Is it possible to modfiy the default values for "View options" in Finder?

Question

Is it possible to modfiy the default values for "View options" in Finder?

There are several default values in Finder Preferences that I would like to change permanently.

1). The "view" default value when opening a folder is "view as icons", which can be changed to "view as columns". However, I prefer "view as list", but this option is not available. Where can I change this?

2). When a folder is opened, the "Show View Options" defaults are "Use relative dates" and NOT "Calculate all sizes", but I would prefer all the opposite, that is: NOT "Use relative dates" and YES "Calculate all sizes". Where can I change this?

3). I would also like to be able to select permanently, the order in which the columns appear, as well as the width for each of these columns. Where can I change this?

It is bothersome to be forced to make all these changes manually every time a folder is created or opened. Is it possible to change these default values, so that all new folders (as well as all existing ones) be always opened the same way, forever?

I hate to say this, but these options exist in Windows, and I can't believe they are not available in Mac.

Thanks a lot to any one who can give me some advice.

PowerBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Nov 20, 2008 11:39 AM

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Answer 1

Ashka

Level 4

3,891 points

Nov 20, 2008 12:46 PM in response to Vicente Llorens

When in List View > Menu bar > View > Show View Options.
Always open in List View is at the top,
Options in the Middle,
Set as Default is on the bottom.

Click on any of the other three views on the finder tool bar and the view option window will change to suit.

In List View the date, size and other columns can be dragged to any order by the top of the column. You can also sort by clicking on any column heading.

Every folder can be set to any of the four views ~ Your Choice.

Generally, close the finder window in the state you wish it to reopen.

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Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Nov 20, 2008 11:53 AM in response to Vicente Llorens

1. Open a Finder window, press COMMAND-J, set the desired view to List in the Finder's toolbar, then check the option to Always show as List. If you wish this for all Finder windows check the box at the bottom for Use as Default. In Leopard these defaults can be changed for individual windows, and you may need to do this for the Finder folders you frequently use.

2. Again, these defaults can be altered as in the above.

3. Select the column you want by clicking on it in the Finder window. You can set the order as ascending or descending by clicking on the column a second time.

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Answer 3

Nov 21, 2008 2:14 AM in response to Ashka

Many thanks to those who have answered, but your solution is not available in my system. Maybe your suggestions only work for Leopard, but remember I'm using Tiger. When in a "view as list" the only options I have for "view options" are the following:

This window only
All windows
Icon Size:
Text Size:
Show columns:
Use relative dates
Calculate all sizes

There is nothing such as "always open as...", nor "set as default…"

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Answer 4

Nov 21, 2008 2:56 AM in response to Vicente Llorens

There is nothing such as "always open as...", nor "set as default…"

Which is why things changed in Leopard. Everyone here has been working in Leopard for quite some time. I suggest you post in the Tiger-Finder forum:

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=751

Though I suspect the only answer is "Upgrade to Leopard."
Francine

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 5

Nov 21, 2008 7:29 PM in response to Francine Schwieder

I'm running Leopard 10.5.5 on a G5 and my Cmd-J view options panel does not have a "set as default" checkbox. I have a "always open in" checkbox at the top, but this seems to apply to the specific folder I invoked Cmd-J on. When I log out and log back in, all my previous Finder windows are automagically changed from Column to List view. Am I missing something or is there some sort of weird bug on my system?

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Answer 6

Nov 21, 2008 7:35 PM in response to Adrian Robert

Update-- very strange, if I am in any view BUT Column View, I get a different Cmd-J pane which includes a "Use as Defaults" button at the bottom. Sometimes this is greyed out, depending on the view type and the folder invoked on. But if in Column View already, I get no "Use as Defaults" button. What I would like to do is to set Finder to automatically use Column View for any new window it opens up, regardless of what the folder is and whether it is in an ongoing session or a restore-from-previous on login or crash. Is there any way to do this?

Thanks.

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Answer 7

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Nov 21, 2008 7:37 PM in response to Adrian Robert

At the bottom of the window that pops up when you click CMD+J in a Finder window is a Use as Defaults button. Also, I suggest you post your own topic, since the OP's deals with things Tiger and he's been advised to post to those forums.

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Answer 8

NJS

Level 1

15 points

Jan 19, 2009 1:40 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks for the suggestions as to setting the default values for "view options" - but I have been doing exactly as you describe and the default - at least for the main hard drive folder - doesn't hold. I want to see all my folders in list view, but every time after I shut down my Mac and then restart and open the main hard drive folder for my MacBook Pro (early 2008), it opens in icon view and I have reset its vie default to list view. I've had to do this almost every day for three months (I chose Always show as List in the Finder toolbar, check the Always show as List, modify one list option so the "Use as Default" option is active and then select Use as Default). Note that the default list view seems to be sticking with some of the folders I use more regularly - or created in list view.

Do you know how I can get the hard drive window to hold the list view as the default?

Thanks for your help.

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Answer 9

NJS

Level 1

15 points

Feb 15, 2009 1:04 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy, thanks for replying -- but choosing the "Always show as List" in the COMMAND-J (which opens the "Show View Options") does NOT hold the default setting for the Mac HD folder after I shut down (it holds during my current session, but if I shut down and then restart, the Mac HD again opens to icon view). All my other finder folders do hold the list view as default, which I have set, using the same technique of view option defaults.

I actually signed up to go to a Genius Bar session to talk to a Genius, and they couldn't figure it out for the Mac HD finder window and suggested I use Google to try to find an answer.

If anyone in the Mac community can provide instructions for setting the view option for the Mac HD to a list (or column) view - anything but icon view - I'd appreciate it.

Looking forward to getting the full solution

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