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File Operations

This page covers selection, copy/move, conflict handling, rename, open/view/edit, delete, and verification. It assumes you’re comfortable with Navigation.

Legend: ⌘ Command · ⌥ Option · ⌃ Control · ⇧ Shift · ⏎ Return · Space

Selection (fast & precise)​

  • The active item is highlighted; it counts as selected if nothing else is.
  • Multi-select: ⌘+click items.
  • Range select: ⇧+click, or ⇧+↑/↓ to extend from the anchor.
  • Toggle current: Space.
  • Power selection (Mark menu):
    • Select All, Unselect All
    • Invert selection (⇧⌘I)
    • Select all with same extension (⇧⌘A)
    • Expand/Shrink by pattern (system*, *.jpg)
note

Inline rename: Click the Name or Extension column, or press ⌥⏎; press ⇥ to switch between name/extension fields.

Copy & Move (with confirmations and queue)​

  • Copy (F5) copies from the active pane to the inactive pane’s path.
  • Move (F6) does the same and removes the source after success.
  • Folders copy recursively.

Confirmation dialog​

Before running, you’ll see the source → destination summary. Confirm or cancel.
Disable confirmations in Preferences › Operations if you prefer speed (keep them on in shared environments).

Transfer Queue​

All operations go to the Transfer Manager (⌘J):

  • Pause/Resume
  • Open target folder

Conflicts​

If a file exists at the destination, choose:

  • Overwrite, Skip This Item, Skip All Existing, or Overwrite All

Metadata & permissions​

  • DCommander preserves standard metadata when possible (dates, permissions).
  • On network targets, final metadata depends on the remote FileSystem or protocol capabilities.

Alternative Copy Method (legacy devices)​

If some removable/legacy drives are slow or flaky, try disabling Use standard copy method (recommended) in Preferences › Operations to enable a byte-by-byte method. Use only when needed.

tip

For very large runs, stage to a fast local drive, then one big move/copy to the external/remote target.

Drag & Drop, Clipboard, and Aliases​

  • Drag & Drop between panes performs a copy by default; hold ⌘ while dropping to move (when supported by the target).
  • Drag & Drop Storage (left sidebar): park items there, navigate elsewhere, then drag them out to the new destination.
  • Clipboard: Copy / Paste work between DCommander and Finder.
  • Duplicate: Use the context menu to duplicate in the same folder.
  • Make Alias: Creates a macOS alias to the selected item.

Rename (single & bulk)​

  • Single: select → F2 → edit; ⇥ switches filename/extension.
  • Batch (Multi Rename):
    • Open from the toolbar with a multi-selection.
    • Patterns: find/replace, sequence numbers (padding, start), case changes.
    • Live preview, apply when it’s clean.

Open, View, Edit​

  • Open (default app): ⏎ (or double-click).
  • Quick Look: ⌥ + Space previews without leaving the list (can be changed to default Spacebar action).
  • Viewer: F3 opens DCommander’s viewer (Text, HEX, media).
  • Edit: F4 opens in your configured editor (default TextEdit; change in Preferences).

Delete (with safety)​

  • F8 deletes selected items (typically to Trash; behavior depends on Preferences and target).
  • You’ll get a confirmation prompt. Review selection counts before committing.
  • On remote targets, deletion is permanent if the protocol doesn’t support Trash.
note

Recovery: If items went to Trash, restore via Finder. If permanently deleted, recovery depends on your backups.

After-action verification​

  • In the destination pane, sort by Date or use Quick Look to spot-check.
  • Check the Info bar (below the list) for selected/total counts and sizes.
  • For mission-critical transfers, use Checksums.

Common workflows​

Curate by type then copy​

  1. Sort by Kind or Extension; use Select all with same extension.
  2. F5 to copy; verify in Transfer Manager ⌘J and with Quick Look at destination.

Shuttle to a pinned destination​

  1. Keep destination tab locked on the right.
  2. Work from the left pane; F5/F6 for copy/move.
  3. If you get disoriented, ⌘E to equalize or ⌘U to swap.

Server upload (FTP/SFTP)​

  1. Connect via Connection Manager.
  2. Copy into the remote pane; watch throughput in ⌘J.

Troubleshooting​

  • “Permission denied” → Grant Full Disk Access (see First-run Setup) or verify remote credentials/ACLs.
  • Very slow copies to USB → Try Alternative copy method in Preferences; also test a different port/cable.
  • Wrong destination → Check which pane was active before pressing F5/F6. Use ⌘U/⌘E to reset orientation and retry.
  • Interrupted transfer → Re-run the copy; existing files will prompt for conflicts—choose Skip All Existing to continue with the rest.
  • Name collisions → Clean up with Multi Rename.