Questions tagged [desktop]
The visual representation of a computer's contents when no open programs or windows are visisble. Often home to program shortcuts, datafiles, and lists of mounted drives etc.
436
questions
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1answer
27 views
Move desktop wallpaper to the side
iMac desktop photo is in the middle of the screen. I want to move the photo to one side so my desktop folders are on the other side.
1
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2answers
12 views
How to resize folders on desktop
At some point I changed some setting - I am not quite sure how, maybe via some sequence of keystrokes, and my folders all got bigger on my desktop.
I don't think this looks very aesthetic, how do I ...
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0answers
31 views
How to change .webloc file icon?
Chrome is my default web browser.
Sometimes, I drag URLs from the Chrome address bar to the desktop.
When I do this, they always take the Safari "webloc" icon.
How can I pick another icon, like ...
2
votes
2answers
55 views
Switch Spaces via Mouse
I am using two Spaces on my mojave and I can use Ctrl + Left/Arrow to change the screen.
But isn't there a way to use only mouse to change the space instead of using keyboard?
0
votes
1answer
39 views
Non-static desktop wallpaper in macOS
my question is exactly as it sounds. Is there anyway to make a "moving" or "non-static" desktop wallpaper in macOS. I'd like a loop or repeating video or something similar to what Josh Fluke has in ...
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0answers
21 views
Eliminate desktop switching transition/delay [duplicate]
When switching desktops on Mac OS, there is always a fade in/out transition. This transition is quick, but still quite noticeable and annoying when one switches few times in a minute.
Is there a way ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Desktop icon spacing - bigger gap on the left of desktop
Why do the desktop icons on the left of the screen have a bigger gap than the icons on the right? I have set my desktop icons "snap to grid".
Is there any way I can make it even?
Resetting Finder ...
0
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0answers
32 views
Catalina Desktop Stacks Define New Kinds to Group By?
How can I define new "kinds" of desktop stacks in Mac OS Catalina, so I can easily 'group by kind' and get the kinds I want?
I've been using Catalina's desktop stacks to organize my desktop, grouping ...
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0answers
49 views
Files in Desktop cannot be edited in macOS Catalina
I cannot open, change, edit, write, or read any of the files in my desktop.
I have pictures on my desktop but when I attempt to open them, this error appears: "The file “FileName” couldn’t be opened....
0
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1answer
11 views
Unable to import notebook from my desktop “MAC”
I recently switched from a Windows PC to a MacBook Pro at my job. It's been extremely difficult to try and get my notebooks imported to onenote on my new mac. For someone reason, I don't see any ...
0
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0answers
15 views
Attach window to desktop
Some of my actions (I'm not sure which exactly but clicking to icons in taskbar usually does it) makes windows to be moved to another desktops (Example: after some action windows from desktops 3..5 ...
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0answers
11 views
Hotkey for switching between desktops with maximized windows
I use ctrl- to switch between workspaces but if some application is maximized, it creates a new workspace between "Desktop 1" and "Desktop 2" so it's impossible to use a hotkey. Is it possible to ...
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0answers
33 views
File stacking app for Sierra 10.12.6
Is there an app in the App store or a similar future/addon somewhere that gives the opportunity to throw files onto stacks on the Desktop of a Sierra system?
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0answers
16 views
How to disconnect iCloud from my MacBook?
This all started with the system prompting an update on my current macOS Mojave version 10.14.3. When I wanted to go and update the system, I discovered that iCloud Drive takes up 50 GB on my mac.
I ...
0
votes
0answers
14 views
Where is the JSON file in the Mojave Dynamic Background HEIC?
I found the file for the Mojave Dynamic Background at /Library/Desktop\ Pictures/Mojave.heic
I successfully created some images for my own Dynamic Background, and have found many resources online on ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
How to permanently remove “Open” and “Closed” folders from my desktop in High Sierra?
I have this weird thing that every day on my desktop there appear two folders called Open and Closed. I can move them to trash but new ones will come up every day and I would like to deactivate this ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
Spawning multiple instances of applications via shortcuts
So I'm using BetterTouchTool to set up shortcuts, and I have a bunch that are dedicated to opening various apps. The problem is, if one of those apps are already open, then hitting the shortcut pulls ...
