Resizing windows permanently?

How to set a preferred view

There are several ways you may open a given item in a new Finder window for the purpose of saving a view, but this method is the simplest. Follow these steps:
1. Close open Finder windows.
2. Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
3. Choose Preferences from the Finder application menu.
4. Click "Always open folders in a new window" to enable that option.
5. Open the item for which you wish to set a view. It should appear in its own new window.
6. Set the desired view in the new window.
7. Close the new window.
8. Repeat Steps 5 to 7 for any item you wish to set.
9. If desired, click "Always open folders in a new window" to disable that option.
10. Close the Finder Preferences window.

And this is from the Finder's Mac Help (Help menu):

Changing how items are shown in Finder windows

You can change the way applications, folders, documents, and other items appear in Finder windows. For example, you can choose to view items as icons, in a list, or in columns. You can also change the size of the icons and the icon text.

• To see the items in a Finder window displayed as icons, in a list, or in columns, click a View button along the top of the window.
• To change additional characteristics of the current view (for example, to show only specific columns in list view or to change the icon size in icon view), choose View > Show View Options. Then make your choices.
  If you chose icon or list view, you can change all windows that use the same view or only the current window. To do this, select "This window only" or "All windows" in the Show View Options window.
• To change the size of a column when in column view, drag the bottom of the column divider (where the two vertical lines appear). To change the size of all columns at once, hold down the Option key as you drag a divider.
• To always use column view when you open a Finder window, choose Finder > Preferences and click General. Select "Open new windows in column view."

If you choose icon or list view, the Finder saves your view settings. The next time you open the window you will see the same view settings you chose previously.

You can also customize the items that appear in the toolbar of Finder windows, or you can change the overall look of windows.

I have tried this and it does not work for me. I have specially set my Finder windows set to open in column view (see below). The preference to have folders open in a new window therefore does not have any effect and it is impossible to have any view stick as regards the size of the window.

As an aside, under normal circumstances if the Finder preference is set to open all new windows in column view, this will only apply to the users home folder. If one has set the default for new Finder windows to open at the top level of the hard-drive, such windows continue to open in icon view. This is because the preferences for windows outside of the home folder belong to root and not the user. This is very frustrating and, I guess, a consequence of the need to set folder permissions for the tight security of Mac OS X. Still, I cannot understand why one cannot set a default size for windows opened in column view. Even the root account cannot do this (I tried).

If one wishes to set all Finder windows to column view, it is necessary to start the Finder as root and set the preference. See the following for details:

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050217012732914

MB Pro CD 2, 2.0 GHz, 5 other Macs Mac OS X (10.4.8)