View Options defaults to "All Windows"

I've seen other unresolved posts. Maybe this has been corrected in newer versions of OS X. Is there a plist setting that will configure the "View Options" to default to "This window only", instead of "All Windows"? I don't know how many times I've changed the size of my icons in a folder, only to find that I've changed them everywhere. Any one know a way around this?
Thanks,
Alfredo

What we were referring to is what happens when you create a new folder and bring up View Options: at the top the default that is automatically checked is All Windows. If you unthinkingly set various view options for that folder, without checking the This Window Only, then those options will be applied to all new folders, and all folders that do not already have settings of their own. However, folders that you have at some point selected and checked the This Window option, then set custom view options for it, will be unaffected.
I suspect the problem that you are running into is that folders you have previously worked with will not be changed. Try this:
1. Create a new folder, bring up View Options, leave the All Windows checked
2. Run through List view and Icon view and make some settings
3. Leave the View options window open and then start opening some folders that you are unlikely to have ever opened before
4. Those that you haven't worked with should show the All Windows box checked, and display your new settings when you change to the various views
5. Windows you have set before will have the This Window Only box checked, and display whatever options you previously set for them
While this can all be confusing, and frustrating, it works for people who use different options in different folders for different purposes. If you could inadvertantly wipe out all the choices you had made for special purposes with one forgetful moment people would be even more distraught than they are now.
To accomplish what you want leave the settings you want check for All in a new folder. Every time you open a folder that isn't that way, and it has This Window checked, you'll need to change it to your preference. Eventually all the folders you use will be what you want, and all new folders will inherit the All Window settings you have chosen.
Francine
Francine
Schwieder

Similar Messages

Anyone?... Set View Options Default to 'This window only'

I came across this discussion (below) that I could not find a solution for. Why does the View Options window always default to 'All Windows'? Usually when you are changing a window setting, you are doing it for that window. Obviously you should not have to change the All Windows settings that often right?
There has got to be some plist settings (which I could not find) that will automatically set the View Options to 'This Window Only' rather than 'All Windows'.
--> http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=702637
Subject: Change Show View Options Default to 'This window only' ??
Message: I find it very annoying that the finder's default in show view options goes to 'All Windows' rather than 'This Window Only' -- i end up constantly chaning the appearance of folders, much to my chagrin. Is there any way to have the default be on 'This window only" ??
Thanks!
PowerBook G4 1.33Ghz / G5 Tower Dual 2Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.2) BBedit, Launchbar (obdev.com), Gmail, Sony Ericsson Z520a, Interarchy, Shuffle

Yes, I too find the default maddening and know of no way to change it. AFAIK the behavior is hard coded into the Finder. I would be delighted if that were not the case... You can always send Feedback on the issue:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/
Of course, considering the number of Finder problems I doubt anything much will come of it, but you never know.
Francine
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Changing 'View Options' defaults

Is there any way to change the options selected by default when a CD is read in or when a playlist is clicked. I find that I virtually always have to go to the 'View Options' command to enable the 'Composer' field. How can I make this field be displayed automatically?
Eric
PS I posted this question already but in the wrong forum -sorry! Is there any way to move a question from one forum to another, if you post it wrong?

What we were referring to is what happens when you create a new folder and bring up View Options: at the top the default that is automatically checked is All Windows. If you unthinkingly set various view options for that folder, without checking the This Window Only, then those options will be applied to all new folders, and all folders that do not already have settings of their own. However, folders that you have at some point selected and checked the This Window option, then set custom view options for it, will be unaffected.
I suspect the problem that you are running into is that folders you have previously worked with will not be changed. Try this:
1. Create a new folder, bring up View Options, leave the All Windows checked
2. Run through List view and Icon view and make some settings
3. Leave the View options window open and then start opening some folders that you are unlikely to have ever opened before
4. Those that you haven't worked with should show the All Windows box checked, and display your new settings when you change to the various views
5. Windows you have set before will have the This Window Only box checked, and display whatever options you previously set for them
While this can all be confusing, and frustrating, it works for people who use different options in different folders for different purposes. If you could inadvertantly wipe out all the choices you had made for special purposes with one forgetful moment people would be even more distraught than they are now.
To accomplish what you want leave the settings you want check for All in a new folder. Every time you open a folder that isn't that way, and it has This Window checked, you'll need to change it to your preference. Eventually all the folders you use will be what you want, and all new folders will inherit the All Window settings you have chosen.
Francine
Francine
Schwieder

How do I open with one click all the windows that I have been minimized? When I right click on the lower bar Firefox icon, I only see the option to close all windows.

It is used to be that I could right click on the Firefox icon on the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and I would then be given the option to open all windows. Now I only see the option to close all windows. The ability to open all windows is very useful. Have you eliminated this capability? It was a very helpful feature because I often have more than 15 windows minimized at one time. On a regular basis I like to open them all and keep only the ones that I still need. I know that it is possible to see the name of each window that is minimized by moving my cursor over the Firefox icon, but this does not provide enough information. So I have to open each window one at a time to look at it and then decide to close it or keep it - this is a frustrating, time-consuming process. Is there another way to open all the minimized windows at the same time, instead of one at a time?

