Guide: How to Perform Select All on MacBook
When working with files on your MacBook, you will almost certainly do so using the Finder – the default operating system file manager. And selecting a single item from the Finder is as easy as clicking it – everyone knows this. But not everyone knows the fastest ways to handle the selection of multiple files. Whether it’s selecting all files in a folder or just a group, some Mac users may struggle a bit with this. Or maybe not a struggle, but certainly use more time than is actually necessary. However, you can easily fix this by keeping in mind a few quick methods and shortcuts that will make this process a breeze. And considering how much time you spend each day selecting files, those few moments you can save on each of those interactions can really add up up long-term.
Select all files in a window
There are a few different ways to instantly select any file in a window, but the simplest one is to hold down the Command key (Cmd) and then press A. The Command-A keyboard shortcut has been a favorite of Mac users for a very long time and is simply the fastest way to get this job done. No matter which Finder view you prefer (list, icon, etc.), you just can’t beat the efficiency of this method. However, we have also said that this is not the only way to select all items, so now we will quickly discuss some alternatives. If there’s an occasion where you want to avoid using a keyboard shortcut, you can achieve the same effect by using the Finder’s menu bar that you see at the very top of the screen. In particular, you need to click on ‘Edit’ button. Then choose “Select All” from the menu that appears.
Another way to select all files in a location without relying on the keyboard is to use the “click and drag” method. Simply click near one of the corners of the window, hold the buttons, and drag the pointer to create a selection box that covers every item in that window. If you only have a few items to select, this can be a quick way to do it. However, if there are many files in a window and you have to scroll down to see them all, this is not that efficient. In fact, the “intended” purpose of the Click and Drag option is likely to select several contiguous files from a larger group – this is what we’ll explain next.
Select adjacent files
We have explained it how to select all items – you have several options, but Command-A is the most useful. But what if you just need to select multiple items instead of all? Suppose a folder contains 10 files and you need the first five. One way to do this is the aforementioned “Click and Drag” method – just draw a box with the items you need. This can be especially useful if you are using Icon view. But there is another really handy way to do this. Start by clicking on the first file you want to include in your selection. Then press and hold the “Shift” key. Now click on the last item you need – those two files and all the files in between will be selected automatically.
You can of course also use the Shift-Click method to select any file in a window – just click the very first and the very last file. But when you need all the files, it’s faster to simply press Command-A. These two methods are great for items that appear contiguous (one after the other). But they won’t help you if you want certain files that aren’t grouped – this is where the next method comes in handy.
Select non-contiguous files
Again, suppose you have 10 items in a folder. This time, however, you need to select the first, third, and seventh. What you need to do here is hold down the Command key and click on each of those files. When you need to select items that are not next to each other, this is the way to go. In addition, the Command-Click method has another very useful application. Not only can you use it to select items, but you can also use it to deselect them from a larger group.
You may need to select all items in a window except one. To do this, first use the Command-A shortcut. Then hold down Command again (or just don’t let go of it in the first place) and click on the file you don’t need. The selection is canceled, the rest remains marked. You can deselect as many items as you need this way, hold down Command and click away. You can also combine this with the Shift-Click method to deselect one or more files from a group.
Mastering file selection
These methods of selecting all or multiple files are very intuitive, which means you will master them with a little practice. And it’s worth getting to know them as they save you time and make your MacBook user experience more enjoyable.
How to Perform Select All on MacBook: benefits
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Final note
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