Universal Folder Settings

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Level 1

30 points

Universal Folder Settings

I'm trying to set up my Finder so my folder settings are the same for my entire machine. While my understanding is that no such option exists, I read that if you assign a folder specific settings, that all sub-folders will have the same settings.

I assumed that this meant to apply your settings and then click the "Use as Defaults" button at the bottom of the settings adjustment window, however my settings for my subfolders are not changing to match the parent folder.

I figured that if I want universal settings, I could just adjust the home folder. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong, but don't know what.

MacBook Pro Apple Silicon

Posted on Dec 18, 2022 12:49 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Barney-15E

Level 10

123,314 points

Dec 18, 2022 4:37 PM in response to phkc070408

I read that if you assign a folder specific settings, that all sub-folders will have the same settings.

I don't believe that to be true.

When you open a folder and set view options, a .DS_Store file is written into the folder with those settings. That doesn't propagate to subfolders.

The Finder window is really a file system browser. It will maintain whatever view options you have set as you navigate around until it opens a folder with recorded settings (in the .DS_Store file). It will then display those settings.

There is nothing that will do what you want. There are shell scripts or terminal commands that can delete all of the .DS_Store files so that you can basically reset all of the folders to default. If you then open a folder and set the view options to defaults, all folders should open in those settings. If you decide to change the view options of a particular folder, it will open with those.

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Answer 2

dialabrain

Level 10

136,721 points

Dec 19, 2022 8:32 AM in response to phkc070408

FWIW, if you set your Home folder the way you prefer, all subsequent new folders will adopt those settings. Any existing folders would have to be adjusted manually.

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Answer 3

phkc070408 Author

Level 1

30 points

Dec 19, 2022 3:10 PM in response to Barney-15E

So I could i simply view hidden files and search for all files named .DS_store and delete them all?

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Answer 4

phkc070408 Author

Level 1

30 points

Dec 19, 2022 8:10 AM in response to Barney-15E

Hi and thanks for the reply.

So the way I understand, the “Set as Defaults” only affects folders without a .DS_store file, and that this file is created once I change settings inside a particular folder.

Am I correct in my understanding?

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