How to get folder views to stay as I last set them individually?

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Level 2

400 points

How to get folder views to stay as I last set them individually?

This problem has annoyed me so much ever since I got a new Mac a year or so ago.

In much older versions of OS X the finder would remember folder views on an individual folder basis. So you'd open folder X and view it as a list. Folder Y as columns, Z as large individual icons. Then when you go and open those folders later those views stick. Not so with 10.7.5. I hate it so much. There is one global view setting. If I set folder X as a list view, folders Y and Z are also list views. I open folder Y and view it has columns, and now folder X is in column view. Please someone tell me how to fix this if possible. Thanks. It's something that's really got to me just about every day.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Apr 4, 2013 6:11 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 4, 2013 7:34 AM in response to john cummin1

Finder should have the same behavior in Lion. You might have a problem with the Finder preferences file.

I would move the Finder preference file out of the ~/LibraryPreference folder to the desktop and reboot the machine. See if that clears it up.

To get to the Finder preference file do:

Open Finder on your Home folder.

Select Go in the Finder menu

Select Go to Folder

In the window that opens copy the following

~/Library/Preferences

and paste it in. Press Go

Locate the file com.apple.finder.plist drag it to the Desktop.

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Answer 2

john cummin1 Author

Level 2

400 points

Apr 4, 2013 8:53 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

No, exactly the same behaviour. No difference. I open one folder, view it as column view. Close it. Open a different folder, it's now in column view, view it as list view. Close it. Open the first folder mentioned, and it's now in list view.

I logged out and back in of my user account after moving the prefs file just to make sure.

I didn't think it'd be that easy to solve 🙂 but thanks for the suggestion.

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Answer 3

john cummin1 Author

Level 2

400 points

Apr 4, 2013 8:58 AM in response to john cummin1

I just tried it in a brand new user account. Same problem. It's obviously a bug in Finder. I can't believe it's persisted for so long.

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Answer 4

pjdube

Level 3

835 points

Apr 4, 2013 8:59 AM in response to john cummin1

You can also set it with Automator. Try that and see if that will work.

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Answer 5

Apr 4, 2013 9:06 AM in response to john cummin1

One other thing you are setting the Always open checkbox in the view window for the folders you want to have specific views for?

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Answer 6

john cummin1 Author

Level 2

400 points

Apr 4, 2013 2:13 PM in response to pjdube

I want different views for different folders though. Does that negate that suggestion or am I misunderstanding it? Thanks.

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Answer 7

john cummin1 Author

Level 2

400 points

Apr 4, 2013 2:14 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

Nope, it ignores that, it doesn't make any difference. The great thing about previous versions though, is that it'd just remember how you set it last -- individually per folder. It now does that globally. Which is infuriating. Thanks.

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Answer 8

pjdube

Level 3

835 points

Apr 4, 2013 2:26 PM in response to john cummin1

You can assign different views to different folders with that Automator action and workflow.

Just select one folder, change the settings and viola!

Then run it again and select another folder and change the settings to how you want it.

Then when you click back on the folder it should be to the settings you assigned when running the workflow.

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Answer 9

Apr 4, 2013 2:56 PM in response to john cummin1

Setting the Always open checkbox causes (or at least should cause) the currently open folder to open on that view from then on.

What you are describing on your system is not the correct behavior. On my 10.6.8, 10.7.5 and 10.8.3 systems you can set a folder to always open in a particular view.

As you said you are getting the same wrong behavior on two different accounts then that would seem to lead to a systems problem. But short of re-installing the OS I'm not sure what else you can try.

That you wrote in your first post that this has been going on for over a year leads me to ask what caused your attempt to fix the problem now?

You try looking through this Set the Default Finder View

Message was edited by: Frank Caggiano

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Answer 10

john cummin1 Author

Level 2

400 points

Apr 4, 2013 4:19 PM in response to Frank Caggiano

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3281448?start=15&tstart=0 - lots of people having same problem there. But on older version I think. I don't know. This is just somethign that nobody should have to spend time on.

I have an old powerbook running Panther. It doesn't have the problem I'm talking about. Whatever view you choose for a folder, it just sticks. None of setting preferneces. It just sticks. That's how it should work.

It absolutely drives me potty. It's a probl

I'm mean what the ****'s all that with Automator? I am chossing a view. It should stick. It doesn't. It's been a problem ever since I got this computer. Every update I think surely they've fixed it this time. No.

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Answer 11

john cummin1 Author

Level 2

400 points

Apr 4, 2013 4:21 PM in response to john cummin1

There's just one global setting for folders. Which ever single folder view is used that applies throughout.

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Answer 12

pjdube

Level 3

835 points

Apr 4, 2013 4:36 PM in response to john cummin1

john cummin1 wrote:

I'm mean what the ****'s all that with Automator? I am chossing a view. It should stick. It doesn't. It's been a problem ever since I got this computer. Every update I think surely they've fixed it this time. No.

Unfortunately I don't know what the exact problem is. You are right it should stick. I was curious though if you tried using Automator workflow to at least see if that works, or if it doesn't. I know that that would not solve the problem you are having, but if noone comes up with the solution then just try it. Otherwise I would reinstall.

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Answer 13

Apr 4, 2013 6:10 PM in response to john cummin1

This will be my last post on this. You're upset and you've a right to be but getting angry with the folks here trying to help isn;t the best way to go.

The behavior you're seeing isn;t the correct behavior, you have a system problem especially as you said this was happening in a new user account.

The post you linked to was from over a year ago. Searching the web isn;t turning up anything as far as this not working so if it was a bug I'd expect to see some traffic. I'll again recommend the link I posted.

An OS re-install will take a minimum amount of time and will rule out any corruption in system level files. It will not overwrite any of your user data.

regards

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