What is .DS_Store File on Mac: How and Why you should delete it

Published 2018-09-19

Stumbled upon DS_Store file on your Mac? In this blog, let us find out all about it. In our previous articles we described simple ways to boost Mac speed by clearing memory or sometimes by clearing the unwanted junk. But there is one more method of doing this, in which you simply need to clean a single folder. This folder is known as DS_Store. The files within, are not only generated on your Mac they can also be found in archives you have received from other users. In this article we will understand that what exactly is DS_Store alongside how and why you should delete it.

What is DS_Store file:

In simple words DS Stands for Desktop services. This file is created automatically by Finder on Mac and stores information about how a folder will be opened such as its icons positions, Window size and shape. These files are in a folder on your Mac and do not cause any harm as they are created by the finder.

Why DS_Store files should be deleted:

So now it is clear that DS_Store does not harm your computer but still, it’s something not really required. Here are some of the reasons you should delete DS_Store folder from your Mac.

You want to reset your display preferences.
In case Finder is behaving weird when opening a folder. It happens because DS_Store file got corrupted. There are some simple signs by which you can know that DS_Store has gone bad on your Mac if you open a folder and gets closed within a second or so.
When you are transferring files from Mac to a computer having other operating system such as Linux or Windows. System hides DS_Store files and they can create a problem there because they are meant for Mac OS.

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How you can Delete DS_Store file

Before you proceed to remove DS_Store you should know that it is not going to harm your Mac. But you should only delete it in the case you face issues because of this.

One more thing you need to know before proceeding further that as soon as you delete DS_Store file your system will automatically create a new one and this is how it fixes issues related to it. So practically you will not be able to delete DS_Store ever. On Mac it is just you replace the old one which is creating an issue or lowering down system performance.

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How to Delete a DS_Store file

If you want to delete DS_Store file, then you should be careful that you have navigated to the correct folder because deleting any other system file may mess up with the operating system. So, let us begin the procedure of deleting DS_Store.

Open terminal by going to Applications>Utilities
Now you need to locate the folder or the directory for which you want to delete the DS_Store.
Type cd in the terminal window followed by the path of folder for which you want to delete DS_Store and hit enter.
Now type -name‘.DS_Store’ – type f -delete and hit enter.
DS Store file in the chosen folder will now be deleted.

This is how you will be able to get rid of the corrupted DS_Store file and your machine will create a new one for you. But you need to dive deep to search for the reason why your DS_Store file got corrupted.

In most scenarios, Junk files on your system are the root cause of this. Hence, it is highly recommended to clean junk from your Mac using Cleanup My System. The application is designed and developed by Systweak Software and offers a multitude of features to clean, optimize and protect your machine. To begin with, cleaning your Mac, here’s what you need to do:

Cleaning Junk From Your Mac Using Cleanup My System:

STEP 1 = To clean junk on your Mac, you need to download Cleanup My System on your machine. Hit the Download button provided below.

STEP 2 = Once you are done with the installation, you need to navigate to the Junk Cleaner module and click on Scan Now button to clean unwanted junk files from your Mac.

STEP 3 = Wait for the scanning process to get completed. Depending on the amount of digital debris accumulated on your Mac, the process can take time.

STEP 4 = As soon as the list of Junk appears on your system. Select the items you wish to delete and hit the Clean Now button. You will be surprised to know the amount of space that has been reclaimed using the Cleanup My System.

You can also proceed with other modules like One Click Care, Cache Cleaner, Junk Cleaner, Trash Cleaner, Mail Attachments, Startup Manager, Uninstall Manager, Large & Old Files, and more to optimize and speed up your machine.

Now that you have securely cleaned your Mac you can go further to remove DS_Store from the Mac so that it can be replaced by the new one with no bugs. We strongly recommend users to take help of a junk cleaner before to avoid such issues in the future.