At least on Mountain Lion, there doesn't seem to be any default view mode. The view mode used for folders without a view mode saved in a .DS_Store
file is changed when you create a new window or close the last Finder window. It corresponds to the FXPreferredViewStyle
key, but the key is not always updated immediately.
The always open in option should be called something like "remember view mode for this folder". If it's checked, the previously used view mode is saved to a .DS_Store
file, which overrides FXPreferredViewStyle
the next time the folder is opened. It only applies to one folder, or doesn't affect any folders under it.
You can delete the folder-specific view options by running sudo find / -name .DS_Store -delete
and quitting and reopening Finder.
![](../../I/static/images/403f109129f169b6e7d14f3f8f1b90ddc2b1c9b22b13ce6ce92fb485631eb668.png)
This has got to be supported..? If you go in to Finder's Preferences, maybe you can do it in there? Click on a Finder window, then click Finder (on the Menu Bar) and select Preferences.. Do you not see such an option in there? – James T Snell – 2011-08-09T17:19:00.063
Yep, it doesn't work anymore. – Raphael Caixeta – 2011-08-10T03:53:11.617
The problem with that setting is that its not reliable: the folder's own settings still overrides, and (for some reason) changing the view options for even one folder, like the download folder, changes FXPreferredViewStyle (and nothing much displays differently). – Vervious – 2011-08-10T17:18:49.780
Turns out, Lri's answer works, or at least it did for me. I very simply typed this into the Terminal and immediately the Finder updated in List View, for all folders, regardless of their previous settings. So, thanks! – Itai Ferber – 2011-11-24T02:49:31.427
3@Nano8Blazex This is because Macs use .DS_store to store Finder view information. You can remove all these files from your harddrive (it might take a few minutes), after using Lri's answer, and they shouldn't be overridden anymore unless you switch views within the Finder itself. – jrhorn424 – 2012-03-21T01:36:32.000