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bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 05:30 PM

Well, I am a switcher from windows to mac, and i use mac osx 10.3, and i realy love it. Anyway, i downloaded lots of stuff, and after i got limewire, i noticed that something called .ds_store appeared. Then I started noticing it everywhere (it is hidden ofcourse, but i found a way to see it). anyway, i got a program that deletes all of the .ds_store files, and it deleted them all. So now my problem is that my finder is not able to find all of the folders and files like it could before with the .ds_store files being there. So i would greatly appreciate it if anyone could post how to recover the .ds_store files, or at least how to get finder to make me a new set of .ds_store files or just redo them. thanks alot for whoever helps me out.

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 05:32 PM

Thanks alot for whoever replies

dtriska · May 17, 2004, 05:35 PM

Those files keep track of window settings (position, size, etc.) and are recreated as you open folders in either icon or list view.

You should not lose folders or files by deleting .DS_Store files.

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 05:37 PM

I understand that dude, but what i am saying is that when i search for something on the finder now, it does not appear when i search for it, but when i actualy go for it, like going to applications, americas army, maps, etc. i find the file, but when searching for it with finder, it does not appear, and this is all started when i deleted my .ds_store files. is there any way to get them back? or renew them?

Maflynn · May 17, 2004, 06:04 PM

Try Get info on your disk, select Index now. Once that finishes up, try searching again.

To be honest, I never heard of this problem. I too deleted the .ds_store files but with no ill effects. The just get recreated.

Mike

real · May 17, 2004, 06:07 PM

I think we are all alittle confused. What exactly is going wrong. You are trying to open a folder and when you double click it doesn't open, gives an error? The only info ( I believe) in a .ds_store file is window position and size and other user set options, I maybe wrong.

Deleting these does nothing to your machine except force the OS it create new ds files.

Hope this Helps

real

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 06:08 PM

I have never indexed my disk, and i am doing it now.. what will this do? dont laugh at my stupididy, i just changed to mac from windows since 2 months ago (it is soooo much better and cooler then windows, i love it) only problem, not as many games.

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 06:11 PM

ok, this is what is going on. when you search for something in the finder (using the search place (in using panther)) then you find the things you are searching for. you can also find these things (for example quicktime) by going to applications, and going to it. but for example, when i go on the search thing, and search something called (insurgent_camp) which is a file i have, it does not appear on the search, but if i go to applications, americas army, maps, its there (insurgent camp). so everything is going just fine, only my searching thing for finder is not finding everything it should find, and i am thinking that this might be caused by deleting all my .ds_store files... lol, when i deleted them, i thought they were spyware at first!

dont laugh at my stupidity, i am new to mac

Developer · May 17, 2004, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by bma_mat99:
I have never indexed my disk, and i am doing it now.. what will this do?

Indexing allows you to search for contents within files. It doesn't matter whether you indexed a folder or not when you search for files by name, date or other meta data. If you don't want to search for contents it might be unnecessary to index the hard disk. The index uses disk space.

Deleting the .DS_Store files does nothing really harmful and is probably not the reason why you can't find stuff any more. Maybe you changed where to search in the Find dialog? If you search only your home only for example you won't find anything in the Applications folder.

If it's not that, try trashing the Finder preferences at

<yourhomefolder>/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

log out and back in again.

Developer · May 17, 2004, 06:20 PM

Originally posted by bma_mat99:
when i go on the search thing, and search something called (insurgent_camp) which is a file i have, it does not appear on the search, but if i go to applications, americas army, maps, its there (insurgent camp).

That's not the same file. If you search with the underscore it won't find the file if it has a space between the words instead.

pat++ · May 17, 2004, 06:21 PM

In the search field, click on the down arrow, a menu will appear, and make sure you have "Local disks" selected intead of Home or Selection

(this is because your file is in /Applications it seems and you're problably searching from your home).
No need to index the disk....

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 06:23 PM

im sure the stuff you told me are correct. Ill trash the finder preferences, lol, i do alot of preference trashing anyway, its a hobby of mine lol, cause every time i got a problem, i trash preferences, works like a charm, unlike crappy microsoft that you have to go through hell lol. anyway, is it possible that because my hard drive has never been indexed, thats why finder cant find files that are inside files>?

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 06:25 PM

how much space will 16 gigabytes of idexing take up? and how much time will it take lol?

dont laugh at my stupidity, im new to mac

Developer · May 17, 2004, 06:28 PM

Originally posted by bma_mat99:
anyway, is it possible that because my hard drive has never been indexed, thats why finder cant find files that are inside files>?

No, that's not the reason. Indexing has nothing to do with it. It's only for searching file contents. The Finder can't find files that are inside files because such things do not exist. If you mean files inside a bundle, the Finder doesn't search within bundles. A regular user wouldn't want to do that.

bma_mat99 · May 17, 2004, 06:31 PM

as in my previous question:

how much space will 16 gigabytes of idexing take up? and how much time will it take lol?

coolmacdude · May 18, 2004, 12:01 AM

Originally posted by bma_mat99:
only problem, not as many games.

Yeah, but almost all of them are good.

coolmacdude · May 18, 2004, 12:02 AM

Originally posted by bma_mat99:
how much space will 16 gigabytes of idexing take up?

Not much. But you should keep a few gigs free on your drive. Otherwise things will slow way down.

bma_mat99 · May 18, 2004, 03:03 PM

i have 132 gigs left, but they are going fast cause of downloading games and stuff, how much should i have left as a good standard?

Developer · May 18, 2004, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by bma_mat99:
i have 132 gigs left, but they are going fast cause of downloading games and stuff, how much should i have left as a good standard?

25% but at least 2 GB.

bma_mat99 · May 18, 2004, 03:08 PM

thanks dude, lol, you have answered on every thread i have ever made, you are realy helfull dude (developer). thanks to everyone else too! Gorick has been realy cool too.