Hazel FAQ
General
What is Hazel?
How is Hazel different than using Folder Actions?
What do I need to run it?
Will it run on 10.5 (Leopard)?
What is the difference between the evaluation, demo and registered mode?
How much does it cost?
How do I purchase a license?
How soon after purchasing a license will I receive it?
Where do I send feedback/bugs?
Installation/Uninstallation
How do I install Hazel?
How do I uninstall Hazel?
How do I upgrade Hazel?
Using Hazel
What kind of folders can Hazel monitor?
Do I need to keep System Preferences running for Hazel to do its thing?
When does Hazel run?
I am using the sample rules that came with Hazel and now all my files are blue. What's going on?
I have just set up Hazel to monitor a folder and it thinks all my files were just added (i.e. the "Date Added" attribute) even though these files have been there for some time. Is this a bug?
How do I exclude files from being processed?
How do I do a "catch-all" rule that applies to files not matching any of the other rules?
Can Hazel go into subfolders?
General
What is Hazel?
Hazel is an organizer for your files. It is particularly geared towards all the stuff you download but can be used on any folder you see fit. It is configured via a System Preferences pane. You can set up rules to move files based on different criteria. Hazel can also clean folders and manage your trash. Check out Hazel's product page for more details.
How is Hazel different than using Folder Actions?
In many ways, Hazel resembles Folder Actions, but Hazel can do much more. Folder Actions only get triggered when a file is added or removed from a folder. As a result, it is not very effective for time-based rules such as moving files older than some period of time. In addition, having several rules on the same folder become hard to deal with with Folder Actions. Hazel makes creating and maintaining these rules much easier. Lastly, Hazel can detect most cases where a file is still being downloaded or copied.
What do I need to run it?
You need a Mac running OS X 10.4 (Tiger) or higher. While Hazel does clean and organize, Hazel does not do Windows.
Will it run on 10.5 (Leopard)?
Yes. As of version 2.1, Hazel is Leopard compatible. 2.1 is a free upgrade.
What is the difference between the evaluation, demo and registered mode?
When you first install Hazel, it is in evaluation mode. In this mode all features except rule exporting are available. This mode lasts for 14 days giving you a chance to put Hazel through its paces.
After the evaluation period is up, Hazel switches to demo mode. In this mode, Hazel is limited to monitoring one folder and for that folder, only two rules can be active at any one time. Also, in demo mode, you cannot import or export rules and trash functions are disabled.
You may purchase a full license at any time to fully enable all features.
How much does it cost?
A full license can be purchased for $21.95 (US dollars). There is also a family pack which can be installed on up to 5 computers in a household for $39.95.
How do I purchase a license?
Click any of the purchase buttons on the site or within Hazel itself (or you could just click here). All transactions are encrypted so they are safe and secure. Please contact us if you have any special ordering needs.
How soon after purchasing a license will I receive it?
You should receive your license via email fairly soon after placing your order (usually within 30 minutes). Make sure to check your spam filters to see if it was blocked. If you have not received your license file within a few hours, please contact us.
Where do I send feedback/bugs?
We love feedback. Please use the form on our Support page.
Installation/Uninstallation
How do I install Hazel?
It should be easy as double-clicking the preference pane file in the disk image.
How do I uninstall Hazel?
Use the "Uninstall" button in the Info pane. It is important to uninstall using this method (as opposed to just throwing away the preference pane file) as the uninstallation also needs to undeploy some background programs and do other cleanup.
How do I upgrade Hazel?
If you are running version 1.1 or later, upgrades are a snap. If Hazel detects a new version (either automatically or via the "Check Now" button), it can download and install the update for you.
If you are running a version before 1.1, then before upgrading, it is recommended that you remove (but not uninstall) the preference pane first. In System Preferences, click "Show All". Control-click on Hazel's icon and select "Remove 'Hazel' Preference Pane". You can now install the new version normally.
Using Hazel
What kind of folders can Hazel monitor?
In general, Hazel can monitor any folder but keep in mind that certain folders may not be good candidates. For instance, P2P and other apps that might download a file slowly, may have their files moved before they are completely downloaded. In cases like this, it is best if the program has an option to download to one folder then move them automatically to another (Azureus has such an option). This second folder is the one you should have Hazel monitor.
Hazel does have special support for Safari, Camino, Firefox and Mail and knows how to identify when their downloads are complete. We will be adding support for more apps as time goes on so if you have a favorite app of yours you would like supported, please let us know and we'll look into adding support.
Do I need to keep System Preferences running for Hazel to do its thing?
No, Hazel does all its work with a background program. You only need to use the System Preferences pane to configure it.
When does Hazel run?
When it needs to. It tries to detect changes to the folders being monitored as they happen but it also runs periodically to catch certain changes. You should consider it to be running continuously. Sometimes, though, you may want to force Hazel to run (such as when you have just edited some rules). In such a case, you can trigger a run on a folder by selecting "Run Rules Now" (it's in that thingy with the gear). Also, if you want to stop Hazel (for instance, if you are doing a lot of edits to your rules, you can just click the "Stop" button in the "Info" pane or in the menubar item menu.
I am using the sample rules that came with Hazel and now all my files are blue. What's going on?
One of the sample rules sets the Finder color of the file to blue when a file has been recently added. Please see the next question.
I have just set up Hazel to monitor a folder and it thinks all my files were just added (i.e. the "Date Added" attribute) even though these files have been there for some time. Is this a bug?
"Date Added" is not an attribute recorded by OS X so Hazel records it itself. As a result, any files already in a folder when Hazel first scans it are considered newly added. Any files added afterwards, though, should have an accurate "Date Added" attribute. Note that this also applies to the Trash when determining how long a file has been sitting there.
How do I exclude files from being processed?
Use the "Ignore file" action. Make the first rule match the files you want to ignore and set the action to "Ignore file". Since Hazel stops processing rules after the first match, the subsequent rules in the list will not be applied to any files that match this rule.
How do I do a "catch-all" rule that applies to files not matching any of the other rules?
Use the "Any file" condition for the last rule in the list. Anything that doesn't match the previous rules will match this one. Just set any actions on it you like.
Can Hazel go into subfolders?
Normally, Hazel only processes the files and folders at the top level. If you would like Hazel to descend into a folder, create a rule to match the folders you would like Hazel to go into, and set the action to "Run rules on folder contents". This causes Hazel to run the rule set against any files and folders inside the folder that matched the rule. Note that the action will fail if used on a file, so it is important to make sure that the rule has a condition specifying "Kind is folder".
If your question isn't answered here, do not hesitate to contact us