Consistent Finder Setup Layout Problem

[JoelBC]

I am trying to get all Finder windows to:

1. open in List view (which I think I have solved);

2. have the same columns headings (which I can almost but not quite get); and

3. have the columns appear in the same position (which I cannot get and s maddening).


The approach I have been using is as follows:

1. Go to Finder and display / select the MacIntosh HD because it is the parent to all subsequent folders

2. Configure Finder / McIntosh as desire by:

a) setting the View Options as noted below

b) setting / aligning the columns as noted below

c) selecting "Use as Defaults"

3) Because I hav ei) selected "Always open in list view" ii) I have selected "Browse on list view" and iii) I have selected "use as Defaults" I expect -- and perhaps wrongly so -- every Finder I open to appear exactly as configured above.


In running through other folders sometimes i) the columns headings are aligned differently (i.e., Desktop) ii) the columns heading names are different and in some cases not even close (i.e., Downloads) and iii) sometimes they match perfectly.

When the columns headings are aligned differently, the columns heading names are different or any other difference exists I check those folders to make sure they do not have "their own" View Options, return to MacIntosh HD, re-select "Use as Defaults" thinking this would solve the problem only to be disappointed!

Would really appreciate help in getting this to work.

Thank you!

 

[Gregg2]

OK, you are doing it correctly. However, "Use as Defaults" will not override any settings previously selected for a given Finder window. Therefore, any window within Macintosh HD that you have not adjusted the settings for previously should now conform to what you selected for Defaults. It will probably seem random to you because you won't be able to remember if you've adjusted settings for a particular window before. Unfortunately, for those windows, the only option is to go through the steps again. And, if you ever want to tweak the Defaults, those windows once again will ignore the change, and you'll have to do them manually once more.

 

[chown33]

You could try removing the ".DS_Store" files located in any folders where you want to rely on the defaults. This file is historically where the per-folder setting is stored.

.DS_Store - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I recommend testing this manually (show hidden files in Finder) on a few selected folders, before committing to a large-scale removal.

How to Show Hidden Files on a Mac

All Mac systems contain hidden files and folders. These are often preceded by a full stop or a slash, and are kept out of sight of the user either to...

www.macrumors.com

 

[JoelBC]

OK, you are doing it correctly. However, "Use as Defaults" will not override any settings previously selected for a given Finder window. Therefore, any window within Macintosh HD that you have not adjusted the settings for previously should now conform to what you selected for Defaults. It will probably seem random to you because you won't be able to remember if you've adjusted settings for a particular window before. Unfortunately, for those windows, the only option is to go through the steps again. And, if you ever want to tweak the Defaults, those windows once again will ignore the change, and you'll have to do them manually once more.

Appreciated noting the following:

1. In the Finder windows where I previously set different / separate settings is there a way to turn off those settings so that they conform to the view settings that I set in the McIntosh HD folder (i.e., that is what I thought I was doing when I deselected the View Options in the misbehaving folders)?

2. Is there a terminal command to set everything back to the default settings so that I can simply go into the McIntosh HD set the View Settings and then be good to go?

3. It seems like a serious omission from a company that prides itself on simplicity to make it so hard to set a default View Setting for all Folders in one pass?

Any other comments / thoughts as to what I should try?

Thank you.

 

[JoelBC]

UPDATE: I found a solution!

I did see some further Google searches and discovered that in View Settings + Option Key changes "Use as Defaults" to "restore to Defaults". The "offending folders" immediate snapped to the McIntosh HD folder's View Settings!

The lesson is...change the top folder's View Settings and never any sub-folders' View Settings!

I hope this helps others!

 

[Gregg2]

The lesson is...change the top folder's View Settings and never any sub-folders' View Settings!

Correct! To your point #3 above: This is not a defect. Can you imagine a user who wants to have different attributes for different folders but accidentally clicks on Use As Defaults? If that reset all enclosed folders, that user would have a lot of work to do!

I did not know about the Option Key switch. I'll have to remember that one! Glad you found what you were looking for. This further illustrates that Apple's developers have included ways for users to do things differently.

 

[JoelBC]

Correct! To your point #3 above: This is not a defect. Can you imagine a user who wants to have different attributes for different folders but accidentally clicks on Use As Defaults? If that reset all enclosed folders, that user would have a lot of work to do!

Agreed But it should be easier to fiddle with the solutions to reset all Folder View Option (i.e., Settings > General > Reset All Folders to Default?

I did not know about the Option Key switch. I'll have to remember that one! Glad you found what you were looking for. This further illustrates that Apple's developers have included ways for users to do things differently.

The big lesson here is OPTON KEY = POWER, not only in Finder but elsewhere as well!