Spring-loaded folders, which have been part of the Mac OS since before OS X, let you click and drag files or folders. When you let the mouse pointer hover over a folder, the folder will open to display its contents. You can quickly and easily drill down through folders to locate a specific folder or file, and then click and drag the file or folder to its target destination.
The amount of time the mouse pointer must hover over a folder or window before it springs open is governed by a user-set preference.
Configure the Spring-Loaded Delay
- Open a Finder window by either clicking the 'Finder' icon in the Dock, or clicking on a vacant area of the desktop.
- Select 'Preferences' from the Finder menu.
- In the Finder Preferences window, click the 'General' button.
- Use the slider to set the spring-loaded folder delay time.
- When you're done, close the Finder Preferences window.
