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Panther view options won't "stick"

V

Vikefan

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 19, 2003
11
0
This is more of an annoyance than a big problem, but here goes:

The first time I open any Finder window, it opens in icon view. Personally, I like list view, and always set my windows this way. But the "List" setting never sticks for me. The next time I start my G5 (running 10.3.2), every window opens in icon view. After I reset it, it will stay until the next restart.

TIA for any help!
 
here's what you can do, i think...

set your finder view to exactly how you like. then close the window. then open again. it should retain the settings... to check, go to terminal and do 'ls -a' in the folder you want to change the view. the view settings are stored in .DS_store file. if that files has an updated time stamp, it should remember the setting the next time you open the window.

it's tricky and one of the things i don't like about the finder. it's sort of in between file system browser and a spacial file system. i personally like the list view and i wish there was a way to default all windows to open up in that view. but alas, not possible at this time.
 
Thanks for the reply. :)

The DS Store file is there, and the windows DO keep their settings through multiple "openings and closings." It's just after a restart that they revert. I wonder if the DS store file is getting deleted at startup or something? I'll have to do some digging...

Thanks again!
:D
 
Originally posted by jxyama
did you repair permissions?
Click to expand...

Yeah, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Oh well, like I said, it's more of an annoyance than a problem.
 
hey i tried it out..i changed the view options and restarted the machine...there wasnt any problem..it was the way i changed it..
 
My view settings in Panther 10.3.2 also do not stick! It is really annoying. I have no clue how to use the Terminal app so what the heck does this mean: "go to terminal and do 'ls -a' in the folder you want to change the view". Man that's sandscript to me? Feeling really stupid here. Any tips would be much appreciated.
 
I got the same problem, can someone post a step by step relatively simple way to fix it, its only after a restart that the view goes back to how it used to be.
 
Originally posted by Bmode
My view settings in Panther 10.3.2 also do not stick! It is really annoying. I have no clue how to use the Terminal app so what the heck does this mean: "go to terminal and do 'ls -a' in the folder you want to change the view". Man that's sandscript to me? Feeling really stupid here. Any tips would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
although i dont have this problems and my view options do stick..but heres and explanation of what someone said earlier..

first change the view options of the folder.( now i assume that folder is in your home directory,ie,under your username)
THen goto finder-utilities-terminal
u would get a small window now..
write "ls -al" without the quaotation marks.
this would give u a whole list of stuff.read the column on the extreme right. Look for .DS_Store.the column to the left of the name would be displaying the time it was last modified. And as you had changed the view options just now, it should display accordingly.
IN my case..everything is fine so i cant really tell how to correct it..but thats what jxyama said...
 
Let's get this out, when I open the Terminal app this is what I get:

Last login: Mon Jan 26 12:25:48 on ttyp1
Welcome to Darwin!
[cpe-xx-xx-xxx-xxx:~] bmode%

Where do I type "ls -al" and what then? Do I hit enter? Return? I don't get any list? My apologies as I'm grateful for the input, but it really isn't step by step advice? Especially when I've never tinkered with Terminal.

Never assume anything, the folder I'm trying to organize is APPLICATIONS, just inside the hardrive icon along with 15 other folders.

Now I know why people buy Apple care! Thanks anyway friends.
 
Originally posted by Bmode
Let's get this out, when I open the Terminal app this is what I get:

Last login: Mon Jan 26 12:25:48 on ttyp1
Welcome to Darwin!
[cpe-xx-xx-xxx-xxx:~] bmode%

Where do I type "ls -al" and what then? Do I hit enter? Return? I don't get any list? My apologies as I'm grateful for the input, but it really isn't step by step advice? Especially when I've never tinkered with Terminal.

Never assume anything, the folder I'm trying to organize is APPLICATIONS, just inside the hardrive icon along with 15 other folders.

Now I know why people buy Apple care! Thanks anyway friends.
Click to expand...

The terminal commands given do not fix anything. They allow you to check to see if the database file that saves the display prefs was modified so you know if it will retain it's setting through restart.


If you still want to use this command here's what you need to do.

1. Open terminal
2. type CD followed by a space (do not press return yet)1
3. locate the folder that you want to verify the database file on.
4. drag the folder that you just located and drop it on to the terminal window.
5. You should now have a line with the cd and space you typed followed by the directory to the folder you dropped onto the terminal window.
6. If everything is displayed as I explained in line 5 now press return.
7. type 'ls -la' without the ticks but with the space in between the ls and the -la.
8. Press return.
9. You will now have a directory listing of all the items within the folder in question.
10. Find the .DS_Store file it's usually the third file down from the top of the list.
11. Note the date just next to it. This is the date this file was last updated.
12. If the date isn't current got to folder in question in the finder and change the view option from your current setting and back to what you want it to be.
13. In the terminal window press the up arrow once and press return. Pressing the up arrow will enter your last command you entered. The last command you entered should have been the 'ls -la' command.
14. You should now have another directory listing of the folder in question. Once again note the date of the .DS_Store file. Has it changed? If not redo lines 12-14 until it does.
15. If you did get the .DS_Store file to update good for you your settings should now be permanent. If not you may be able to delete the .DS_Store file or a finder pref and re-enter your settings and get it to work. I'll explain how to do this if needed.
16. Once you have done all the above and have had success or not type 'exit' in the terminal and press return.
17. You can now quit the terminal.
 
Sorry MacBandit, no go. What about start up files in the System Prefs under Accounts? Come to think of it now, I changed the options for "Login Options" a week ago, to auto log on.

It's funny because I'm the guy that all my friends come to for Mac help, and I just can't figure this one out. My apologies and thank you for your time fello Mac users, but I give up. I'll just have to endure this tedious task until someone from Apple recognizes this problem.
 
Well there is another option. Create a new user account then login to them. Try changing the window display option there and then restarting and loging back into that account. Did the settings remain?

If they did you probably just have a corrupted pref file on your user account.
 
I have a similar situation that might be related....

I would like to set finder so that all folders will do preview.
If I open a folder and set preview, it will retain the setting next time I open that folder. But if I download something off the internet, and that something create a folder during the time the file is extracted, the new folder will not have the preview setting enabled, and I have to enable it for that folder.


Is there a way to set a folder and have the setting applied to all other folders (old and new ones)?
 
Simple Fix

1. Open the folder for which the options won’t stick.
2. Set the view options the way you would like.
3. Open Terminal.
4. In the terminal window, type “sudo rm ” (without the quotes; make sure you put a space after the ”rm”).
5. Drag the small icon in the problem folder’s title bar into the Terminal window. The folder’s path will be filled in automatically.
6. Delete the trailing space and type “/.DS_Store” (without the quotes), followed by the [return] or [enter] key.
7. Type your administrator password.
8. Repeat steps 4-6 for each problem folder. (The administrator password is only required the first time.)
9. Log out (or Relaunch the Finder); Mac OS will recreate the DS_Store file(s) from scratch.

Worked for me!
 
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