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Use uniform view options for ALL folders

M

miretogo

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 19, 2014
137
134
Hello everyone,

is there any way to use the exact same view options for ALL folders?

  • Right click -> "Show View Options" -> "Use as Defaults" works for folders that are created afterwards but not for folders where the view options have been previously changed manually.
  • This is, as far as I know, due to invisible .ds_store files that save these view options individually for each folder where the view options have been manually set. If I'm not mistaken, all the macOS versions of at least the last 5+ years have been behaving like this.
I don't want to set the same view options manually all the time. Is there any method to ALWAYS use the same view options across ALL folders?

PS: I would be willing to use a Finder modification/extension but not a Finder replacement (such as ForkLift or PathFinder).
 
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Yeah, it's frustrating that you can't hit a "start over" button once you realize you'd like to.

You're probably on the right track, if you can figure out how to see those files.
 
Yes, it is frustrating. But since my attempt to delete them had no effect, I don't think I'm on any track. It's also surprising that after all these years, Apple has still not fixed this.
 
I remember this being an issue on Windows too. It's basically Finder/File-Explorer trying to be too clever for their own good.

There should be a "Use these settings for all folders and I REALLY mean that" in addition to what exists, which just seems to be a strong-ish hint.
 
miretogo said:
Yes, it is frustrating. But since my attempt to delete them had no effect, I don't think I'm on any track. It's also surprising that after all these years, Apple has still not fixed this.
Click to expand...

I never knew the AllowShowAllFiles also showed .ds_store as well back in the day....

It really becomes a necessity now .ds_store to be deleted in another OS like Windows. But even that itself is only temporary, till you the same folders on Mac.

Their only small file size anyway,, its like people would be having issues with thumbnail caches.... They serve a purpose,

an annoying one.. but still. At least thumbnail caches have more of a better reason to stay round.
 
I will admit I don’t know the finer points of navigating the os. Could you run an Automator script to change prior folders since you already changed the default settings?
 
Using Automator is an excellent idea. I just tried it and while setting the text size and view type (icons, list, columns, gallary) does work, setting the columns to be displayed in list view (e.g. data modified, kind, size) does not.

I assume it worked in the past, but Automator was last updated in 2016 and since then, Apple released Sierra, High Sierra and Mojave and some of the changes must have made the Automator action (called "Set Folder Views") partly dysfunctional.

By the way, Apple seems to have abandoned macOS automation completely in 2016, as evidence not only by the absence of updates but also by the their firing of the responsible product manager (https://daringfireball.net/linked/2016/11/16/sal-soghoian).

Therefore, it seems there are the following options:
1) Switching to another operating system.
2) Using a Finder alternative (e.g. Commander One, ForkLift, PathFinder, etc.). However, none of these can be integrated fully into the OS, so in certain cases one still would have to use Finder.
3) Accepting this Finder weakness and often setting the view options for folders manually (optionally using the partly functional Automator action for assistance).
 
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