EN | No .DS_Store and other only Mac related hidden files on external disks

Ok, this annoys me a lot on the MAC. When I attach the USB drive, OSX creates those stupid hidden files, and pollutes the disk with them anywhere I go in Finder.
I know that these resource forks files are useful for the OSX, so I do not care about them being created on the internal drive. However external drives and USB sticks that are used to exchange files between WIN/LIN/OSX should remain clean.

So how to stop creating those .DS_Store files?

It is easy to stop it on the Network drive. Just execute in the Terminal:

defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores true

and restart the computer.

However there is nothing like that for the USB attached devices :(

Some USB Flash sticks have the read-only switch, so if you need to read files from the stick, OSX files will not be created. Here is the tip how to read only attach those sticks and USB hard drives that do not have the manual read-only lock:

1. When you attach the USB HDD to the USB, immediately click on the Eject icon in Finder, but do not detach the disk from the USB port.
2. Then in the Terminal execute:
3. mkdir /Volumes/exthdd
4. mount -r -t msdos /dev/disk2s1 /Volumes/exthdd/
5. disktool -r

disk2s1 at step 4 means that the external disk device is located there. If you have more HDD attached you might need to change it. You can find the correct values using command diskutil list.

Step 5 - disktool -r refreshes Finder to know about your mounted drive.

Now you have the disk attached in the read only mode, so nothing can be written there - neither hidden bad files.

Writing to the write enabled disks means, that the hidden bad files will be written anywhere you go with Finder.

Even here we have a few options though:

You can use BlueHarvest. This is a small system tool, that keep your disks free of those files. It has some disadvantaged, though:

• it is shareware - so you have to pay after while
• it does not stop creating those files. It just deletes them immediately after they are created. So beware when using USB Flash sticks.

The other only option I know is to manage files and navigate through the filesystem using Terminal.app. (hidden bad files are created only when using Finder).

I wish Apple made the option for all, resp. each external drive to be "Resource forks compatible". I know, I would always switch this compatibility off.