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A .DS_Store file keeps appearing on my desktop. It returns seconds after I have moved it to the trash. I have deleted the .DS_Store files (hidden) from wherever I have found them, but like the desktop icon, they immediately reappear. I some time ago stumbled upon the solution, but it evades me now. How do I get rid of this nuisance permanently? 😕
Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.1)
AJD1170 wrote:
A .DS_Store file keeps appearing on my desktop. It returns seconds after I have moved it to the trash. I have deleted the .DS_Store files (hidden) from wherever I have found them, but like the desktop icon, they immediately reappear. I some time ago stumbled upon the solution, but it evades me now. How do I get rid of this nuisance permanently? 😕
You want and need those .DS_Store files.
You need to hide hidden files in terminal, copy and paste:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE ;killall FinderFinder will create a .DS_Store file in every folder that it accesses including your Desktop folder. You witness this everytime you try and delete it.
AJD1170 wrote:
A .DS_Store file keeps appearing on my desktop. It returns seconds after I have moved it to the trash. I have deleted the .DS_Store files (hidden) from wherever I have found them, but like the desktop icon, they immediately reappear. I some time ago stumbled upon the solution, but it evades me now. How do I get rid of this nuisance permanently? 😕
You want and need those .DS_Store files.
You need to hide hidden files in terminal, copy and paste:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE ;killall FinderFinder will create a .DS_Store file in every folder that it accesses including your Desktop folder. You witness this everytime you try and delete it.
I just found another thread on this subject. It is suggested that it occurred because all hidden files have been unhidden. However, I have had all the hidden files unhidden for quite some time, but the problem didn't appear until but for the two separate episodes. I'll give Onyx a try.
HI! I didn't see your reply until after I posted this question. I had used the Terminal to expose the hidden files a while ago and as I mentioned, the problem didn't arise until well after I had done that. I'm puzzled.
Finder will create a .DS_Store file in every folder that it accesses.
There is really no reason to have hidden files visible all the time, unless you have some over riding compelling reason to do so.
You can change specific folders visibility, like your user library, in terminal:
chflags nohidden ~/Library.DS_Store files are going to be continuously created by your Mac; they store into on the preferences for Finder windows and such. No need to delete them.
They are usually hidden so that people who don't know what they are won't worry about them and unnecessarily delete them...😉
Rob
AJD1170 wrote:
I had used the Terminal to expose the hidden files a while ago and as I mentioned, the problem didn't arise until well after I had done that. I'm puzzled.
Well I am puzzled too, but only to the extent I think you just did not notice the Desktop .DS-store file before now.
There are other System hidden files (not just .DS_store files) you certainly would not want to be deleting willy nilly just because you don't like the looks of them.
They are hidden for a reason. Why be tempted, hide them for your own saftey.
Leroy: As I had mentioned, I have had the hidden files unhidden for a long time, and the problem has only recently appeared (today). I know that the file icon had not been on my desktop before. It is not that I had merely not seen it.
I finally resorted to using Onyx to fix the problem. At first, I used the maintenance utility, and that cleared all of the .DS_Store files, even the one on my desktop. But as has been the problem, they reappeared instantly. I then used Onyx to hide all the hidden files, and that fixed the problem. However, that does not really address the specific problem I am trying to solve.
Anyway, thanks for all your help. I'm sure all the other members of this community think as highly of you as do I. 🙂
Rob: That was part of the problem. Even though I deleted them, they constantly came back. Oh well.......
I guess I didn't make it clear enough: your Mac system is going to create a .DS_Store file for every folder you have, no matter how many times you delete them. They are supposed to be there.
DO NOT delete them.
LEAVE them alone.
If you decide you have a better idea of how to run the Mac OS then you need to alter the code in the Finder or System that creates these files. Because no matter how many times you delete them, until you make such changes they WILL come back because they are supposed to be there.
I assume you have better things to do then play a useless game of whack-a-mole with these files, so do as others suggested and make them invisible again and move on.
Rob
.DS_Store files are housekeeping files used by OS X, you can't get rid of them. They will just get remade if you delete them. Your system is set to show hidden files, otherwise you wouldn't see them.
I fully understood your post. Thank you. Apparently, you didn't understand mine. At least Leroy was able to respond politely.
This solves the issue. Thanks.
.DS_Store file
