About DS_Store Files (Mac Files)

Do you routinely use a MacBook in your day-to-day life? If this is the case, you must proceed with caution while dealing with DS Store files. In certain cases, you may disclose information about your website or app that you’re unaware of.

Quick Navigation:

• 1. What exactly is a DS store file?
• 2. In which locations may you find DS Store files?
• 3. Mac/Windows: how to open DS Store files?
• 4. How do I delete a DS store file from a specific folder?

What exactly is a DS store file?

The majority of DS Store files come from Apple Inc.’s Macintosh OS X. OS X on the Macintosh. DS Store contains the information that determines how a folder will be opened, including the size and shape of the window, the location of the window on the desktop, and whether a file, folder or icon view has been chosen.

In the event that you were to remove it, the next time you open DS Store, it will be a fresh, blank slate instead of the system default. There would be a DS Store (invisibly).

In which locations may you find DS Store files?

The file extension (.DS Store) begins with a period to signify a hidden file. However, if you copy them to a Windows PC, copy them over a network, restore them from a backup, or unintentionally select Show All Files on Mac, you will see them appear on the desktop or even in an open folder.

To put it another way, whenever Finder opens a folder, a DS Store file will be created in that folder. After changing the settings on your Mac to display hidden files, you will be able to find the DS Store files on the desktop or in any other folder on versions of macOS earlier than 10.11.

But with macOS 10.12, DS Store files won’t show even if the defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE command is performed. Other hidden directories, such as .tmp, appeared after running the program on macOS Monterey, but not the DS Store files.

Google Drive Contains The DS Store Files

Hidden files, including those belonging to DS Store, are uploaded when data is transferred from Mac’s external SSD to Google Drive.

Windows Contains The DS Store Files

Windows users who are accustomed to receiving Mac-created folders or archives may notice DS Store files upon opening them.

Github Repository Contains The DS Store Files

The DS Store files are also tracked in the GitHub repository. The .gitignore files in the root directory may be used to ignore DS Store files so that you don’t commit anything unneeded.

Mac/Windows: how to open DS Store files?

A variety of software programs may use the same extension. DS Store may be used for many various kinds of data, which is why there isn’t a single DS Store opener that can be used for all file types.

Windows:

Open DS Store files by right-clicking on the file and selecting Open With. Then pick the program. Free File Viewer, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and Windows Notepad are just a few of the many programs our users have recommended over the years. You may also open the file by dragging it to a browser.

Mac:

If you want to open DS Store files on a Mac, you may right-click on the file, choose Open With, and then choose a suitable software. A free online DS Store file opener may be used if a compatible application is unavailable.

How do I delete a DS store file from a specific folder?

Follow these instructions to delete a DS Store file from a specified folder.

• Take a look at Go, Utilities, and Terminal.
  Note: It is possible that you may need to provide your username and password to utilize the Terminal program and remove the DS Store files if you are not logged in as an administrator.
• Change the directory to the folder holding the DS Store file you want to remove once you’ve found and located it. The cd desktop command, for example, may be used to access a folder that is on the desktop, then hit enter.
• To locate anything, use the find . –name ‘.DS Store’ –type f –delete command. Press Enter to remove all of the current directory’s DS Store files.
  Note: Make sure that you spell out the command precisely as it is meant, or you might wind up deleting other vital files from your Mac.
• Select the OK option. A list of all the folders containing.DS Store files will be removed from your computer.
  Note: Keep in mind that Terminal will only provide you an alert if the command you typed failed.

Conclusion

Since these DS Store files are an essential component of the storage and information of file system metadata, they are present in every version of OS X/macOS, from the most outdated versions to the most recent editions of Mac OS.

Learn more:

Tools to recover deleted or lost DS_Store files on Mac >>

Permanently delete Mac files including DS_Store files >>

Quickly show hidden files including DS_Store files on Mac >>

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