In Mac OS and Mac OS X, what are spring-loaded folders?

Note: To use spring-loaded folders in Mac OS X, you must have version 10.2 or later.

Introduced in Mac OS 8, spring-loaded folders are a feature of the Finder. They allow you to move down a hierarchical listing of folders with greater ease. Spring-loaded folders are especially useful if you wish to move a file, application, or even another folder into a folder that is deeply nested within several other folders. For example, you could use the feature to quickly move a Netscape plug-in into the Plug-ins folder, which is nested within the Netscape folder, which in turn is nested within the Applications folder, which is at the top level of your hard disk. The following is an example of how you would move a Netscape plug-in to the Plug-ins folder:

1. Click and drag the plug-in's icon over the hard disk icon, but do not release the mouse button. The hard disk's icon will flash and then open.
   
   
2. Again, without releasing the mouse button, move the mouse pointer over the Applications folder. The Applications folder will open.
   
   
3. Repeat the process with the Netscape folder and Plug-ins folder.
   
   
4. When the Plug-ins folder opens, release the mouse button; the plug-in will be moved into that folder. Also, the higher level folders will all close, leaving the Plug-ins folder as the only open window within that folder hierarchy.

Use similar steps to move other files into different folders. If you mistakenly open the wrong folder (for example, you opened the BetterTelnet folder instead of the Netscape folder), you can close it by moving your mouse's pointer out of the open window back into a parent window. Or, to close all nested folders, move the pointer so it is not over any window.

In Mac OS 9.x and earlier, you can also use spring-loaded folders to open a series of nested folders without actually moving anything. Move your mouse pointer over the parent folder of a nested folder you wish to open and then execute "one and a half" clicks. A "one and a half click" is the same as a double-click, except you don't release the mouse button after the second click. The folder will open and you will be able to navigate through the nested folders as described above.

To modify the way spring-loaded folders work, from the Finder's Finder menu (10.2 and later) or Edit menu (9.x and earlier), select Preferences... . (In Mac OS 8.5 through 9.x, then select the General tab.) To turn them on or off, next to Spring-loaded folders or Spring-loaded folders and windows, click the checkbox. You can also change the amount of time folders delay before springing open.

Also see:

• In Mac OS and Mac OS X, what is the Simple Finder?
• What are contextual menus?
• In Mac OS X, while running multiple applications, how can I clean up my cluttered screen?
• In Mac OS and Mac OS X, what is the Finder?