Hello,

I have this odd problem of having multiple "desktop" images in the sidebar of the open file dialog.
I've fiddled with Finder Preferences, to no avail.

Any hints?

What exactly do you mean? Can you post a screen shot or something?

I would like to post a image of it. I couldn't work out how to do it here. I'd be grateful for any help on that as well!

For example, if I use text edit to open a document, the open dialog has the usual items in the sidebar, but also four instances of the desktop icon, of which three are dead (nothing happens if i click on one). Previously, there were multiple icons of others, such as Documents, or User, and so on. That seemed to be solved by using Finder Preferences, but not alas, with Desktop.

so in the "Open File" dialog, Desktop is listed more than once?
does it happen in every app? or just a few ?
do your finder windows have more than one desktop listed ?

so in the "Open File" dialog, Desktop is listed more than once?

Yes.


does it happen in every app? or just a few ?

In all.



do your finder windows have more than one desktop listed ?


This is odd. I just opened Finder Preferences. Desktop was not listed as one of the items to be in the Sidebar. I clicked the button to make it one. It added four. Of which only one is active.

I know this is a waste of a post but I couldn't resist.....

Do you have Leopard already?!?!

No, but I wish I did.

If you open a Finder window, can't you just drag them out?

Yes, they drag out fine. I can fix the ordinary Finder Window. The problem is with the open dialog windows (and I suspect the save dialog windows). And even though I can drag them out of an ordinary Finder window, I suspect that there is something amiss, nonetheless.

Some more information.

If I open a Finder Window then drag all four Desktop items out, then go to Finder Preferences the preferences for the Sidebar will not have the Desktop button checked. I click on the button there once, and a Desktop item will appear in the Finder Window, but the button in the preference plan will not register a tick. The same thing happens two more times, and on the forth time, a tick will be recorded in the preference plane, and by this time there are four Desktop icons in the Finder Window However, in the Finder Window, only the first Desktop item in the Sidebar will be active. That mean for example, that if i click on the last Desktop icon in the Sidebar of the Finder Window the highlight will go automatically to the top Desktop icon in the list of four and then show the contents of Desktop in the ordinary column view of the Finder Window.

Did you install ANY software at all that does anything to the Finder or modifies the behaviour of the System at all? Does it happen if you're logged in as another user? If not, does it happen if you remove all the com.apple.whatever preferences in your ~/Library/Preferences folder (in your user folder, not the main Library) and log out and in again?

Perhaps XSlimmer?
It does not affect the admin user.

I deleted the preferences and the problem finished. Naturally enough, it was in com.apple.sidebarlists.plist, which in CutomListItems has 4 Desktop Alias's. How they got there is a mystery. Thank you Currawong for the solution.