GoMount's built-in file browser gives you a native macOS experience for browsing NAS files. Starting with version 1.4, the browser supports a grid view with the same selection and clipboard behaviors you already know from Finder. This guide walks through every interaction so you can work faster without switching apps.
Copy, cut, paste, and write operations require GoMount Pro. Free users can browse files and preview them with QuickLook, but the clipboard and drag-and-drop write actions are read-only. Upgrade to Pro to unlock full read/write access.
Grid view basics
Grid view displays files and folders as icons with labels underneath, similar to Finder's icon view. It is the default view mode when you open a folder from the File Hub sidebar or double-click a mounted volume.
- Click any empty area inside the browser to clear the current selection.
- Double-click a folder to open it. Use the path bar at the top to jump back to parent folders.
- Grid view supports continuous scrolling; large folders load in batches to keep the UI responsive.
If you prefer a denser layout, switch to list view from the toolbar. Grid view is best when you want visual thumbnails and a generous hit area for selection.
Selecting files
GoMount supports three selection patterns that mirror macOS conventions.
Single and range selection
- Click a file or folder to select it.
- Hold Shift and click a second item to select the contiguous range between the two.
- Hold Command ⌘ and click individual items to add or remove them from the current selection.
Marquee selection
Click and drag on an empty area of the grid to draw a selection rectangle. Any item whose icon or label intersects the rectangle becomes selected. Hold Command ⌘ while dragging to add the marquee selection to an existing selection, or hold Shift to extend it.
Marquee selection is the fastest way to select many photos or documents scattered across a folder. Start the drag in a blank space between icons; dragging directly on an icon will initiate a drag-and-drop instead.
Select all and clear
Press Command ⌘ + A to select every visible item in the current folder. Press Esc or click an empty area to clear the selection. The status bar at the bottom of the window shows how many items are selected and their combined size.
Copy, cut, and paste
Once files are selected, use the standard macOS clipboard shortcuts to move data around.
- Copy: Command ⌘ + C — places a reference of the selected items on the system pasteboard.
- Cut: Command ⌘ + X — marks the selected items to be moved when pasted.
- Paste: Command ⌘ + V — writes the copied or cut items into the current folder.
Cut and paste within the same NAS volume is usually instantaneous because GoMount can perform a server-side move. Copy and paste across volumes, or from your Mac to the NAS, uses the transfer queue so you can track progress and pause if needed.
After cutting files, do not quit GoMount or eject the source volume before pasting. The cut operation is only finalized when you paste. If the source becomes unreachable, the pasteboard reference becomes invalid and you will need to copy the files again.
Working with Finder
GoMount registers its file references with the macOS pasteboard using standard formats, so copy and paste works across apps.
- Copy files in GoMount and paste them into a Finder window to download them to your Mac.
- Copy files in Finder and paste them into a GoMount browser window to upload them to your NAS.
- Files copied from GoMount also work in file dialogs, email attachments, and messaging apps that accept file promises.
When pasting from Finder into GoMount, the app automatically adds the operation to the transfer queue. You can open the queue from the menu bar or the main window to monitor speed, remaining time, and any errors.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + A | Select all items in the current folder |
| Command ⌘ + C | Copy selected items |
| Command ⌘ + X | Cut selected items |
| Command ⌘ + V | Paste items into the current folder |
| Command ⌘ + click | Add or remove an item from the selection |
| Shift + click | Select a contiguous range |
| Esc | Clear selection |
| Space | QuickLook preview of selected item |
| Command ⌘ + ↑ | Go to parent folder |
| Enter | Rename selected item |
Name conflicts
When you paste files into a folder that already contains items with the same name, GoMount shows a conflict panel. You can choose to keep both, replace the existing files, or skip the duplicates.
If you choose Keep Both, GoMount appends a numbered suffix to the pasted copy, for example report.pdf becomes report 1.pdf. This matches Finder behavior and prevents accidental overwrites.
Power tips
- Preview before copying: Press Space on a selected file to open QuickLook. Confirm it is the right file before adding it to the transfer queue.
- Use the transfer queue for large jobs: Copying hundreds of files? Start the paste, then open the transfer queue to pause and resume individual transfers.
- Combine with Favorites: Save frequently used folders to Favorites so you can jump to source and destination folders quickly.
- Sort before selecting: Sort the grid by name, size, or date to group related files together, then use Shift-click or marquee selection to grab them all at once.
Now that you can select and copy files efficiently, learn how to bookmark your favorite NAS folders or read the full File Browser advanced tips guide for offline cache, QuickLook, and transfer queue workflows.