Hi Sarah, What view setting are you using for Finder? (e.g., column view, list view, etc.) If I'm using list view (Command-2) and I use the Command-Option-L shortcut, I'll be taken directly to the contents of the folder, and if I use Command-Up arrow I'll be placed in the Downloads folder. However, if I start in column view mode (Command-3), and I use the Command-Option-L shortcut, I'll be in my Downloads folder, but then using Command-Up arrow puts focus in my home directory accounts folder (e.g., VoiceOver says "esther" instead of "Downloads" in this mode. I think this may have something to do with the weird Command-Option-L implementation for viewing the Downloads window, where under Lion this shortcut now works in FInder, but didn't originally work from Safari, and where it now only works from Safari when the toolbar is not hidden.
I also tried clearing my Safari Downloads window after using Command-Option-L from Safari. In Finder, Command-Option-L still shows everything in the Downloads folder, so it's not viewing the window. You should also be able to view your Downloads folder from the Dock, if you've previously set it up with the Context menu (VO-Shift-M) to display as "Folder" and view contents as "List". I currently have this set to sort by "Date Added" -- which is the default setting if you don't change this with the context menu. To view the "Downloads" folder from the Dock, use either VO-D or Control-F3 to navigate to the Dock (or if you have TrackPad Commander enabled, do a two-finger double tap from the bottom half of the TrackPad). Then, I use Fn+Down Arrow or Up Arrow (Page Down or Page Up on a full-size keyboard) to navigate through the sections for Applications, Files and Folders, and Trash in the dock, and Right or Left arrow keys or the typed first letters of a name to navigate to what I want. On a laptop, with the default installation setup, Control-F3 then Fn-Down Arrow puts me at the first folder in the Files and Folders section of the Dock, which is "Documents". Pressing left arrow puts focus on "Downloads", and I can access the menu by pressing space bar, VO-D, or "Return". Then, I can press down arrow to move through the menu (in this case, viewing the most recently added files first). Or I can press up arrow to read the "View in Finder" menu option, in case I really want to view the contents in a Finder window where I can change the viewing mode, find out about file sizes and kinds of file if I am using list mode (Command-2), or sort on column entries (e.g. list items by kind to find applications or media files; sort by size, etc.), or perform operations like copying or moving files. If you want to change the viewing mode of the files in the Downloads folder in your Dock, you can do this from the "Options" menu. Arrowing down from the top of the folder menu in the dock, you'll first view the items sorted according to the order you have selected (e.g., by "Date Added" for downloads), then "Options" and "Show in Finder". So if you access the Downloads folder with space bar, VO-D, or by pressing "Return", and use Up arrow to navigate, you'll get "Show in Finder", "Options", and then the file contents starting with oldest added files first. If you open the Downloads folder and use Down arrow, you'll view the most recent items first. If you want to change the sort order to view these alphabetically, press Command-Down arrow to move to the end of the menu, which is "Show in Finder", then Up arrow to "Options", and right arrow to the sub-menu. Arrow down through the sort options and press "Return" at the one you want. The first one will be "Name". Then, ac cess the folder again (e.g., VO-D, then space bar) and arrow down to view the contents in alphabetical order. The sort ordering for viewing contents of folders in the dock is separate from the viewing options you set up to view these folders in Finder. HTH. It sounds as though this is a weird focus issue for the Command-Option-L shortcut in Finder. This shortcut was really originally defined for Safari. Cheers, Esther On Feb 19, 2012, at 8:10 AM, Sarah Alawami wrote: > Hello to all. Cmd shift down arrow takes me to a empty downloads folder in > the finder but when I brows to it from my home directory it is not empty. I > tried to copy the content of this mystery folder but no joy. what am I doing > wrong here or what did I do to screw up. This is on a clean install of lion > 10.7.3. all updated. > > Take care. all. > Sarah Alawami, owner and founder of WICS Radio America. Check us out on the > web at http://wics.cc and thanks for tuning in. > <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> To reply to this post, please address your message to mac-access@mac-access.net You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Mac-Access forum at either the list's own dedicated web archive: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/index.html> or at the public Mail Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> The Mac-Access mailing list is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and worm-free! Please remember to update your membership options periodically by visiting the list website at: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/mac-access/options/>