How to fix Finder folder search Issues on MacBook Pro post Ventura update

The problem for me is that even when I search the current folder, I get zero results every time, even if I can see the actual file in the folder before searching. The only way I can find anything is to search the whole computer and then sort/filter the list - not ideal!

Brand new MacBook pro M3 pro max chip. Fresh install. Same problem. Did the same thing on my M1. Bought this new M3 max specifically to cure the index problem. Same problem with a brand new $3,600 computer. Very frustrating. Apple claims to care about the user experience, but obviously does not. This issue has been around for quite some time.

You are not alone. There are a number of people, me included, who are experiencing this problem. A search on the whole mac works and a search on a specific folder produces no results - even if you are seeing the files right there, and they do appear in the search when you switch to On this Mac.

There was a reference to a thread with a purported solution but I can’t seem to find it.

Search not working macbookpro Sonoma 14.1.2

does not search in certain folders despite checking in finder setting search in folders

help!

I've tried the fixes here and so far nothing has worked. My problem may be compounded by the fact that the files I want are all on external hard drives, not on the internal. Someone elsewhere suggested a solution to the question to add the Macintosh HD file to the Spotlight Exceptions in System Preferences, wait 30 seconds, and then remove it. I've done this and, as they promised, Spotlight now says that it is indexing my drive. But trying to do the same thing for the external drive is getting me nothing.

One issue I have is odd in that I was briefly using Microsoft OneDrive as a redundant backup for the external drive (I know—MS, what was I thinking?). That caused another whole slew of problems so I quit using that but the "OneDrive" folder still exists on the external drive because OneDrive or MacOS wouldn't allow some of the files to copy from that drive to a new drive (again, I blame MS! ugh...). What's odd is that sometimes—not every time—the Finder will find the old file I that I want in THAT drive but not its duplicate in my working drive folder.

Anyway, I don't store working client files on my Macintosh HD so while I'm glad it's indexing, I need Finder or Spotlight to search the external hard drives and find files when I can't. I know it's NOT working because I literally created a folder a few minutes ago and my search for that folder in the folder it resides turned up empty.

Never had this problem before and I'm shocked that such a basic feature has gotten so fouled up.

This worked for me. Will work for most people. 1-minute fix.

https://www.signatureedits.com/how-to-fix-finder-search/

It seems that I am having the opposite problem, and I cannot find any others who have posted it. This one is the closest.

When I search within a folder, Finder will show me the matching files within the folder, but it also starts searching every other adjacent folder and provides matches in those folders as well. Yes, I have Finder settings set to only search the folder and even within the search window, it clearly shows it is set to only search the folder that I am in. Still, about 80% of the time it starts vomiting files from adjacent folders -- these are not subfolders of the current folder I am searching, but sibling folders.

What is going on?

1. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Spotlight.
2. Click the Privacy tab.
3. Drag the disk or folder that you want to index again to the list of locations that Spotlight is prevented from searching. Or click the add button (+) and select the disk or folder to add.
4. You can add an item to the Privacy tab only if you have ownership permissions for that item. To learn about permissions, choose Help from the Finder menu bar, then search for “permissions.”
5. From the same list of locations, select the disk or folder that you just added. Then click the remove button (–) to remove it from the list.
6. Quit System Preferences. Spotlight will reindex the contents of the disk or folder. This can take some time, depending on the amount of information being indexed.

Have you attempted to use Disk Utility? I had trouble locating files during a search and discovered that my hard drive was not being scanned. To remedy this, I added the drive to Spotlight by following a specific process, but it didn't help. After an extensive search, I decided to run Disk Utility, and to my relief, it was able to locate all my files.

I'm definitely not comfortable deleting/modifying a 'live' system file. This whole issue is another that Apple should be taking seriously, but in their inimitable fashion they just choose to ignore, leaving users floundering around in the dark. Wake up, Apple!

This setting was already in place, and still searches fail to examine the current folder - only searching the whole computer work. It's pretty disturbing that such a fundamental problem has been so wide-spread for so long and Apple does nothing.

BPBear544 wrote:

This setting was already in place, and still searches fail to examine the current folder - only searching the whole computer work. It's pretty disturbing that such a fundamental problem has been so wide-spread for so long and Apple does nothing.

Did you call Apple and tell them about it? Nobody here can do anything about it.

Have you installed and run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your Mac?

Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

Please read the following user tip and restate your question/problem in detail: 

     Writing an Effective Apple Support Communities Question - Apple Community

Have you installed and run any "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus or VPN apps on your Mac?

Have you tried the suggested fixes in this topic?

What have you tried?