OS X Mavericks: Finder preferences
Use Finder preferences to choose options for Finder windows. To view Finder preferences, click the Finder icon in the Dock, then choose Finder > Preferences.
Besides the options described here, there are more ways to customize Finder windows. For information, see:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| General |
|
| Show these items on the desktop |
Deselect items you don’t want to see on the desktop. You will still see them in Finder windows. |
| New Finder windows show |
Choose which folder should open whenever you open a new Finder window. |
| Open folders in tabs instead of new windows |
If this is selected, double-clicking a folder while holding down the Command (⌘) key opens a new tab. If this is deselected, Command (⌘)-double-click opens a new window. |
| Spring-loaded folders and windows |
Make folders spring open when you drag items over them. Use the slider to specify how quickly folders spring open. |
| Tags |
|
| Show these tags in the sidebar |
Select the tags you want to appear in the Finder window sidebar. When you click a tag in the sidebar, items that have the tag appear in their own window. (To tag a file or folder, select it, choose File, then choose a color from the palette below the Tags option.) |
| Sidebar |
|
| Show these items in the sidebar |
Select the items you want to appear in the Finder window sidebar. These items also appear in Open and Save dialogs. |
| Advanced |
|
| Show all filename extensions |
A filename extension—a dot followed by several letters at the end of a filename (such as .jpg)—identifies the type of file. This option affects most, but not all, filenames. You can show or hide extensions for individual files in their Info windows. |
| Show warning before changing an extension |
Display a warning if you accidentally try to change an extension. As a rule, you shouldn’t change filename extensions. |
| Show warning before emptying the Trash |
Display a warning so you don’t accidentally delete items you want to keep. |
| Empty Trash securely |
Make sure that items you delete when you empty the Trash can’t be recovered using data recovery tools. When this option is selected, the deleted files are overwritten with meaningless data. |
| When performing a search |
Choose a scope for searches you perform using the search field in a Finder window. You can search the entire Mac, the folder for the window you’re working in, or the scope you specified the last time you searched using a Finder window. You can change the scope when you perform a search. |