What is a .DS_Store file?
December 31st, 2009 - Ask OS X Daily, Mac OS X
I frequently get asked about the purpose of .DS_Store files by Windows System Administrators who have a few Mac’s on their networks. Here is my explanation:
What is a .DS_Store file?
.DS_Store files are used by Mac OS X to store folder specific metadata information. They are created in every folder that Mac OS X Finder accesses, even network volumes and external devices. Folder level customizations are stored in the DS_Store file, things like custom icons, icon placement, icon size, window placement, list views, custom background pictures or colors, etc. DS_Store files are intended to be unobtrusive, which is why they have a . in front of their name, which indicates to UNIX file systems that the file is invisible. Most Mac users will likely never see a DS_Store file at all.
What happens if I delete the .DS_Store files?
If you delete .DS_Store files from the Mac folders, you will lose that directories folder specifics; things like icons, window placement, background pictures, etc, will be lost. While there is no significant harm (except losing the folder metadata) to deleting DS_Store files, unless you have a very specific reason to delete them, you should keep them in place since the Mac OS X Finder uses them. Deleting the files is really only necessary in some specific Windows+Mac shared networking environments.
Can I stop the DS_Store files from appearing on network drives?
Yes, by executing the following command in the Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true
It is rather easy to stop .DS_Store file creation on network connections but it is rarely necessary, read for more information.

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Hello all you loyal OS X Daily readers! Recently we have been receiving a large number of Mac OS X related questions in our inbox. Normally our staff would try and respond with an answer to the best of our knowledge. However, sometimes we get a question we absolutely do not know the answer to. We think it would be fun to run some of these by the many regulars who stop by the site. Please help us with the following question, and feel free to continue to email us with any Mac OS X related questions.