[OpenStep]

On my PowerBook the finder won't remember window sizes or even the icon sizes inside the window after I set them. I've repaired permissions and stil the same thing. Is there a way to just default all window properties back like on a fresh install? I've trashed .ds_store files in the windows that the settings dont stick but it's been driving me crazy. Any ideas?

[ged]

i had this problem with the first few versions (10.0 to 10.1.x), where every time i logged out, it would forget everything. hasn't happened with the last few iterations of the os.

anyway, to reset window info, try deleting the .ds-store in your root folder (you'll need to be root). i haven't tried this, so don't blame me if your entire system goes up in smoke. and obviously, make a backup before you delete the file.

-ged

[OpenStep]

Thanks, I'm giving it a try right now. Before I even tried creating a new user and the window positions were still not remembering settings, so its gotta be a global setting that has wrong permissions or something.

[Fuzzle]

Try booting from your CD and repairing the disk permissions. Maybe in the update the permissions got changed for the preferences directories.

[OpenStep]

I trashed the root .DS_store and it seemed to restore window positions. Only problem still is changing icon sizes or snap to grid settings still don't stick. I'll try booting off the cd and repairing permissions again and see if that fixes anything.

[Millennium]

The cause of this problem is unknown, but it doesn't appear to show up for everyone. One of my machines remembers window and icon positions and sizes, and the other one doesn't. It's very strange.

I do have one question, because I've been studying this issue. What is in your Finder toolbar? Do you have it visible, or do you leave it turned off? I think that the problems may be related, at least in part, to that.

[asxless]

In the 'whistling in the graveyard variety of solutions'...

I like 99% of my Finder windows to be set to: Smallest Icon, Label right, Snap to grid and always turn off the Finder window 'tool bar'. But I do set a few windows to List View. So....

FACTS...
As part of my 10.2 configuration (when I did a clean Install of 10.2) I logged in as root and set the main Finder windows owned by the system to the way I like them and then I set the Finder's View Options/All Windows to the way I like them. Then I logged back in as myself and set the Finder's View Options/All Windows to the way I like them.

In general, my Finder windows remember their settings (i.e. 'All Windows' or 'This Window Only') even across restarts. BUT... occasionally _some_ of the Finder windows 'forget' that that they are set to "All Windows" and revert to "This Window Only" but with large icons not snapped to grid. [Note: This is _much_ more likely to happen after a restart than during normal usage. And even more likely if an application installer/updater has been run that accessed folders in that folder's path.] Here's the odd bit... even when the Finder has forgotten that the window is supposed to be set to "All Windows" the icons still have the right spacing for the Smallest icons ala the 'All Windows" settings. So if I immediately go the View Options and click "All Windows", the icons are back to normal FWIW this has been a bug in the Mac OS Finder for _years_ going back as far as OS 7.5 and possibly further.

THEORY...
The widows that forget their settings are _often_ the windows with recent activity prior to a restart, application install, application update etc. . I _think_ that the Finder keeps the .ds_stores cached in memory and doesn't always (or correctly) write them to disk prior to a restart, or after an application install/update etc.

asxless in iLand