Mac Folder Library How To Find
Learn how to access the hidden Library folder in your Home folder on your Mac so you can tweak app settings and access app files.
Inside the home folder on your Mac is a Library folder that stores app-specific files and settings, personal settings, and some data. The files and settings in the Library folder should be left alone for the most part. But, you may want to tweak the settings for an app, which may require accessing the Library folder. Or, maybe an app backs up data to the Library folder and you want to copy that to an external drive.
As of Mac OS X Lion (10.7), the Library folder in your home folder is hidden by default. That doesn’t mean you can’t get to it. It’s hidden so you don’t accidentally delete settings and data, damaging apps in the process. So, if you decide you want to access the Library folder, be very careful.
Jul 21, 2011 This is how to locate your library Folder on macOS & Mac OS X Code: /Library. Jul 21, 2011 This is how to locate your library Folder on macOS & Mac OS X Code: /Library.
Today we’re going to cover different ways of accessing the hidden Library folder in your home folder and how to make it permanently available in Finder.
What is the Path to the Library Folder?
The Library in your home folder is written as ~/Library. The tilde (~) character is a shortcut for your home directory. For example, on my Mac, that would expand to /Users/lorikaufman/Library.
Access the Library Folder Using the Go to Folder Option
If you want to access the Library folder only occasionally, you can use the Go to Folder option in Finder.
Open Finder or just click on the desktop. Head to Go > Go to Folder, or hit Cmd + Shift + G.
Type:~/Library in the Go to the folder box on the dialog box and click Go or press Enter.
If you have one or more Finder windows open, the Library folder opens in the currently active window. If no Finder windows are open, a new one opens to the Library folder.
Access the Library Folder Using the Terminal
If you prefer using the command line, you can access the Library folder using the Terminal.
Go to Utilities > Terminal in the Applications folder. To access the Library folder directly in the Terminal, type:cd ~/Library at the prompt to switch to the Library folder.
You can type:ls at the prompt to get a detailed folder listing. You can work with the files in the Library folder directly on the command line. Just be careful.
You can also use the Terminal to open the Library folder in a Finder window. Type:open ~/Library at the prompt and hit Enter.
Mac Library Folder In Finder
Access the Hidden Library Menu Option in Finder
The Library folder is available on the Go menu in Finder, but it doesn’t show on the menu by default.
To temporarily show the Library option on the Go menu, open the menu and press the Option key. The Library folder shows up between Home and Computer on the Go menu. Keep the Option key pressed while you move your mouse down the menu and select Library.
If you’re using a Windows keyboard with your Mac, press the Alt key.
Show the Library Folder Permanently in Finder
If you access the Library folder often, you can permanently show the Library option on the Go menu and the Library folder in your Home folder.
How To Find Library Folder On Mac El Capitan
Open Finder and head to your Home folder using the left pane or by pressing Cmd + Shift + H. Then, go to View > Show View Options, or hit Cmd + J.
A dialog box displays with options you can set for your Home folder. Check the Show Library Folder box at the bottom of the dialog box. The Library folder now shows up in your Home folder in Finder windows and the Library option becomes permanently available on the Go menu.
When you permanently show the Library folder in Finder, you can hit Cmd + Shift + L to open it in a Finder window, in addition to selecting the Library option on the Go menu.
Happy Tweaking, But Be Careful
The Library folder is hidden by default for a good reason. So, before tweaking settings and changing files in the Library folder, make sure you know what you’re doing.
Sep 01,2019 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
If you are relatively new to the macOS system, then chances are that you might encounter a similar situation as well. Although macOS is quite user-friendly, sometimes it can take a lot of time to find a file or locate a particular folder. Just like Windows or Linux, Mac also presents different ways to find files and browse its local storage system.
In this post, we will teach you how to find folders on Mac as well as recover any lost documentTransfer photos library to icloud mac. on your Mac system as well.
Part 1. How to Find Hidden Files and Folders on Mac Hard Drive?
Ideally, you can browse the internal hard drive or Mac or even explore an external device well. The solution to find lost files on Mac would be same for almost every major version. Though, there might be some change in the overall interface of the macOS. Following are some of the common techniques that you can follow to find any file on Mac.
