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How do I set the default size of my finder window to a size of my choice? Currently each time I open a finder window, it opens up in a very small size and I have to adjust it before I can start looking for my files. I'm running Yosemite.

Sean Bernardino
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6 Answers6

113

It is very easy to do this:

  1. Open a new Finder window.

  2. As you resize the window, hold the Command ⌘ (not Alt / Option) key. Close resized window.

  3. Then hold the Alt / Option key as you right click on Finder in the Dock and click Relaunch. Another way to implement this step is to press Command ⌘ + Alt ⌥ / Esc, select Finder from the menu to pop-up and click on Relaunch.

  4. Any Finder windows opened after this will open at that size.

Note: This does not work for windows opened from folders on the desktop.

Alper
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Ryan Blue
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    Does not work when opening shared network drive. – dbernard Jul 07 '15 at 23:31
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    Doesn't work for me. – tog22 Dec 17 '15 at 19:00
  • Note: After relaunching the finder window once, through the above method, the 3rd step is not required to open the finder again. The finder window opens with the size you specified, even after restarting the mac. Tested on - mac version 10.13.6 – Chaitanya Aug 11 '18 at 17:33
  • @tog22 : you're not holding it right. – Mausy5043 Sep 29 '18 at 14:19
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    @tog22 : Yeah, I second the "you're not holding it right" (except I'd add "maybe you're..."). I had to do it several times before noting, for example, that you have to let go of the button before you let go of the command key, and you have to let go of both the Alt and Ctrl keys (I didn't have a right-clickable mouse) before you choose "relaunch". This would have been much easier as an actual option to choose, instead of this dumb click-drag gymnastics. – Mike Williamson Jan 09 '19 at 02:07
  • This worked, but after opening a file from airdrop, it got tiny again. – Skyline X Feb 13 '21 at 20:53
  • Works on macOS Big Sur – Scott Swezey Mar 05 '21 at 04:03
  • Perfect solution! Wonder how you discovered it :-) – Rahul Soni Mar 31 '22 at 03:05
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    Great answer. Under Monterey, I didn't even need to do step 3. Normally opening a new Finder window was in the size I set. – Mahm00d Jun 13 '22 at 08:23
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This works for me in MacOS Catalina, Monterey (in 2022) and Ventura (in 2023):

  1. Open a new Finder window, do not navigate to any folders yet;

  2. Resize the window to the size you want (however don't move the window to your desired location yet);

  3. To lock the location and size:

  4. start by pressing the Command ⌘ and Alt / Option keys together and drag the window to your desired location;

  5. release your mouse button first then release the Command ⌘ AND Alt / Option keys second;

  6. Close resized window;

  7. Any Finder windows opened after this will open at that size.

Mike Kormendy
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13

Open a finder window, hold down the option key and resize the window as you wish. Close all finder windows and next time you open a new one it will remember the size.

mzoz
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5

Open a folder in list or cover flow view. Then press cmd+J. Now hold option key and press Return to default button at the bottom. New finder windows will be opened normally. You can try deleting .DS_Store file in folders with false view.

You can also delete the normally hidden .DS_Store file with some utilities or with the terminal app and a command line removal - since Finder will recreate this file when it's missing, it's pretty safe to delete them.

 rm .DS_Store

You need to get to the directory so you can type cd and then drag in the folder that needs clearing. (Navigate one folder up in path view or using the title bar of the finder window) and drag the folder in to the terminal window after you type cd and space

bmike
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Hamid Rouhani
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  • Yes, it requires setting to list view. Can't do with column view. I had to do more steps than this answer describes. But I eventually got it to work. – Crowder Apr 16 '16 at 22:58
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Previous solutions seem to have stopped working with recent macOS releases. Yesterday, I answered a very similar question related to both size and position of Finder windows. I am reflecting it here for completeness.

There's now a specific solution to Finder's lack of ability to remember its size and position. What's more, it seems to have been inspired by this exact question.

FinderFix Give extra powers to your Finder windows!

If after all those years of using your Mac you are still fighting with Finder to get it to behave as you wish, look no further, FinderFix will get it to open every new window in the exact same position and size you want it to.

I tried it, and it works as advertised. It also comes with some of the essential features of TotalFinder such as the option of opening all windows in tabbed mode or activating Cut & Paste with Cmd+X / Cmd+V, without compromising the System Integrity Protection (SIP).

FinderFix Preferences

Elio Labbia
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  • Thanks - this is the only fix I've seen that works when opening finder windows from the Desktop – AskSame Sep 26 '22 at 16:52
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Applescript

For the desperate, here is something you could run as a cron job:

tell application "Finder"
    set everyWindow to every Finder window
    repeat with currentWindow in everyWindow
        set bounds of currentWindow to {100, 100, 1200, 750} -- Adjust the dimensions as needed
    end repeat
end tell
Sridhar Sarnobat
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