Migrated finder favourites that don't exist on new iMac, how to delete?

Jase Winter

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Just got an iMac and migrated my time machine backup of my old mini. I have some favourites in the finder sidebar that no longer exist as they were on a second drive in the mini. Can't seem to find a way to delete them. Anyone know how to sort it?

ScreenShot2012-07-19at224448.png


it's the pictures, music and downloads i'm trying to get rid of, they aren't the standard locations that apply from a fresh install so can't just be deselected in preferences.

Thanks!
 
drag them out of the finder window
 
Yeah I tried that before posting, it doesn't work, it would under normal circumstances but not in this instance.
 
I would suspect that Dropbox is causing the 'problem', try and remove that one and then manage your favourites...Once you are happy you could bring Dropbox back in, but beware there are lots and lots of thread where it seems to be causing havoc in that favourites list..
 
So you don't have these options in Finder->Preferences?
 

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I do yes but the folders in question aren't the standard ones that OS X has, they are folders I created on my mac mini's second hard drive and so they don't show up in the sidebar preferences as I just dragged and dropped them in there. I migrated my time machine back up to the new iMac which only has one hard drive and those directories don't exist anymore but still appear in the finder favourites.

This is what I have selected:

ScreenShot2012-07-20at093902.png


You can't right click and delete and you can't drag them out of there and when you click on them nothing happens as the directory doesn't actually exist.
 
Ah so you made shortcuts yourself with the same names as the office Apple ones instead of just moving your home folder so the shortcuts are relative?

Have you tried looking in ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist whether they are in there and can manually remove them to then lets OSX bring back the default ones?
 
I'm not really sure how to go about editing plists, not needed to do it before. The default folders are actually there and work fine, i'm just left with those few that migrated from my mini time machine that I can't get rid of from the sidebar.
 
Oops it was the wrong file...Take a look at

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.sidebarlists.plist

It is just a text file, use something like TextWrangler to edit it. Make a backup before you do :)

PS When you drag them out, do you actually hold down the Apple key (command key)? Because if you don't it wouldn't work, this is to prevent accidental removes...
 
well, slightly embarrassing, seems that as you say, all I had to do was hold down command while I dragged them out.

Thanks!
 
LOL :) I'm glad it worked now.

That is the danger with long standing Apple users like myself and Tenex, we take certain things for granted and as second nature. But hey now you know :)
 
Yeah, i'm used to using command for lots of things but it's easy to just forget to even try it sometimes!

Thanks again!
 

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