Desktop keeps being deleted from my directory menu in finder

[rbpeirce]

I'm running Monterey and I don't know the correct name for the list of directories on the left side of Finder. However, I keep adding Desktop to that list and after a while it disappears. This never happened under Mojave and I don't know why it is happening now. None of my other directories get removed, just Desktop.

 

[MacInWin]

Presuming you mean the Sidebar, the way to have Desktop there is through Finder/Preferences the on the Sidebar tab, select Desktop.

 

[rbpeirce]

Presuming you mean the Sidebar, the way to have Desktop there is through Finder/Preferences the on the Sidebar tab, select Desktop.

Ah, Sidebar. OK. The box is already checked. That's why I can't figure out why it gets removed.

 

[toMACsh]

Try to notice if there's a pattern. I don't know what you could be doing that makes it disappear. It would be helpful to know what you did just before it disappears.

 

[rbpeirce]

No pattern I can discern. It could be there for hours or weeks then it is just gone. I do not consciously delete it.

 

[pm-r]

It could be there for hours or weeks then it is just gone. I do not consciously delete it.

It's the cat.
It's always the cat.
Even if you don't own a cat.
It's still always the cat.




- Patrick
=======

 

[toMACsh]

No pattern I can discern. It could be there for hours or weeks then it is just gone. I do not consciously delete it.

I understand. But what I'm saying is that you'll need to make a conscious effort to notice what happens just before it goes away. That will involve looking every time you sit down and before you get up. Then, when it's gone, you'll be more likely to remember what you were doing when it left.

 

[rbpeirce]

I did notice when I just rebooted it was gone and the box was not checked in preferences. I did not uncheck the box.

 

[ferrarr]

There are sometimes I am moving quickly with the mouse or trackpad and I drag folder (alias) off the sidebar. Sometimes I do it from the dock as well.

 

[Rod]

This is one of those annoying fiddly things with lots of possible solutions so rather than try to list them all here is a link to a site that lists them all starting with a simple relaunch of the Finder to deleting the Finder plist file.

How to Fix Mac Finder Not Responding on Mac Sonoma/Ventura

Mac Finder not responding? This post helps fix Finder issues, including Finder not working after upgrading to macOS Sonoma, Finder keeps crashing, and Finder freezes.

iboysoft.com

Below is the link to the specific issue of sidebar items missing from the above page.

Finder Sidebar Is Missing, Why & How to Get It Back

Guide to restore the Finder sidebar that's missing, including the Finder sidebar not showing Favorites, locations, etc. Why Finder sidebar missing?

iboysoft.com

 

[rbpeirce]

It went away again. This time I'm pretty sure it was because I shut down and restarted my computer. Anyhow, Desktop got unchecked in Finder preferences. That seems to be the problem but how does it happen?

 

[toMACsh]

I can't say that I've ever seen, or heard of, problems cropping up because of a Shut Down and reboot. In fact, that often solves problems. I'm pretty sure that having Desktop checked in the Sidebar tab is the default. So if a Restart is unchecking that, you've got something strange going on. Perhaps your Finder plist file is corrupt. To find out, create a new one:

Hold down the Option key and select Go in the Menu Bar, then Library. (If you release Option, the Library choice disappears.)
Open the Preferences folder in Library and find the file called com.apple.finder.plist
Drag that file to your Desktop (as a back up)
Now Restart your Mac (this will create a new finder.plist file set to factory defaults)

It is extremely unlikely that doing the above will cause problems for you, especially if you have not changed a bunch of things in Finder preferences. But you save the old one just in case you want to put it back in that Preferences folder.

 

[MacInWin]

Have you installed any third-party "helper" software? Things to "help" do things like keystrokes, anything with "optimize" claimed, any anti-virus/anti-malware stuff? The native Monterey won't overwrite your options. It has to be something you have set, installed or changed.

 

[ferrarr]

Create a new user account and see if the issue happens with that user account.

 

[Rod]

Have you tried removing the finder plist folder as suggested a couple of times now?

 

[rbpeirce]

Hold down the Option key and select Go in the Menu Bar, then Library. (If you release Option, the Library choice disappears.)
Open the Preferences folder in Library and find the file called com.apple.finder.plist
Drag that file to your Desktop (as a back up)
Now Restart your Mac (this will create a new finder.plist file set to factory defaults)

I tried this and sure in the enough when I restarted Desktop appeared in the list and in the sidebar. It even stuck around for a while. Then, last night, I booted into Recovery mode to run firstaid on a Time Machine backup. When I restarted Desktop again was unchecked and did not appear in the sidebar. I added it back. I have not rebooted again to see if it is dead or alive, but this doesn't seem to be a permanent solution. Is it possible to tell Monterey this is supposed to be a default setting.

BTW, after doing this I had a heck of a time remembering how to see all my hidden files again. I'm not sure what else I may have customized that is no longer there.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

This is an old post elsewhere, but someone had a similar problem. There was one recommendation to delete a different plist, com.apple.sidebar.plist, but that doesn't exist in Ventura anymore and may not in Monterey. The OP's final solution was to reset permissions on his home folder.

El Capitan sidebar preferences not sticking

I had a hard drive failure and am temporarily using a machine which can only be brought up to El Capitan. I have a sidebar problem that is driving me crazy. The configuration of the sidebar favorit...

apple.stackexchange.com

That article provides a ilnk with instructions on what to do, but it may be a bit dated. It was last updated in 2020 for Catalina. But maybe this will get pointed in the right direction. Meanwhile, if it hasn't been tried, use Onyx to do some cache cleaning to see if that helps.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

BTW, after doing this I had a heck of a time remembering how to see all my hidden files again. I'm not sure what else I may have customized that is no longer there.

TinkerTool and DesktopUtility both can do this. DesktopUtility can run in the menubar for quick access to the toggle.

 

[rbpeirce]

This is an old post elsewhere, but someone had a similar problem. There was one recommendation to delete a different plist, com.apple.sidebar.plist, but that doesn't exist in Ventura anymore and may not in Monterey. The OP's final solution was to reset permissions on his home folder.

El Capitan sidebar preferences not sticking

I had a hard drive failure and am temporarily using a machine which can only be brought up to El Capitan. I have a sidebar problem that is driving me crazy. The configuration of the sidebar favorit...

apple.stackexchange.com

That article provides a ilnk with instructions on what to do, but it may be a bit dated. It was last updated in 2020 for Catalina. But maybe this will get pointed in the right direction. Meanwhile, if it hasn't been tried, use Onyx to do some cache cleaning to see if that helps.

You are correct the file no longer exists. As for permissions, I checked and they are still ok.

 

[MacInWin]

Then, last night, I booted into Recovery mode to run firstaid on a Time Machine backup.

Stop doing that. Recovery is really for recovery. TM doesn't like FirstAid, and FirstAid doesn't like TM drives.