You change how the files in the selected window (or on the desktop) are displayed with the View menu. You can view the files in a window as icons, buttons, or a list.

You can also specify the size of icons or buttons, how icons or buttons are arranged, how lists are sorted, and what columns appear in lists.

You can use the Views section of Finder Preferences to specify a set of options that apply to all windows.

Note: If Simple Finder is turned on, you need to turn it off (choose Preferences from the Edit menu) before you can do most of these tasks.

Turn off Simple Finder for me.

Changing how you view files

To change the way files are displayed:

•	Click the window containing the files (or the desktop), then choose "as Icons," "as Buttons," or "as List" from the View menu.
	You can display items on the desktop only as icons or buttons.

Changing icon and button views

To specify how icons or buttons are arranged:

•	Choose Arrange from the View menu, then choose an option from the submenu.

To set icon or button size:

•	Choose View Options from the View menu.

Changing how files in a list are sorted

You can sort a list of files by name, date, size, or other criteria.

To sort a list of files in a window:

•	Click any column heading in the window, such as Name or Date Modified.

Changing the columns in list view

To choose which columns appear in a window:

•	Choose View Options from the View menu.

To make a column in list view wider or narrower:

•	Drag the border of the column heading.

To change the order of columns in list view:

•	Drag the column heading to the left or right of another column heading.

To change the columns in list view back to their original settings:

•	Choose Reset Column Positions from the View menu.

Using standard view options

You can specify a standard set of options for list, button, or icon views. These options are automatically applied to every window, unless you customize a window's view options.

To set standard view options:

•	Choose Preferences from the Edit menu, click the Views tab, and select options for list, button, or icon view. Open Preferences for me.

To change a window's view options to the standard set:

•	Click the window, choose View Options from the View menu, and click "Set to Standard Views."
	Any view selected for this window (not just the one currently displayed in the View Options window) will now be displayed with the standard view options.

Using pop-up windows

Pop-up windows are stored as tabs across the bottom of your screen.

To turn a window into a pop-up window:

•	Open the window and drag it as far as you can to the bottom of your screen.

To open or minimize a pop-up window, click its tab.

Using spring-loaded folders

Spring-loaded folders can make it easier to navigate through layers of folders. Double-click and hold the pointer over any disk or folder and it turns into a looking glass. Move the looking glass over any folder and it springs open. You can also drag a file or folder over a disk or folder icon to make it spring open.

Use the Preferences panel to turn on Spring-loaded folders and to set how quickly you want folders to spring open.

To turn on spring-loaded folders:

•	In the Finder, choose Preferences from the View menu, click the General tab, and check "Spring-loaded folders."

Related topic

Customizing your desktop