Finder update/refresh applescript not working in 10.8

Question

I have been using apple script for updating display for files and folders in finder. This is simplified version of that script:

tell application "Finder"
    tell window 1 to update items
end tell

I can see that since 10.8 (Mountain Lion) update command is not properly executed or is not executed at all. Until 10.8 everything was working perfectly - Immediately after update command all icons got redrawn. I use this for showing overlay icons.

Have any of you encountered same problem? I blame finder having changed apple script api, because, if I touch -a -m file, it gets updated. So there is for sure some way to update it.

Answer 1

I am having the same exact issue as you. I was about to release my application once I built it with the 10.8 SDK, but Mountain Lion just broke both my "Refresh Finder Windows" and "Show/Hide Hidden Files" menu options. I have tried everything to no avail. The only thing that seems to help is if you wait 60-90 seconds before writing to the Finder Preferences again.

In Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE && killall Finder

Wait about a minute to a minute and a half, then reverse the command like so:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE && killall Finder

(I don't know how to refresh Finder via Terminal, but maybe that delay will help you out in some way.)

That is the only way I currently know of to get the Finder windows to do anything I want them to. Very frustrating; I hope someone can figure this out soon or one of my major selling points just vanished.

-Chris

Answer 2

You can create visible file in finder to refresh finder window.

tell application "Finder"
    set currentPath to (POSIX path of (target of front window as alias))
    set filePath to currentPath & "UUID" --create UUID
    do shell script "touch \"" & filePath & "\""
    delay 0.5
    do shell script "rm \"" & filePath & "\""
end tell