{"id":"mac-storage-basics.what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files","category":{"id":"mac-storage-basics","title":"Mac storage basics"},"subcategory":{"id":"finding-big-files","title":"Finding big files, Downloads and the Trash"},"question":"What are .DS_Store and ._ files on my drives?","alt_questions":["ds_store files mac","dot underscore files external drive","._ files on usb drive","delete ds_store","hidden mac files on windows drive"],"short_answer":".DS_Store files save Finder view settings; ._ files store Mac-specific attributes on Windows-format drives. Both are tiny; deleting ._ files can drop things like Finder tags.","answer_markdown":"**.DS_Store** files hold Finder's view settings for a folder (icon positions, sort order). **._ files** appear on drives formatted for Windows (such as exFAT) and store Mac-specific information, like extended attributes, that those formats can't hold natively.\n\nBoth are tiny and safe to ignore. Deleting ._ files from an exFAT drive can remove Mac-specific details such as Finder tags for those files.","answer_html":"

.DS_Store files hold Finder's view settings for a folder (icon positions, sort order). ._ files appear on drives formatted for Windows (such as exFAT) and store Mac-specific information, like extended attributes, that those formats can't hold natively.

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Both are tiny and safe to ignore. Deleting ._ files from an exFAT drive can remove Mac-specific details such as Finder tags for those files.

","answer_text":".DS_Store files hold Finder's view settings for a folder (icon positions, sort order). ._ files appear on drives formatted for Windows (such as exFAT) and store Mac-specific information, like extended attributes, that those formats can't hold natively.\n\nBoth are tiny and safe to ignore. Deleting ._ files from an exFAT drive can remove Mac-specific details such as Finder tags for those files.","tags":["ds store","hidden files","exfat"],"related":[{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-show-hidden-files-on-a-mac","question":"How do I show hidden files in Finder?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-show-hidden-files-on-a-mac"},{"id":"mac-storage-basics.what-format-works-on-both-mac-and-windows","question":"What drive format works on both Mac and Windows?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-format-works-on-both-mac-and-windows"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What are .DS_Store and ._ files on my drives? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":".DS_Store files save Finder view settings; ._ files store Mac-specific attributes on Windows-format drives. Both are tiny; deleting ._ files can drop things like Finder tags.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Mac storage basics","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/"},{"name":"What are .DS_Store and ._ files on my drives?","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What are .DS_Store and ._ files on my drives?","alternateName":["ds_store files mac","dot underscore files external drive","._ files on usb drive","delete ds_store","hidden mac files on windows drive"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":".DS_Store files hold Finder's view settings for a folder (icon positions, sort order). ._ files appear on drives formatted for Windows (such as exFAT) and store Mac-specific information, like extended attributes, that those formats can't hold natively.\n\nBoth are tiny and safe to ignore. Deleting ._ files from an exFAT drive can remove Mac-specific details such as Finder tags for those files.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files"}}]},"fragment":"
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Mac storage basics · Finding big files, Downloads and the Trash

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What are .DS_Store and ._ files on my drives?

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Short answer: .DS_Store files save Finder view settings; ._ files store Mac-specific attributes on Windows-format drives. Both are tiny; deleting ._ files can drop things like Finder tags.

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.DS_Store files hold Finder's view settings for a folder (icon positions, sort order). ._ files appear on drives formatted for Windows (such as exFAT) and store Mac-specific information, like extended attributes, that those formats can't hold natively.

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Both are tiny and safe to ignore. Deleting ._ files from an exFAT drive can remove Mac-specific details such as Finder tags for those files.

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