Pesky "Invisible File"

[CommonMan]

I have this file on my desk top called .DS_Store. I don't know why it's there or how it got there. It was not there a week ago. I try to move it off the the desktop and I get this annoying message that says "cannot move .DS_Store because it is invisible. IF IT IS INVISIBLE, HOW IS IT I CAN SEE IT! I would really like to destroy this file. I don't think I need it do I. And if I do, I why? Could I just move it some where or make in really invisible!!!???

 

[BFG]

are you networking with a pc?

 

[gavd]

This article seems to explain with .DS_Store files are so might be worth a look. Not sure why your file seems to be visible though...

http://code.jalenack.com/archives/what-is-ds_store/

 

[CommonMan]

Okay, what I'm going to tell you now may provide some clues.

No, I don't network with a PC in the conventional sort of way. HOWEVER, I have been transferring files from a PC to this Mac by using a Q Memory Mobile Disk. I think this is how this annoying file got on to my iMac. By the way, this Qmemory is terrific in that it is the only external HD I have found that is recognized for what it is by both the Mac and the PC. All the other HDs I used would only work in one or the other.

Thankyou for the link. I will look into that (even though I don't want to) to try and learn more. Really, what I want, is instant gratification. I don't want to have to work because I 've got so many other things I want to do on the computer today.

 

[gavd]

...Thankyou for the link. I will look into that (even though I don't want to) to try and learn more. Really, what I want, is instant gratification...

Well, the person who wrote the article said he was manually deleting them so I see no problem with you doing that. That should sort the issue out. My guess is that you copied something from the Mac to the PC with the invisible .DS_Store file on it. You wouldn't see it so wouldn't know you were copying it.

This would have been visible on the PC and I guess that's why it's now visible on your Mac desktop.

Hope this helps.