It's probably a technique thing, but after experimenting I can't see any rhyme nor reason, so what's the "trick"?

Situation: Destination folders have been created and sit on the desktop.

In either (a) downloading data files from Gov. website, Save.....dialogue box opens inviting me to select where to Save;

or (b) creating new file in any application, Save.....dialogue box opens inviting me to select where to Save.

All OK so far.

What happens next: Sometimes the destination folder shows in the drop-down menu. Sometimes it does not, forcing the user to Save to Desktop and then drag it into the correct folder afterwards.

It makes no difference if the destination folder is already open or not. It makes no difference if one had already opened-then-closed the destination folder, in an attempt to make it show up on "Recent Places". It makes no difference which Mac out of the 4 here.

I don't get it, it's time-wasting, and I can only think I'm missing some technique.

Click the downward-pointing triangle to the right of the proposed Save name. This will expand the Save dialog to resemble a Finder window, from which you should be able to navigate to whichever folder you like.

The dropdown menu only shows the last 5 places you saved. It sounds like oyu have the "collapsed" Save As dialog, which does not show you all folders; it only shows the last 5 you've used. If that's the case, dkmarsh's suggestion (click the triangle to see the full Save As dialog) will get it sorted.

That's brilliant, dk, it worked like a dream. Exactly the kind of "trick" (i.e., technique) I suspected existed. THANK YOU.

Interestingly, it showed* the last 5 folders you used in that application. Before posting the question, I tried three different apps, and got different "recent places" lists for each one.

*Now that I've done DK's triangle-click-trick, all apps are behaving themselves. <rolls eyes>

THANKS, GUYS.

If you want more control over default locations, etc. in the Open/Save dialog, look into Default Folder .

In carbon (procedural code) apps you have only the developer of the application to blame for showing the last five in that application. But it is only fair to point out that some of us, I for one, prefer the save dialog target to be application specific. That fits more closely with the way I organize my files.