How to force a folder to be opened in column view in Finder

finder

I'll try to give a general example.

I have the following folder structure somewhere on my local user directory:

Root_Folder
├── Icon_Folder
│   ├── file1
│   └── file6
└── Column_Folder
    ├── file10
    ├── file11
    └── file12

How can I force Finder to open the Column_Folder/ in column view while forcing the Icon_Folder/ (and other possible folders) to be viewed in icon view?

Sounds trivial, yes, but here's where I have problems:

  • I open Icon_Folder/, change its view to icon view, press ⌘ cmd + J and tick "Always open in icon view" — presto! it works.

  • Then I open Column_Folder/, change its view to column view, double–check the Finder window's title bar reads "Column_Folder", open view options again — but wait! Finder wants to change the view settings for ~/Desktop/, not Column_Folder/!

NB: I know it specifically wants to change Desktop's view settings because that is where the Root_Folder/ is. If I move the Root_Folder/ to ~/, Finder would like to change, while in column view, the view settings for my home directory and so on…

I'd rather like to know a GUI answer, but if it is much easier via command line, it's OK by me.

All in all, the question boils down to: How do I open the active folder's view settings in Finder while browsing in column view?

Best Answer

Workaround

  1. While in Finder (in any view) drag the Column_Folder/ to the Finder's sidebar.
  2. Select the Column_Folder/ from the sidebar
  3. Switch to column view
  4. Show view settings
    • You can see the view settings will now affect the intended folder
  5. Tick "Always open in column view"; click OK
  6. Remove Column_Folder/ from the sidebar

Now Column_Folder/ will open in column view!

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