A possible cause is security software (firewall) that blocks or restricts Firefox or the plugin-container process without informing you, possibly after detecting changes (update) to the Firefox program.
Remove all rules for Firefox and the plugin-container from the permissions list in the firewall and let your firewall ask again for permission to get full unrestricted access to internet for Firefox and the plugin-container process and the updater process.
See:
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Server+not+found
*https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Firewalls
You can retrieve the certificate and check details like who issued certificates and expiration dates of certificates.
* Click the link at the bottom of the error page: "I Understand the Risks"
Let Firefox retrieve the certificate: "Add Exception" -> "Get Certificate".
* Click the "View..." button and inspect the certificate and check who is the issuer.
You can see more Details like intermediate certificates that are used in the Details pane.

Show View Options (DEFAULT) DOES NOT work

I'm pulling out my hair trying to get my Finder "show view options" to default. This worked fine in Leopard, but in Snow Leopard, the make "default" option doesn't seem to work. I'm using an erase and install version of Snow Leopard. I've used Cocktail and SWIPE to delete all DS_Store files and still it seems the default option won't work.
I can choose my settings, then make default. Some folders will accept it and others won't. I've searched the web and see others with the same problem. Is there an easy solution? Switching through folders only to have different finder views is really annoying.
Bryan

Thanks KT-- I finally got it. After using Cocktail, DS_Store Terminator, another app, and a terminal command, then finally a restart, all seems well. I finally have all of my finder windows to my default view.
I'll bet Cocktail and then a restart would have worked though, but I didn't restart until the last step.
Anyway, it's good now.
Bryan

View Options default settings

I am fairly new to iTunes/iPod. Recently got 80 GB video iPod that I use with Win XP. I want to change the default settings for View Options. I don't want several of the categories that are selected by default and I want to permanently add other categories. I can't find a way to change the default settings. Every time I open my iPod with iTunes, it displays the same set of categories and I have to change the selected categories manually - annoying. Is there a way to change the selected categories in View Options permanently? Nothing about this in iTunes Help.
Dell Inspiron e1405 Windows XP Pro

I have this exact same issue and it's really annoying. A little help?

Change view options for only one window

Usually I prefer to view my windows as icons, but I like certain specific windows to show up in list mode. On 10.4, in the View Options, there was an option for "This window only" but that seems to be missing in 10.5. Am I just blind???

I agree. i enjoyed that feature in 10.4. It drives me nuts that if I want to change the view options for one folder because of the way I want to view its specific contents, the rest of folders on my system changes at the same time. I would appreciate it if each folder had a "memory" of its own view option settings.
However, I acknowledge that sometimes you would want to change a setting that affect all windows. But it shouldn't overwrite the remainder of the settings. If, for example, you wanted to change the text size of every icon in every window, but leave everything else as set in each individual folder, there should be an option for this!

View options in iTunes 12 - window won't display

When I choose "View Options", nothing seems to occur. The menu selection is not greyed out, it just doesn't seem to have any functionality when you select it.
Occasionally when I click elsewhere, I'll see a brief flash, as if something had popped up, but only significantly delayed and not long enough to figure out what happened.

If you are looking at the Library using the "Songs" option, then you can do as I mentioned above, and right-click on the heading bar to select/deselect options from the fly-out menu. But I think that only works for "Songs" view in the Library.

Change the Show View Options' "All windows" default to "This window only"?

By default, all Show View Options panes are set to "All windows". Is it possible to change the default to "This window only"?
I regularly change icon sizes for various folders, but never for all windows. So every time that I use the Show View Options pane, it's an annoying "click This window only" process.
screen capture of Show View Options pane
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/11080/2003481958008021751_rs.jpg
17" iMac G4, 1GHz PowerPC, 768mb RAM Mac OS X (10.4.9)

The default is for any window you have not previously opened and set to have All Windows as the default, for List and Icon Views. Once you click This Window Only and make your settings, then every time you open that particular folder it should remain at the This Window setting.
I find the default of All Windows really really annoying, but I am aware of no way to change this. Send Feedback to Apple:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/
It should be a user settable global preference, but it isn't.
Francine
Francine
Schwieder

Opening windows in column view by default

Hello all,
I just got a new iMac 24” aluminum a few days ago and have set up all of my apps, defaults etc. I want my windows to always open in column view and have used View Options to set it that way. Each day when I start up though, the windows revert back to Icon View and I have to reset them again. On my old machine I had them opening in column view by default and they always did so. And I remember that there used to be a button at the bottom of the View Options window that, when clicked would keep whatever you set your options to as a default for all windows. That button no longer exists. Possibly somewhere in one of the updates along the way it’s been removed. Anyway, I want to set my windows to always open in column view by default and can find no way to do that anymore. Does anyone know how?
BTW, the new alu 24" is GREAT!!
Rick

Then there's something wrong with you OS installation. Not really sure if there's an easy fix other than an Archive and Install. But you can try a few things first.
1. Repair the hard drive and permissions:
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger and Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger, and 4.1 for Leopard) and/or TechTool Pro (4.6.1 for Leopard) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Delete the /Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist file.
3. Create a new user account and log into that account. Does the problem cease?
4. Boot into safe mode. Does the problem go away?
5. Use a utility such as TinkerTool System and clean system and user caches.
If none of these have any effect then an Archive and Install may be necessary:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Icon Resizing, How do I set a default size across all windows?

