---
id: mac-storage-basics.what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-are-ds-store-and-dot-underscore-files
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "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."
tags: ["ds store", "hidden files", "exfat"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-show-hidden-files-on-a-mac", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/what-format-works-on-both-mac-and-windows"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

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

**.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.

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.