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Any way search & open a folder in SAME Finder window?


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When you open folders from Alfred (and Spotlight), it always opens a new Finder window in a weird size and position - sometimes practical, but most times not.

 

Is there a way to search for and open a folder in same Finder window as a new tab instead of a new window?

Edited by Fnantier
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19 minutes ago, Fnantier said:

When you open folders from Alfred (and Spotlight), it always opens a new Finder window in a weird size and position - sometimes practical, but most times not.

 

Create a new Finder window. Resize it to your preferred size and move it to your preferred position. Then close the window. Do absolutely nothing except resize, move and close the window. You have now set the default window size and position for Finder windows.

 

In the future, new Finder windows will be that size and roughly in that position.

 

19 minutes ago, Fnantier said:

Is there a way to search for and open a folder in same Finder window as a new tab instead of a new window?

 

No, not really. When you open a folder/file in Alfred, it simply asks the OS to open the folder/file (possibly with a specific application). How the application handles the "open XYZ" command is entirely down to the application.

 

It's possible that Alfred could special-case folders, but that would in turn break things for folks who have an app other than Finder configured as the default for folders.

 

Edited by deanishe
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Alright, thanks for the answer. I'll probably survive then. I just like how many text / code editors have really nice "Quick open..." options that opens a bar with fuzzy search, and opens new files in new tabs. It's a little jarring that Spotlight/Alfred does it in a new window every time, but oh well.

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Just now, Fnantier said:

It's a little jarring that Spotlight/Alfred does it in a new window every time, but oh well

 

Dude, I literally just explained how it has nothing to do with Spotlight or Alfred…

 

How Finder opens folders is Finder's business. Alfred has no influence over that.

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30 minutes ago, deanishe said:

 

Dude, I literally just explained how it has nothing to do with Spotlight or Alfred…

 

How Finder opens folders is Finder's business. Alfred has no influence over that.

 

I understand what you said, that's why I resigned to the situation and said "I'll probably survive then".

I just said why I find it a little jarring when I can quick open files and folders in many text editor / note applications in a much better way, but not in my main file browser. I just find it lacking, though I now understand that there's nothing Alfred can do about it easily.

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7 hours ago, vitor said:

If you want to always open new Finder locations as tabs instead of windows, regardless of context, go into Finder Preferences → General → (tick) Open folders in tabs instead of new windows.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I have had that option enabled sometime in the past, but I changed it back. Can't exactly remember why. But it does do what I want, if you can live with *always* having things open in tabs. I can't remember why it bothered me, so I think I'll change it back and see how it goes :)

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Ah sorry @vitor, I read your post too fast and thought you suggested System Preferences -> Dock -> Prefer tabs when opening document -> Always

 

I now remember why this particular setting was a no-go for me:

If I have multiple SublimeText windows open, and I relaunch the app, all windows are combined within one, meaning that I have two levels of tabs open. This is actually a really cool feature, if it was supported by SublimeText, but it isn't. This means that I have no way of recombining separate windows except for relaunching the app, cause *all* windows to recombine.

 

As for:

Finder Preferences → General → (tick) Open folders in tabs instead of new windows.

- unfortunately, this doesn't even work for me. It makes no difference how this setting is set; Finder will always open folders in a new windows, regardless of whether I use Spotlight search or Alfred. Does it work for you?

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10 hours ago, Fnantier said:

Just restarted, still doesn't work

 

For me, it only affects folders opened from Finder itself, i.e. ⌘+double-click opens the folder in a new tab, not window, and right-clicking on a folder shows "Open in New Tab" instead of "Open in New Window".

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On 2/16/2022 at 9:40 PM, christophehad said:

Using the Cmd+ O shortcut opens the folder in the same Finder window as search

Ok good to know! I haven't had this issue since I changed the setting System Preferences -> General -> Prefer Tabs: [Always] (default: in full screen), which I prefer in all contexts anyways. But thanks for the tip!

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