Can't change default Finder view

Hi,

Have you tried going to the 'Finder Preferences' ( Command + , ) and clicking on the 'Open new windows in column view'.

This may be what you are looking for.

regards

Ric

It's funny...I've had this too and had already done what Ric says.
Don't know if somehow I'm missing an option elsewhere.

Hi iBook fan,

I'm sorry but I can't replicate your problem !

If I open my hard disk and change the view to 'columns' and then close it again. Whenever I now open it, it is always in column view !

sorry of no help !

regards

Ric

This topic's been around for a looong time. Maybe Apple will get around to fixing the Finder if they get enough Feedbacks—link's on the Tiger Discussions front page—because they don't read these boards.

The best explanation is that in the complex interaction of accounts and permissions, you only "own" some of the windows. The ones the 'system' owns may have nothing better to do than to retain your settings; or not. Mostly not.

The best bet for a fix is to log in as Almighty Root User—than which none is more powerful—then carefully set up your preferred look (avoiding traps like View options… defaulting to 'apply to all windows') then log out, and voila!

In the Users' Tips at the bottom of the Discussions Home page, you should find "Making Finder views persist" by Scott Radlof which will walk you thru the root procedure in detail. Do not attempt this w/o expert guidance.

Good luck, and send those feedbacks; perhaps one more is all Apple needs to take this issue seriously.

Folklorist,

Here is the "User Tip" to which Ed has referred. If you have additional questions after reading it, just ask here.

Scott

Scott (and you) did the work, I just grump about how crude and unfinished X's Finder is compared to OS 8.6, but thanks for the thanks; very welcome.

I do hope you sent that Feedback to Apple, they need to stop developing magic searchers likle Sherlock (fine on the Web, disaasster on the HD) and Spotlight and finish the job they began on Finder.

I have been asking this very question for almost 12 months in this discussion board. That was so helpful it was scary.

Thanks

Juan,

I'm sorry it has taken this long for you to find it. I do my best to look for posts pertaining to this, then point the poster to my "tip." Sorry I missed yours, and I'm very glad that you found the tip helpful.

Scott

Hi, Scott --

I just read your tip, and while I'm sure it works, I wonder whether this might not be a better overall solution, as it never requires enabling the root user, and empowers whichever users/groups one desires, to change window behaviors as desired.

The basic idea is to set all .DS_Store files to have a group ID of admin (for just administrators to be able to change them) or staff (for all users to be able to change them), and basic permissions of 775, as above. If the Mac only has one user, the user ID can be forced to that user (rather than root), too -- but changing the user ID is not necessary, once the group and mode have been adjusted.

The relevant commands may need to be repeated in the future, as not all directories will have .DS_Store files when created.

1. log in to the Mac as an Administrative user, and remember that you
will use the same password to authenticate for any `sudo` command

2. start a Terminal session

3. To see which files will be changed by #4, execute this command --

sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" ! -group admin ! -group staff -ls

4. To leave those .DS_Store files which are associated with the Users
group so associated, and associate all others with the Administrators
group, execute this command --

sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" ! -group admin ! -group staff -exec chown :admin {} \;

5. To see which files will be changed by #6, execute this command,
authenticating with your normal Mac OS X password when prompted --

sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" ! -group admin -ls

6. To associate all .DS_Store files with the Administrators group,
execute either of these commands --

sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" ! -group admin -exec chown :admin {} \;
sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" -exec chown :admin {} \;

7. To see which files will be changed by #8, execute this command,
authenticating with your normal Mac OS X password when prompted --

sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" ! -group staff -ls

8. To associate all .DS_Store files with the Users group, execute either
of these commands --

sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" ! -group staff -exec chown :staff {} \;
sudo find / -name ".DS_Store" -exec chown :staff {} \;

9. Now, to enable the groups you've associated with these files to make
changes that stick, set the permissions mode for all .DS_Store files,
by executing the command --

find . -name ".DS_Store" -exec chmod 775 {} \;