I can’t get Finder windows to stay the same size to save my life. I have tried holding option or holding control or holding command while resizing, as well as any combination of the three. I feel like I can get it to stay every once in a while, but if I open downloads from the dock or the trash the window ends up being the default size. Also, if I use a different external display or unplug my MacBook from the display it reverts to the terrible wide and short Finder window. Is there any way to make *every* Finder window the same size, and remain that way?
The default view of the Finder in icon mode is extremely wide, showing at least 7 icons across, but very short, cutting off the sidebar list and only showing two or three rows of icons. I prefer to have a more square Finder window so I can see more at once.
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Gunar
The sizes are tied to the locations. So that's why if you resize the window when you are looking at the Documents folder, then close it, then open up a new window with the Downloads folder, you won't get the same size. As far as the Finder is concerned, those are two different windows and the second one won't inherit any properties of the first.
One thing you can do is to only ever open a new Finder window with File, New Window (Command+N). If you have that set to open the Documents folder in Finder, Preferences, General, then this will always open to the same location and be the size you last used to view this location. But when you try to open the Downloads or Trash folder directly it will use the size last set for those folders. Instead, just Command+N and then use the Go menu to navigate.
The best way to make the Finder windows behave is to simply never close them. I don't. I have one Finder window open at all times with a few tabs showing the folders I most often use. I just leave that Finder window open all the time. You can put it on a different Desktop/Space or just hide it when not using it. Then you'll never have to worry about this as it will always just be there waiting for you.
Thanks for the quick response, Gary. :) I appreciate the insight! I think leaving the Finder open is the move, but I do wish selecting "use as defaults" in Finder view options (⌘+J) bound the size of the windows using the same view as well.
Sub-folders inherit properties from their folder parent, so if you want to see a folder in a Finder window that is a different size from its parent folder, I've found one way to do that is to simply make an alias for that folder and place the alias on the Desktop. The alias, when opened in Finder, will open to whatever size you last made it.