where is the the position of files stored where they appear in the finder window? How is this organized?

Papaya-Pok-Pok wrote:

BTW. I was able to find an APP which is called DIM from J.Parker which can do the trick, so problem is solved, however, would like to know, how the trick is done...

You should ask Greg Parker how he solved the problem. He may or may not be willing to explain it. But his source code is freely available here and could be inspected.

BDAqua, .DS_Store manipulation is intended to be OS-only. Be very careful.

Yes, the OS is supposed to handle everything, but often when it doesn't, one must workaround, but the .DS_Store files are here the positions & sorting of files are saved, & they can becoume corrupted.

As they say. 😀 Yes. It is worth that extra effort.

The Finder automatically arranges the applications in the Applications folder by name so that they appear alphabetically in order. Millions of users have accepted this fact since 2000 and yours is the first post I have seen wanting explicit custom arrangement of these applications.

Why not just drag and drop the applications that you use most frequently onto the Dock where you can arrange in the order of usage frequency and from which you can launch with a single click?

Hey Tom, what you question is disk technology. Viking and company provide good and deep Apple user answers. However, what you describe in your query is, for all OS manufacturers, frankly a conundrum.

I can make it even more perplexing for you, with a Desktop icon [files, folders, aliases] order held with Snap-To-Grid. Reinstall not required, simply momentarily store your Desktop in iCloud with Settings. OOPS! Then step back, turn off iCloud storage and try to restore your carefully ordered desKtop. Now a MESS. MacOS and especially the Cloud have no sophistication, what-so-ever.

Our resolution rests comfortably in our unique and individual custom backup and restore methodology. For desktop, save backups in icon column folders: default 4K resolution, 12 icons per backup column folder. Cmd-J icon-size 52x52. Grid spacing around the middle. And so on.

What you need is to invent your own custom backup. Remember, you are also restoring into your very own custom layout. Be your own boss, as they say. 😀 Yes. It is worth that extra effort.

My solution is manual and clunky but very reliable. Please note that Desktop backups relate always to 4K displays that are scaled in System Preferences to 2560x1440, so my Desktop Snap-To-Grid column-row layout using ⌘J with Icon size 52x52 and Grid spacing in the exact middle of the slider. Consistently, my Desktop icons have 17 columns and 12 rows. Parsing between devices and display resolutions requires appropriate settings for recipient devices.

Desktop items are stored in dated and nominal backup folders with subfolder column folders. For example, folder name 'Desktop240131' holds backups of Desktop for 2024 January 31. And thus, subfolder Desktop240131col1 (or just col1) subfolder contains all 12 items in column 1.

You can reinforce layout by naming Desktop items according to column and row. Column sort being reinforced with top-to-bottom alphanumeric names. A simple method that I often use, is to add spaces and/or dots in front of the names of Desktop items. One my universities augments Dewey classification systems in their Libraries, in a similar fashion. For me, spaces are the usual name-sort tool for columns. So that in Finder all alphanumeric Desktop items are easily sorted by colummn and name in a single folder, no subfolders, further simplifying dated folder archives.

Cautions:- When restoring any sorted items to Desktops in macOS, the device scatters dropped or pasted items in a messy way. Further, aside from usual Snap-To-Grid, MacOS Desktops should never be right click sorted alphabetically, as consistently that sort will result in a mess. I alwats drop in a column folder to the left of anything on the Desktop, and then sort manually. Time Macine in the Desktop folder is also a mess-maker, in this restore layout context.

BDAqua, another interesting reply. 'Possibly at the root...'

While every system has the system "Applicatiions" folder, macOS has an especial response to any additional User root (Finder › Go › Home) folder that is also named "Applications". The User root manually created "Applications" folder is automatically assigned the system "Applications" folder icon.

Today, rather than store gigabytes of third party software in system Applications, where it downloaded causing chaos, Apple Care had us create a new User root Applications folder, where all the disruptive apps were moved. Immediately, macOS returned to excellent health. And all those third party Apple Store downloads also work as expected in the new User root Applications folder.

The position of files and folders in the Finder is specific in a consistently fixed way to the exact locations where the Finder expects all files and folders to be stored. Unexpected tamper will damage the macOS system. The especial relatinship with the User Home Applications folder clearly illustrates protective steps that can be taken to manage apps and users tlat conflagrate data security. While reinforcing the correct Finder location of all system data.

Papaya, re: "the order... is gone."

The order is always and only your order on your desktop. That is, folder User/Desktop (Finder › Go › Home) folder data that is ordered by User influences over three (3) Library administrations of data. Specifically:

Library and System\Library and User\Library

Apple told me (and it seems sensible) that Desktop icon oder and spacing are "gone," as you describe, for security reasons. Regardless, as the owner and administrator of your own Destop, there are steps that you can take to backup and restore your Desktop icon order securely.

VikingOSX

Your reply inspires and cautions. MacOS by default sets Finder in Icon display. True, Applications is in alphabetic order, but my own Icon folders grow and sort rather like the temporal chaos that is life. So I opt for (pragmatic?) Finder sorts in List view. First step on each macOS install being convert all Finder default folders manually from Icon to List views, using the ⌘J Use as Defaults everywhere. Is this conversion from Icon to List view defaults a problem, and if so, why?

TLC! Massage = tender loving care. Well, did try, not help here.

I did notice something 'different'. Of interest to all, perhaps. My 4K 17x12 icon layout on a dual display system used to always wrap around that old top right display corner with extra space always along left side of display... Until this week 240429 5AM PST when magically icons suddenly spaced evenly, horizontally fluid layout.

Vertically, icon size and spacing both static, perhaps affording dynamic User Dock around a static Desktop icon vertical space. Totally cool. MacOS is constantly improving.

Have you tried the View Menu in Finder>sort by... ?

The icons for what?

Is it that the settings donot stick after a restart?