0
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0answers
26 views
Prevent Mac OS from re-arranging desktop spaces when un-docking and re-docking
I have two external monitors connected to my Macbook Pro. They are arranged so that the two external monitors sit side by side, and the Macbook Pro is opened with the display underneath the two ...
2
votes
1answer
33 views
When using dual monitors, is it possible to get the screenshots to appear on the desktop of the screen it captured?
I'm not using a mirrored display, I connect my monitor to my laptop to do my main work and use my laptop for keeping track of queues and emails. Throughout my day I take many snips/screenshots and I ...
0
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0answers
14 views
How do I get a shared drive that dismounts nightly for backups to persist in my favorites bar
Our main network drive dismounts nightly for backups. When it dismounts it disappears from my Favorites. The next day I must manually add it back. Is there any way I can get it to persist in my ...
0
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0answers
8 views
How can I get control + arrow left/right to work after command + tab?
I have 3 monitors up at work. They all have multiple full screen windows up and running.
Here's the behavior causing issues:
I am on monitor 1. Toggling between windows via control + left/right ...
2
votes
0answers
18 views
Desktop folder has changed overnight
I turned off displaying files, folders, and volumes on my desktop. Now my desktop is clear and shows only my background image. I've been letting all apps that want to save to desktop do so. I've ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Sync Desktop now that Dropbox no longer supports symlinks
How can I have my Desktop sync over Dropbox?
Previously, I used symlinks to have Dropbox sync the Desktop and Documents folders while keeping them in their actual locations. Dropbox no longer ...
1
vote
0answers
27 views
How do I get rid of a re-appearing B&W hard drive icon on my macOS desktop?
I have an iMac running OS X Yosemite 10.10.5 and an external hard drive with 3 partitions.
The external HD was unplugged and left unplugged. Since then, it appears on my desktop at every startup, ...
1
vote
1answer
49 views
How to stop Mission Control from rearranging screens? [duplicate]
If I have arranged Finder to the left of the desktop and Slack to the right, and have Sketch further to the right, there's a reason for that. It's an organization strategy to make my work easier and ...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
Folder icon splits into two on desktop
When I change desktops using trackpad swipe, the games folder on my desktop freaks out and glitches, I don't know how it happened and it has just started today. My MacBook is running Mojave.
See the ...
3
votes
1answer
286 views
MacOS Mojave: Can not make changing background wallpaper
Opening "SystemPreferences", then "Desktop & Screen Saver", and then the "Desktop" tab:
I would like to add my own folder holding pictures to display as a background, and to change these pictures ...
3
votes
1answer
34 views
Is it possible to replicate the Windows 7 'show desktop' behaviour in Mac?
I'm fairly new to Mac. In Windows 7 I can easily show the desktop by clicking at the far right bottom corner of the Windows Task Bar. I would like to do the same thing in macOS.
Is it possible for ...
1
vote
1answer
33 views
Remove the default desktop space on a second monitor?
I only want a desktop space on my primary monitor (Macbook Pro), with only full screen apps used on my second monitor.
Is there any way to disable the desktop space completely on a second monitor?
1
vote
2answers
115 views
How can I use the desktop version of Google translate on my iPhone?
The desktop version of Google Translate has features that are not available when using the App on an iPhone (e.g., the phrasebook). I’ve tried to use these features by accessing the desktop version ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Desktop items disappear from screen and finder solely due to second monitor
I have a second monitor. When I connect the monitor to my Mac Pro by HDMI the desktop items automatically disappear. The strange thing is that they don't just disappear from the actual desktop but ...
2
votes
1answer
34 views
How to make macOS cmd+tab switch desktops when app is on a different desktop
Say I have ProgramA running in desktop space 1, and ProgramB running in desktop 2.
If I am currently on space 1, and cmd+tab to select ProgramB, then I still stay on space 1 even though there is no ...
4
votes
4answers
137 views
How to prevent macOS from putting icons on some areas of the desktop?
I have a 49" 5120x1440 ultrawide monitor with some windows always open on the sides and I don't want any kind of item hidden behind them (for example, mounted external drive, downloaded/copied file, ...
