Learn how to easily delete .DS_Store files on your macOS system to improve performance and organization. Follow our simple steps to declutter your workspace now!In this guide, I’m going to tell you about .DS_Store files that appear when you copy items from a computer running macOS. These items are usually not visible on Apple Macs, but they do show up in Windows File Explorer and even in Google Drive if you upload a folder from macOS. If you’re curious about what they contain or are worried that a bunch of .DS_Store files have appeared among your files, read this post carefully. Here I provide you with all the information you need to know.

What is a .DS_Store file?

.DS_Store is a macOS file that stores a series of data related to the different directories on a drive. Its full name is actually Desktop Services Store. Although its internal structure is proprietary, since it is not an open format, it is known thanks to reverse engineering. In fact, you can see all the details here .

And why do all .DS_Store files start with a dot? There’s an easy explanation for this. In the macOS Finder, which is the equivalent of the Windows file explorer , files that start with a dot (.) are hidden. This is also the case in most Linux distributions. Therefore, .DS_Store files are usually not visible on macOS, but they are visible on operating systems like Windows or cloud storage platforms like Google Drive.

The .DS_Store file stores information like this:

• Icon size
• Folder background
• Folder icon design
• Type of view chosen
• Exact position of each element (without alignment)
• Criterion for alignment or grouping of elements.

The application that is responsible for generating the .DS_Store file is the Finder. It does so in each directory to which it has access. Therefore, if you connect a pendrive to a Mac and then explore it from Windows, you will quickly notice that an item with this name has been created in each directory.

The Windows equivalent of .DS_Store is desktop.ini , which includes information about the appearance and settings applied to each directory. It can also be compared to thumbs.db , although this is responsible for storing thumbnails of image files stored in a folder.

How to delete .DS_Store files

Before I explain the methods you have at your disposal to delete all .DS_Store files, I can confirm that there is no harm in deleting them . If you copy a folder to Google Drive from a Mac and delete these items, nothing bad will happen to your documents and files. And the same goes if you delete them on Windows.

What if you’re on a Mac? The truth is that .DS_Store files, as I mentioned, are hidden. So they shouldn’t bother you too much, basically, because you won’t see them. Now, there is a way to make them all disappear in one sitting on your Mac, although in this case there will be consequences.

Basically, when you delete the .DS_Store files from macOS on an Apple computer, you’re actually deleting the display settings you’ve applied to directories on your computer. If this isn’t a problem, then there’s no harm in deleting them all.

Delete .DS_Store files in Windows

You don’t need to enable the display of hidden files in Windows to access .DS_Store files . All you need to do is open the folder in Explorer, select this item and press the Delete key. Doing so will send the file to the Recycle Bin.

If you have a drive full of these files, simply use the search dialog, entering the following operator:

When the search results load, select them all and press the Delete key. Then, empty the recycle bin.

Delete all .DS_Store files on macOS

To delete all .DS_Store files on macOS, simply run a command in Terminal. To access this tool, simply open Spotlight (Command + Spacebar) and type “Terminal.”

Then, type the following command:

You may see some errors during the process, as certain directories will be protected. However, the vast majority of .DS_Store files will have been deleted.

Delete .DS_Store from Google Drive

Another place I’ve frequently encountered .DS_Store files is in Google Drive. When you upload folders from macOS, this item is also transferred to the cloud. In this case, the best way to locate them all is with a search that includes the exact term .DS_Store . From the search results, select all the items you see and delete them.

Don’t forget about compressed folders

Finally, don’t forget about compressed files . If you usually send ZIP folders from macOS, .DS_Store items will be included in them. As I’ve already explained, this is not a problem for anyone. They are not vital files, and they do not take up any space. However, it is worth noting that other users are warned that this item is not dangerous. Alternatively, you can delete them before sending the ZIP file.

And you, did you know what .DS_Store is? What do you think about this system? Leave me your opinion below. I’ll read you in the comments.