Open spring-loaded sidebar folders in a new window

Apr 09, '04 10:52:00AM

Contributed by: robg

As discussed in this earlier hint, you can open your sidebar folders in new windows by simply command-clicking on them. Last night, while working with the toolbar (and fuming over Apple's decision to remove pop-open spring-loaded folders from said toolbar), I discovered that you can also spring-open a sidebar folder in a new window.

As you might have guessed, you can open a sidebar folder in a new window by command-dragging an item into it. The only thing that makes this a bit tricky is that the Finder interprets a command-drag as a 'move' command if you happen to be dragging across drives or partitions. Since I don't trust the Finder's command-drag move very much (I prefer to copy, verify, and then erase on my own), I modify the process just a bit: command-drag as usual, then hover and wait (or press the spacebar) and watch the sidebar folder pop-open. At that point, I release the Command key, insuring that I get a copy and not a move when doing this across drives or partitions.

As you can see at left, you can control the size and shape of the popped-open window by setting it first -- open the folder in question in its own window, change its size and display type as you wish, then close it. When you pop it open, it should pop up with the settings you established.

Although this still isn't quite as nice as having a spring-loaded folder in the toolbar, it mostly replaces the functionality. I hated having my chosen Finder window disappear, just because I wanted to file something via drag and drop.

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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20040409073122617