# Is there a way to always show folders in List view?

**URL:** <https://discuss.binaryage.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-always-show-folders-in-list-view/1777>\
**Category:** TotalFinder\
**Created:** [April 17, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://discuss.binaryage.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-always-show-folders-in-list-view/1777 "2014-04-17T08:14:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sardaukar\_siet](https://discuss.binaryage.com/user_avatar/discuss.binaryage.com/sardaukar_siet/32/472_2.png) [@sardaukar\_siet](https://discuss.binaryage.com/u/sardaukar_siet)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://discuss.binaryage.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-always-show-folders-in-list-view/1777/1 "2014-04-17T08:14:24Z")

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I like List view, and I’ve tried to make it default for all windows using the View preferences, but new folders I open show up in Icon view… please help?

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**Author:** ![darwin](https://discuss.binaryage.com/user_avatar/discuss.binaryage.com/darwin/32/2275_2.png) [@darwin](https://discuss.binaryage.com/u/darwin)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://discuss.binaryage.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-always-show-folders-in-list-view/1777/2 "2014-04-22T17:53:54Z")

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You are puzzled by the behaviour of Finder’s View settings:

1. when you tweak some view settings on pristine folder (never visited  
by Finder before), Finder creates a custom set of settings and writes  
it into .DS\_Store file inside that folder, from now on the custom  
settings are persistent (even if you rename/move/copy the folder)
2. you can tweak the view settings visually by resizing/reordering  
columns, moving icons etc., but also you can tweak it via “show view  
options” dialog (CMD+J)
3. on the “show view options” dialog there is one interesting button:  
“Use as Defaults”, when you click it, it remembers current view  
settings and stores it somewhere globally with Finder settings, and  
now the important point, this Defaults are applied to all future  
visited PRISTINE folders (without custom view settings)
4. to get rid of custom view settings and reset folder back to  
pristine settings you have to hold OPTION on "show view options"  
dialog and select “Restore to Defaults” - this will not remove  
.DS\_Store file but it will mark folder as pristine again

See this post which helped me understand what is going on:  
[https://discussions.apple.com/message/17596088#17596088](https://discussions.apple.com/message/17596088#17596088)

Note: not all settings are stored in the “Defaults”. For example  
"Arrange By" setting seems not to be participating in this mechanism.

Makes sense?