How to Set up Smart Folders in Mac OS Tiger

Contributor

By eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (0 Ratings)

Smart folders make it easier to store, sort and find files and objects within Mac OS Tiger. Smart folders sort files by what they share in common, unlike regular folders, which simply store files in a uniform place. With a few simple steps you can set up Smart folders on your Mac, and they will automatically coordinate with Spotlight.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Mac OS Tiger with Spotlight and Smart Folders

Step 1

Click on the "File" menu tab in the Finder bar.
Step 2

Click "New Smart Folder." This will open the Smart Folder creation window.
Step 3

Drag and drop files you want to be in the Smart folder into the Smart folder box. You can place as many or as few files into the Smart folder as you want.
Step 4

Click "Save" once you are satisfied with the contents of the Smart folder you set up.
Step 5

Name the folder something you can easily remember, and something that directly pertains to its contents.
Step 6

Remember that Smart folders don't necessarily have to contain files of the same type. You can include files in the folder that are interrelated with one another (a photo and a document in which you wish to embed it, for example).
Step 7

Create Smart folders for your music to categorize them not just by artist, but by genre, release date and album title.

Tips & Warnings

Be aware that Smart folders automatically update regardless of where you move your files. If the file is associated with a Smart folder, then OS Tiger will update its location.
Note that you can have a single copy of a file on your hard drive, but you can have that file appear in as many Smart folders as you want.
Remember that if you delete a file it will no longer be linked to a Smart Folder. If you want to have the file re-linked to a Smart folder, you will need to add it again manually.
Deleting Smart folders does not delete the associated files. If you want to delete files that you include in Smart folders, you need to delete them from their true locations on the hard drive.

Resources