0
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0answers
74 views
Stop moving desktop with multiple Chrome windows
I recently have really annoying issue with Chrome.
I am using Mac OSX 10.14.5 Mojave with Chrome version 75.0.3770.142
Here is the issue. I have two Chrome windows and I put each window to each ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
Is it possible to make an application’s window smaller than intended?
I’ve always had issues with some application windows in macOS where I can’t make them smaller than a certain amount.
Audio Midi Setup is the perfect example of this.
If you look at the image posted, ...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
where did this 2nd desktop come from, how to I move an open window back to the original?
I was deep into answering another SE question and without realizing it I sent my browser (chrome) to the corn field a second desktop. I'm trying to read an equation in an SE question and type it into ...
0
votes
1answer
56 views
Switch to another desktop faster on macos high sierra
On a macbook with macos high sierra, how do I switch between desktops faster by sliding 3 fingers across the touch pad?
Currently it takes ~1 second to switch to another screen. It does not matter if ...
-1
votes
1answer
48 views
Keep focus on multiple desktops
I am a new macbook user. I have switched from windows pc recently. Currently I own a macbook pro 15.4 2018 edition. I am using it along with my 32 inch monitor.
A silly problem i have facing is that ...
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0answers
18 views
Why did some screen shots randomly appear on my desktop?
I have many screenshots inside of folders on my desktop. Just now when I got onto my MacBook Pro, I found that many of these screenshots were outside of their folders (some were duplicates).
I ran ...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
Show “Activity Monitor” in every “Desktop”
I find much joy in monitoring my Apple computer's fan roll through monitoring CPU use.
However, I don't know how to make multiple "Activity Monitor" windows, each for one of my "Desktop"s.
I ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
macOS: Navigating between desktops using keyboard shortcuts
I've just moved to Mac from Linux. There I used to have a fixed number of desktops running full-screen apps. I've managed to configure it on Mac, but yet can not find the way to assign shortcuts to ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
What could cause iCloud Drive to refuse to sync Desktop & Documents?
After a sort of manual system restore in which I copied my ~/Library/ from my now-dead 2017 MacBook Pro's BackBlaze to a 2019 MacBook Pro, pretty much all my software has nicely restored its settings, ...
1
vote
0answers
32 views
How to force preview to open window in current desktop
I am facing a super stupid problem which is completely killing my productivity.
I have my laptop attached to an external monitor. Desktop 1 is on the laptop and desktop 2 is on the external screen.
...
1
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0answers
84 views
Mirror a specific desktop
I have a MacBook and I’m using the latest High Sierra with 2 displays total, my MacBook and the projector. But I only want one (or specific) desktop(s) to be mirrored to the projector an external ...
0
votes
2answers
90 views
Do you need the username and password to remotely manage all admins via ARD?
Or do you only need the username and password of one admin? I share a computer and we are both admins, but I am worried that the other admin could access my files via Apple Remote Desktop. Is that the ...
1
vote
1answer
214 views
Can the document desktop stacks be split for a specific file extension?
I have documents I would like to have stacked
on my desktop.
Specifically, to group all files with a particular extension all together using Mojave's new Stacks feature.
Is there a way to register ...
1
vote
0answers
20 views
How to mirror files on all desktops when running in extended desktop mode
I want to mirror files/shortcuts on all desktops/screens when running in extended desktop mode. I don't want to manually copy them and I also don't want to mirror my displays.
Is there any way to do ...
1
vote
4answers
104 views
Desktop shows only background image – how to return to default behavior?
I have an iMac running macOS High Sierra. Recently I setup my system so that my Desktop does not show the connected drives and doesn't show anything on my Desktop.
My desktop is completely clean. I ...
1
vote
1answer
773 views
Unique wallpaper for desktop and lock screen
I recently got a macbook pro 2018 and was trying to change the wallpapers. I would like to be able to set a different wallpaper for my desktop and lockscreen. Googling around, I managed to change my ...
0
votes
1answer
22 views
Change / correct desktop to display mapping
I have a Mac Book laptop with Mojave. I use two desks (in different location) each having two Dell monitors that I connect via display port to the laptop.
It works well, however when I switch ...
