.ds_store files

Common questions

How do I open a .ds_store file?

On Windows use Safe to delete — no useful content; on macOS use Safe to delete — the Finder recreates it; on Linux use Safe to delete — no useful content. A hidden file the Finder writes into every folder to remember how you viewed it.

What is a .ds_store file?

macOS Desktop Services Store. macOS creates .DS_Store in each folder you open, storing icon positions, window size and view settings. It is invisible on a Mac and highly visible everywhere else, which is why zip files and repositories from Mac users are full of them and why they turn up on shared drives and web servers.

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