1. Use Recent Items to Find Documents on Mac
If you wish to find some recently opened files or folders on Mac, then you can follow this simple approach. The macOS would maintain a record of the recently accessed documents, applications, and sometimes even system processes. Therefore, you can quickly learn how to find lost files on Mac with this approach.
- Just go to the Apple logo on the top left corner of the screen and click on the “Recent Items” option.
- This will give you a list of the recently accessed folders, apps, and documents. Just click on the icon of your choice to view the file or application.
- Additionally, you can also go to the File menu > Open Recent section to view the recently accessed files. You can clear the history from here or click on any file to access it once again.
2. Check the Downloads Folder to Find Files
Too often, Mac users download something from the internet and later realize that the downloaded document disappeared on Mac. If you also think that the Mac download folder is missing, then consider following these quick steps.
- To start with, go to the desktop on your Mac system and visit the “Go” section from the main menu. From here, you can visit the “Downloads” folder on Mac.
- Alternatively, you can also go to your Library and click on the “Downloads” section from the left panel.
- Once the Downloads folder on Mac has been opened, you can just look for any file of your choice. There is a search tab on the top that can help you do the same in less time. Simply click on it and type the name of the file you are looking for in the Downloads folder.
3. Check the Trash to Find Deleted Files
When we delete something on Mac, the file is not removed from the storage right away. On the contrary, it will be moved to the Trash, from where we can recover the deleted data if we want to. Therefore, if you can’t find lost documents or folders on Mac, then make sure that you check its Trash before taking any drastic measure.
- Firstly, you need to access the Trash folder on Mac. You can do this by clicking on the Trash icon on the dock.
- When the Trash folder would be opened, you can view all the deleted files that are stored on it temporarily.
- If you wish to recover a file, then select it, and right-click. Click on the “Put Back” option from the context menu to restore it to its original location.
4. Search the Spotlight to Find Files and Folders
Spotlight is probably one of the most resourceful features in macOS. Since Spotlight has been an evident feature in every major macOS, you won’t face the slightest of trouble in finding any file on your Mac system. The feature can be accessed from the desktop and will let you look for files, documents, internet searches, and so much more in one place. If you don’t know where to find documents on Mac, then simply follow this drill.
- To access Spotlight, go to your Mac’s desktop and click on the search icon on the top right corner of the screen. Here, type the name of any file or folder that you are looking for.
- In no time, the system will start looking for the suitable content with respect to the searched keyword. Once you get the results, you can just hover the mouse on the icon to get its preview. Ideally, Mac will let you preview pictures, videos, audios, documents, etc.
- In order to access a file, simply click on it and it will be opened on your Mac system. If you want, you can click on the “Show All in Finder” option as well to view all the searched results together.
- This will display the relevant results in Finder, so that you can find the suitable files and folders that you were looking for.
5. Use Terminal to Find Files and Folders on Mac
Terminal is one of the most useful utility tools in Mac that lets us send direct commands to our system. A lot of users are not able to find any file or folder on Mac which is hidden. In this case, you can take the assistance of Terminal to view the hidden files/folders first. Later, you can go to Finder on Mac to access the data of your choice.
- To begin with, you need to launch the Terminal app. Go to Applications > Utilities and open the Terminal app or look for it from the Spotlight.
- 2. Once Terminal is launched on your Mac, simply copy the following commands and press enter: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE killall Finder
- This will restart Finder and will display all the hidden files and folders on it as well. Now, you can just click on the search icon and enter the name of the files/folder you are looking for. This will let you find files and folders on Mac that are even hidden from the user.
If the content you are looking for is present on your Mac’s storage, then you would be able to find it by following the above-listed methods. These techniques will work even if the data has been hidden or deleted, so that you can find any file on Mac seamlessly. Though, if your data is deleted or inaccessible, then consider following the next section to find lost files on Mac.
Part 2. How to Find Lost Files on Mac?
There are times when users end up losing their important data on Mac. While there could be different reasons behind it, you can easily find lost documents on Mac by using the right methods.
Why Files Get Lost?
