Alias

[indago]

I noticed, while using the Finder to find some documents, a couple of them had an Alias document. The original document is in a folder in the computer, but the Alias is not. When I click on it, it is shown to be in the computer, but within no folders. When I click on it, a popup appears:

The alias “document name” can’t be opened because the original item can’t be found.

I try to delete it and it won't be deleted. The original document is still within its folder.

How did this Alias become created?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

-Which version of OS X?
-Where in Finder are you seeing the alias(es)?

C

 

[indago]

Sierra Version 10.13.2

Alias appears in the Finder window when searching for a document.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK, thanks for the additional information.

1. In a Finder window, click View > Show Path Bar and View > Show Status Bar.
2. Search for the files using Spotlight.
3. When the results window comes up, scroll to the bottom of the left pane and double-click Show all in Finder...
4. Another window will come up, and you should be able to click once on each one and see the path to where the file is at the bottom of the window.
5. Also, if you see the alias in that window, you should be able to delete it from there.

Just make sure you are deleting the Alias and not the original file.

C

 

[indago]

It happened again, but this time I knew what folder the original document was in. I went to the folder and there it was.

I entered a search word into the Contents Contains segment of the Finder, and several documents displayed in the window. The one I wanted was an Alias, instead of the original document. I clicked on a few of the other documents in the window and they all displayed their pathways to folders within the hard drive at the bottom of the window. The Alias did not. The only pathway displayed for the Alias was on the hard drive: no folder. I can't change the name of the Alias; I can't trash it; It's just there, and no indication to where the original document is. I double click on it and the window comes up:

The alias “the document” can’t be opened because the original item can’t be found.

I did copy the document and put the copy in the Documents Folder. Now, when I put in a search word to find the document, I get the usual other documents in the Finder Window, plus the Alias, and now the document that is in the Documents Folder, but still not the original document.

How did this happen?

 

[indago]

I found the problem. I was apparently too fast for the computer. When I retrieved an old document from a folder, embedded within several other folders on the drive, and made some changes to it — like copying something from a document and pasting it to the older document — I would hold down the command key and rapidly hit the V, S, W keys, believing that the computer would be fast enough to handle all this. The "rapidly hit" timing would be about 1/2 second. After some experimenting, I found that the computer needed about 3 seconds to reconcile the changes and then put the document back where it came from with the changes.

I now wait about 5 seconds between punching the V, S, W keys. I now have no more problems with an alias winding up on the hard drive, as noted in the OP.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Excellent...glad you found a solution.

Thanks for letting us know,

C