Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

kevs · Mar 6, 2005, 02:43 PM

When I right click on my jpegs to open with--- this huge list of irrelevant software comes up. I only want to see PHotoshop and Preview. What can I do?

And also, it sometime freezes beforehand (wonder if this is tied to so many choices there)

thanks!

Detrius · Mar 6, 2005, 04:31 PM

It shouldn't "freeze," but it can take it a while to find all of your options. Those are all of the programs that claim to be able to open that type of file.

kevs · Mar 6, 2005, 10:26 PM

Ok, great.
Now how can I get them out of this list, they are clogging my arteries.

Turnpike · Mar 7, 2005, 02:31 AM

Originally posted by kevs:
Ok, great.
Now how can I get them out of this list, they are clogging my arteries.

Good question... I'd like to know, too.

I hated trying to Open With... a .jpg or something on my old computer... took freakin' forever. Even moving past the menu sometimes I'd linger too long and I'd have to wait for it to find all the options. On my new machine it isn't such a problem, but it really wasn't fun on my old computer...

Apfhex · Mar 7, 2005, 04:49 AM

It's worst if you have Photoshop installed (I've never used one of this actions and don't plan on it).

Edit: I see Photoshop was already mentioned. ^^ But yeah, it's mostly the PS stuff that clogs the menu for me.

TETENAL · Mar 7, 2005, 04:55 AM

Originally posted by Apfhex:
But yeah, it's mostly the PS stuff that clogs the menu for me.

Put the PS stuff into a ZIP archive.

theolein · Mar 7, 2005, 06:49 AM

Originally posted by Apfhex:
It's worst if you have Photoshop installed (I've never used one of this actions and don't plan on it).

Edit: I see Photoshop was already mentioned. ^^ But yeah, it's mostly the PS stuff that clogs the menu for me.

Putting the PS droplet stuff into a zip file is a good idea, but after that you should also rebuild the database where all these apps are registered. Macosxhints has an article on how to do that: http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...31215144430486

It's a pity one can't selectivley edit that database and delete single applications from it.

Big Mac · Mar 7, 2005, 11:06 AM

Thank you, theolein, I was curious about how to access the LaunchServices database but never bothered to look up the information.

cpac · Mar 7, 2005, 11:19 AM

a simpler option might be to put Preview and Photoshop in the dock and open the .jpgs in question via dragging to the appropriate program.

kevs · Mar 7, 2005, 10:07 PM

Excellent cpac!

The other stuff seem bit to convoluted to me. Man I don't even know where most of those other options originate from...constrain to 200x200, make gig....goes on and on.

Anyway, I've know that trick but usually avoid dropping things on dock, because, well , in past things would go bit haywire doing it, but I just tested dropping jpegs onto the PS dock icon ,and they open up pretty accurately, even without holding down the Apple key, which was new to me, wonder why they don't need the Apple key to be held down?

Anyway, for me it's it's preview for default so jpegs coming in e mail open real quick, and then dropping them on PS dock icon if I need to work on the file. that's it. only two I need.

And if I could somehow tell Entourage to open with Preview, then I could set the default to PS, and be done with it.

JKT · 08:22 AM

Originally posted by kevs:
Anyway, I've know that trick but usually avoid dropping things on dock, because, well , in past things would go bit haywire doing it, but I just tested dropping jpegs onto the PS dock icon ,and they open up pretty accurately, even without holding down the Apple key, which was new to me, wonder why they don't need the Apple key to be held down?

You don't need to hold down the command key as the files are you are dragging are documents and therefore can not physically be placed on the left (application) side of the Dock divider. Conversely, if you try to drag them to the right of the divider (without the command key) the various folder/file icons you have there will part after a brief pause to allow you to place the file's icon in the Dock. Holding the command key while doing this prevents the parting and therefore more easily allows you to drop files into folders on the right side of the Dock.

FWIW, holding the command key while dragging file icons to the application side of the Dock actually has a separate purpose - it forces any applications you hover the file over to try and open that file, even if they aren't specifically capable of doing so.

kevs · Mar 8, 2005, 11:41 PM

thanks!
So the command thing is just for the right side of the dock, just for dropping in docs or folders.?

JKT · Mar 9, 2005, 11:33 AM

Originally posted by kevs:
thanks!
So the command thing is just for the right side of the dock, just for dropping in docs or folders.?

Actually, no. If you are trying to drag an application to the left side of the dock, holding the command key will prevent the icons from parting as it would for a file on the right hand side*, and as I said above, it serves a different function for documents dragged to the application side of the dock (it forces apps to try and open that file).

* If you are wondering why that would be necessary it then allows you to drop apps on applications that can attach them to files like e.g. Mail (it will generate a message with the app as an attachment).