Before we teach you how to find lost documents on Mac, it is important to know what could have caused the situation in the first place. Here are some of the major reasons for data loss on Mac.
- Sometimes, users end up deleting something accidentally, which gets lost.
- The change in location of the files can make them inaccessible at times.
- A virus or malware attack on the storage can make your files corrupt.
- Chances are that your data could be overwritten by something else.
- The data can be mishandled by a third-party application as well.
- The storage unit or partition can get corrupt or formatted.
- A firmware issue, corrupt update, or any other software-related problem
Recoverit Data Recovery: The Best Mac Lost Partition Recovery Software
No matter what could have caused your files to be lost on inaccessible, you can easily get them back using Recoverit Mac Data Recovery software. It is an extremely reliable and advanced data recovery tool that supports every leading Mac and Windows version. The application is developed by Wondershare and yields positive results in all kinds of data loss scenarios. Also, it is extremely easy to use and will not need any prior technical experience to find lost files on Mac through it.
If you have deleted a partition on Mac or have lost it due to any other reason, then you should use Recoverit Data Recovery. It can help you restore partition data on Mac by following these easy steps.
Step 1: Select a disk
To start with, just launch the Recoverit Data Recovery application on your Mac. Subsequently, the application will identify the inbuilt partitions on your Mac and will provide their list. You can just select a partition of your choice and start the recovery process.
Step 2: Scan the Location
In no time, Recoverit would try to access the lost content from the selected partition. Though, if the partition has been lost, then the quick scan might not yield the needed results. In this case, you can perform an Deep Scan on your Mac to scan the entire storage.
Since it might take a while, it is recommended to wait for the recovery process to be completed. Try not to restart your Mac or close the application when it is performing a deep scan.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
That’s it! Once the process is complete, the application will display the recovered data under various categories. You can view a section from the left panel and preview your data on the right.
In the end, you can select the files you wish to get back and click on the “Recover” button to save them to a secure location.
In some new macOS versions, third-party applications are not allowed to access the logical partition of the drive. To overcome this, you can reboot Mac in recovery mode and launch Terminal from the Utilities menu. Type “csrutil disable” and press enter to disable its System Integrity Protection. Once it is done, restart Mac in the normal mode and run Recoverit Data Recovery again.
Part 3. Tips for Finding Files on Mac
If you don’t want to lose your data and learn how to find files on Mac quickly, then consider following these expert suggestions:
- There are all kinds of keyboard shortcuts that you can use while browsing the file system on Mac. For instance, if you have been browsing a directory and would like to go back to the default folder, then press the Command + Shift + H keys. This will take you back to the Home instantly.
- Finder in Mac also allows us to set some default folders, so that we can access them easily. Just go to the Finder Preferences to set a default folder for a quick access.
- The toolbar on Mac already provides a lot of options, but you can further customize it to make it easier for you to find files on Mac. Just go to View > Customize Toolbar and make the needed adjustments.
- You can easily look for a file through the “Search” bar on Finder. Also, you can sort the displayed data on the basis of different parameters (like size, last modified, etc.) to find files easily.
- Mac also lets us preview files before opening them in order to find the respective content. For instance, you can just select a file, and click on the Quick Look button to get its preview in seconds.
There you go! After reading this guide, you would be able to find any file on Mac without much trouble. We have listed different inbuilt methods to find lost documents on Mac, recover hidden files, and even restore deleted data. If you can’t find lost files on Mac via Trash, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery. It is an advanced and user-friendly data recovery application that will help you get back all kinds of content lost on your Mac. Since the tool is available for free (basic version), you can simply download it on your Mac and use it as per your requirements.
How to transfer mac photos library. Jul 12, 2017 Apple’s new Photos application was released as part of a recent system update. By default, Photos creates its library in your Pictures folder, but it can be easily moved or newly created. There are any number of reasons you might want to create a new Photos library or move it to another location. Mar 18, 2020 Your Photos library holds all your photos, albums, slideshows, and print projects. If your library is large, and you want to free up storage space on your Mac, turn on iCloud Photo Library and use Optimize Mac Storage, or move your library to an external drive. Before you start, be sure to.
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