---
title: "Appendix I: Blocking Files and Directories"
slug: "appendix-i-blocking-files-and-directories"
updated: 2025-07-14T12:45:06Z
published: 2025-07-14T13:04:21Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nasuni.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Appendix I: Blocking Files and Directories

It is recommended that you block the names of certain files and directories in a share. This makes the blocked files and directories invisible and inaccessible in the share. This can speed up directory listings and other operations.

This table shows frequently blocked files and directories.

| **Item** | **Type** | **MacOS or** **Windows** | **Location** | **Function and notes** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| desktop.ini | File | Windows | Anywhere | Hidden file that controls how a folder in Windows is displayed. |
| Thumbs.db (Windows-specific, but still present on macOS shares) | File | Windows | Anywhere | Application/OS-created image previews. Automatically regenerated unless blocked. |
| .apdisk | File | MacOS | Anywhere | Shared folder info. Automatically recreated by Mac Finder. |
| .com.apple.timemachine .donotpresent | File | MacOS | Volume Root | Time machine metadata file. Only required for AFP and SMB shares that support time machine. Unnecessary. See [Time machine](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3273574). |
| .DS_Store | File | MacOS | Anywhere | Window position/icon arrangement information. Usually block from network volumes. Apple supports blocking this via a client Finder setting: [Adjust SMB browsing](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102064) [behavior in macOS](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102064). |
| .FB* | File | MacOS | Volume Root | Sherlock Find by Content. For macOS 9 and earlier. |
| .fseventsd | File | MacOS | Volume Root | File system events logging folder. Emptied by clients at volume eject. |
| .Spotlight-V100 | File | MacOS | Volume Root | Index database for Spotlight. Not supported for SMB. |
| .TemporaryItems | File | MacOS | Anywhere | Folders used as temporary storage. |
| .Trashes | File | MacOS | Volume Root | Files marked for deletion. Works with Recycle Bin for restore. Volume-specific. Not portable between volumes. |
| .VolumeIcon.icns | File | MacOS | Volume Root | Custom Share icon. If required, migrate manually. |
| .VolumeIcon.low.icns | File | MacOS | Volume Root | Custom Share icon. If required, migrate manually. |
| TheVolumeSettingsFolder | Directory | MacOS | Volume Root | Volume-specific metadata. Unique per volume. No need to copy. |

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