MacOS – Two key combos for Enclosing Folder, but same result

macossnow leopardui

While exploring the effect of different keys on menus in Finder in Lion, I spotted what seems like a redundancy in the case of the Go menu.

When pressing the ⌥ key while the menu is open, not only is the user Library added to the menu list, but the key combination for Enclosing Folder changes from ⌘↑ to ⌥⌘↑. The additional modifier appears to be redundant, since the same enclosing folder opens with both key combinations.

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At first I thought this was Lion-specific, so was surprised to notice that this also applies in Snow Leopard.

Can others confirm that they too experience this behaviour and, if so, explain why the two combinations exist?

Best Answer

In Lion and Snow Leopard, the option/alt key makes a subtle change:

⌘+▲ reuses the existing finder window (preserving sort, view and size of the child folder).
⌥+⌘+▲ opens a new finder window with the saved settings for that parent folder (closing the child folder)

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Using same Snow Leopard CD on two MacBooks

In writing this answer, I'm assuming that you're speaking the truth when you say your workplace lost the install CD for the laptop--that is, you have the legal right to install it, but not the physical medium with which to do it. I'm not in any way encouraging you to pirate software.

That said, when you install Snow Leopard, it won't ask you for a serial number. If the installation disc came with a computer, it will likely only install on computers that are the same model as the one the disc came with--so, for example, the installation disc that came with an iMac won't work on a MacBook Pro. The retail version of the OS, however, will install on the laptop, run normally, and download and install updates without a problem. It will do all of this even if you've used the same disc to install the OS on another computer, because there is no protection scheme in the OS to prevent this.

Edit: As Samantha Catania says in another answer, the discs that come with a computer are machine-specific, in the sense that they will only install on a very specific model of computer. If your work laptop is a different model than the model the disc came with, it just won't install at all. It'll stop before it does any damage, though, so (again, repeating what Samantha already said) it wouldn't hurt to try. Most likely, though, you'll need either an installation disc for the exact same model you're trying to install on, or a retail disc.

MacOS – Same Files in Two Folders, But Different Size Info

Are you certain that the folders do not contain any hidden files? If you have anything beginning with a period (.) then this will not be reported in the Finder but will still be contributing to the size of the folder.

Try looking in at the folders in Terminal with ls -la to see the file contents. You can check the disk usage with du -sh

Open Terminal

cd /Users/Wesley/Desktop/untitled\ folder
ls -la Working NotWorking
du -sh Working NotWorking

Best Answer

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