Anyone know how to set the default icon size? I can resize them in each window, but I want to resize all of them across all windows. They are all so small now and I want to make all finder windows show the bigger size.
Thank you.

You're wrong. Every window that you open for the first time inherits whatever
you set as the defaults via view options. Previously opened windows retain
whatever settings they had previously.
Wrong here. The newly opened window get the settings of the previously opened window IF the check box of the Command-J window is not checked.
If the last opened window have "text on the right", text size to 9, and you close it and open a window who do not have the CheckBox [open in Icons] checked, your window will inherit the previously opened window settings (even if it was closed before you open the window)...
And I do not talk about reboot because I have TROUBLES with that on my SL machine (clean, very clean install [three times!]).
About the only thing you can't choose is how large
the window is when first opened. To reset everything, run this command in the
Terminal: copy & paste, hit the return key, and at the Password: prompt,
carefully type in your admin password, and hit the return key.
How do you do the reverse ?
[The thing that "have to be done normally" and do not do in my MacBook ?]

Finder View Options, For All Sub Folders

If I understand how View Options work in Finder windows ...
I can set View Options for a particular folder to always open up in a particular View Options setting.
I can set that very same View Option as the Default View Option for all the rest of the folders I open up.
But, what I would like to do is set the View Options for a folder and all it's sub folders to be the same. Without changing the default View Option for the rest of the folder I open up.
For example.
I like to have my Documents open up in List View.
I like to have my Photos open up in Icon View. (along with certain Icon View Option settings)
Is there a way to do this?
Can I set the directory and all sub folders/directories for all my photos to open up the way I would like them? Without having to change the way all my Document folders/directories open up?
Because the way it seems to work now, is that every time I create a new folder in my Photos directory/folder, I have to manually set the View Options, since the default is List View and not Icon view. If I change the default to Icon View, then any new folder/directory in my Documents will then open up in Icon View.

If the folder is not set to open in a specific view, it should open in the same view as the containing folder. When using mixed views, you need to open the folder in another window to get the view it previously had.
In your example, setting Documents to always open in list view and Photos to always open in Icon view should have any new sub folders open in the same view. If any existing sub folders have a different view, you will need to manually change the view, since the Finder will (usually) keep track of the view any particular folder has.

Finder views change for all windows

After playing around with Snow Leopard for just a few days, I noticed that when I change a view type in any Finder window, that view is applied to all windows. Is this by design? With Tiger, you could specify the view for "this folder only" or "all folders"

Joe - I've been heavily researching this issue. I've received some helpful advice from baltow, but here is how I fixed my problem. While in Best Buy over the weekend, I played on one of their Macs running Leopard 10.5.8 to see if the problem started before Snow Leopard. It did, wasn't just me. Then I found this site:
http://www.macintouch.com/leopard/faq.html#finder
It said: *Why don't my window view settings stick?* The Leopard Finder's approach to consistency is to use the last view you selected in any Finder window for all new Finder windows. You can override this on a per-folder basis; go to the menu View > Show View Options (or press Command-J). This opens a view options Inspector (a mini-window much like a traditional Palette window); at the top of this window, check the "Always open in" box to force the folder always to show the current view.
This is what was throwing me off - I thought that Always open in box was a global setting, not on an individual folder basis. With Tiger, you had two options: This window only, All windows.
Now I will play with the Arrange By setting and see if that works as well.

View Options - How to Choose "This Window Only"

I want to have different view settings for different windows, but I can't find a way to do so. I have read online, and several people mentions some checkbox or radio button allowing you to choose "All Windows" or "This Window Only". I don't have either of those buttons. How do I set view options for just one window?

Open a Finder window, in the Finder menu bar select the View option, then at the bottom of the menu select "Show View Options" and, at the very top of the Options window you'll see the radio button to click to "Always open in..." (with the ... being whatever view you have the window in).
Francine
Francine
Schwieder

How can I resize and reposition the Date Created window for All windows?

When setting view options for a finder window set to list view, I cannot get column resizing or positioning to hold. When making those changes, the option for "All Windows" automatically shifts to "This window only" and it then does not hold.
How can I resize and reposition the Date Created column for All WIndows?

Hi Harmz,
Try dragging this file to the Îesktop & reboot...
/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

View Options defaults to "All Windows"

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