DS_STORE File Extension

What is the .DS_STORE file type?

Despite the similarity, .DS_Store is not a filename extension, but a dotted filename that, following the common Unix-style convention, denotes a hidden file. By default, such .DS_Store files are automatically created by the Mac OS X desktop operating system (Apple Inc.) for each directory first accessed by this OS.

A .DS_Store file is a hidden service file, in which miscellaneous per-directory settings such as sorting order, icon placement, choice of background image, etc. are saved using Apple's proprietary Desktop Services Store format. Information contained in .DS_Store files is automatically used by Finder, the standard file management utility in Apple Mac OS X, to arrange each directory's view accordingly and speed up subsequent access. Hidden .DS_Store files can be safely deleted, and their automatic creation can be disabled for a given user account by setting the DSDontWriteNetworkStores option to "true." .DS_Store files are not read or processed by any other operating system, except Mac OS X, and their presence does not affect the way directory contents are accessed or listed outside Mac OS X.

Software to open or convert DS_STORE files

Free File Viewer Pro