight, and handle files with ease. Stay tuned for more tutorials in our "Noobs to Power Users" series, where we'll continue to unlock hidden powers of your Mac.

Remember, organization and control over your files and folders lay the groundwork for efficient and productive computer use. Happy computing!