I often use my PowerBook at work to access files on our network, which is all Windows. As a result, our shared files are littered with lots of .DS_Store files. These are usually hidden, but as most power users often do, we like to see all the files, including hidden ones.

Just found a way to prevent the creation of these files on network shares. It basically involves typing a command in Terminal and restarting your computer.

  1. Open the Terminal.
  2. Type:
    defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true
  3. Press Return.
  4. Restart the computer.

That’s it. Now, go forth, and litter your network no more.

UPDATE: At the request of a reader, here is some information on what the .DS_Store file does:

Under Macintosh OSX .DS_Store holds the information which controls the way a folder will be opened; i.e., the shape and size of the window, the position of the window on the desktop and whether file, folder or icon view has been selected. If you were to delete the .DS_Store the folder would revert to the system default next time it is opened and a new blank .DS_Store would appear (invisibly).