Automating this Finder view setting?

[Evil Lair]

Trying to find a way to create an automation that would set a specific Finder folder view setting, so it can be automated and crawl through a huge directory. Basically it would see if the window list view has "Show icon preview" enabled, and if so turn it off.

Now in Automator it has a function that lets you set just about every list view setting, everything BUT "Show icon preview" of course. Is there some other easy method that would do this?

 

[benwiggy]

Can't you just set that as the default for all windows, rather than explicitly setting it for every folder?

 

[Gregg2]

Use as Default in Show View Options will work for all subfolders IF said folders have not been manually altered in any way. In other words, the subfolders that are still at factory default will follow the changes made to the enclosing folder.

 

[Evil Lair]

Yep, already have the default set with icons turned off, but it doesn't override folders with it explicitly turned on. Unfortunately the giant directory I want to modify has the majority of them turned on.

 

[benwiggy]

Maybe just recursively delete the .DStore files?

 

[chown33]

I think "Show icon preview" is present under Icon view, so you could try a 2-pass process of setting Icon view parameters with that unchecked, then the List view pass as shown.

 

[gilby101]

AppleScript perhaps. It has Show Icon Preview in its window parameters.
I would help you more but my knowledge of AppleScript is reading and writing only with great difficulty!?

 

[Ben J.]

For a complete reset of all folder views, delete the com.apple.finder.plist in user preferences. Quit and restart Finder. Then set up a folder view the way you want it, and select Use as Default. Now that all your views have been set to default view, all folders will show in the new default view.

 

[katbel]

I have the same problem of not being able to set List view as default for mounted disk image I created, no problems for all the other folders
A View option shows only Icon list view available
I have older disk images created with older systems and there is no such problem, all set in List view

I tried to create a new image not in APFS but in the old MacOS Journaled but the problem is still there

macOS is Sequoia
Any idea?

 

[gilby101]

not being able to set List view as default for mounted disk image I created

I get the same. Also Sequoia.