---
title: ".ds_store file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .ds_store file is a macOS Desktop Services Store. A hidden file the Finder writes into every folder to remember how you viewed it. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/ds_store/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .ds_store files

**.ds_store file: macOS Desktop Services Store**

A hidden file the Finder writes into every folder to remember how you viewed it.

## What opens a .ds_store file

- **Windows:** Safe to delete — no useful content
- **macOS:** Safe to delete — the Finder recreates it
- **Linux:** Safe to delete — no useful content

## What a .ds_store file is

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. Deleting one is harmless — the Finder simply makes a new one — and adding .DS_Store to .gitignore is standard practice.

## Details

- **Extension:** .ds_store
- **Full name:** macOS Desktop Services Store
- **Category:** Data
- **Created by:** Apple
- **Format:** Binary

## 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.

## Related pages

- [.csv — Comma-Separated Values](https://atoneplace.net/file/csv/)
- [.json — JavaScript Object Notation](https://atoneplace.net/file/json/)
- [.xml — Extensible Markup Language](https://atoneplace.net/file/xml/)
- [.yaml — YAML Data File](https://atoneplace.net/file/yaml/)
- [.log — Log File](https://atoneplace.net/file/log/)
- [.torrent — BitTorrent Metainfo File](https://atoneplace.net/file/torrent/)
- [.dat — Generic Data File](https://atoneplace.net/file/dat/)
- [.vcf — vCard Contact File](https://atoneplace.net/file/vcf/)
- [.sql — SQL Script](https://atoneplace.net/file/sql/)
- [.ics — iCalendar Event](https://atoneplace.net/file/ics/)
- [.sqlite — SQLite Database](https://atoneplace.net/file/sqlite/)
- [.db — Generic Database File](https://atoneplace.net/file/db/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)