Get Spotlight to search everywhere

Question

Get Spotlight to search everywhere

Hi everyone,

I consider myself a pro user, certified Apple tech, sys admin, blabla. Sometimes I need to configure plists manually or edit some hidden/system files. I know how to search for these using a Finder search window and the kind dropdown menu or via Terminal. I also made a saved search to search everywhere. But I would rather use the menu bar Spotlight icon to do my searches. Is there any way to configure it to always search everywhere? I once read about a config file where Spotlight's exclusions (such as Library) are listed, but I can't remember it anymore.

I know that searches will get me lots of unneeded stuff and will probably take much longer, but I don't care. I want cmd+space searching everywhere! 🙂

Any help is really appreciated!
Björn

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Oct 14, 2009 11:44 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 21, 2009 12:29 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

Just a bump as a last resort. I will close this thread if there aren't any suggestions.

Thanks!

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Answer 2

sgginc

Level 3

676 points

Oct 21, 2009 12:37 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

I use:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/30079/find-any-file

Its fast and easy to use.
Finds hidden files and package contents if wanted.

Thanks ... Ken

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 21, 2009 12:40 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

Perhaps this is what you want.

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Answer 4

Oct 21, 2009 12:50 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks, but I don't want to use other apps for searching. I could use Terminal for that, too. What I want is searching everywhere via the top right Spotlight menubar icon.

The mentioned hint sadly no longer works with 10.5/10.6. It's a 10.4 only hint and one of the commenters confirmed that it's no longer working.

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 21, 2009 12:53 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

Yes, I'm aware it doesn't work, but perhaps it can help you locate the preference file you want. Maybe you do some searching on the drive you may find the file you need to modify.

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Answer 6

Oct 22, 2009 1:03 AM in response to Kappy

Thanks, but I had already looked (fogot to mention). I did search again, but it seems like it's somehow hardcoded into Spotlight what to exclude since 10.5. There is only an Exclusions.plist left which only contains the excluded items that were added via System Preferences/Spotlight/Privacy. I tried adding an Inclusions array to the plist, but that didn't work.

Björn

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Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 22, 2009 7:56 AM in response to Björn Herrmann

I did some searching as well with no luck in finding the information. I suppose you could include a new item the regular way then search for any updated plist that then reflected the change. I suspect it will be buried in a framework, bundle, or other package.

Sorry, but that's the best I could do. You might post the query in the Unix forum. Might have better luck there.

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Answer 8

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Oct 22, 2009 8:05 AM in response to Björn Herrmann

AFAIK, what you want is impossible. there was a hack by baltwo that allowed you to include system files (and if you want hidden files) in default finder searches

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080229204517495
but it no longer works in Snow leopard. I tried to make it work and couldn't. but I've never heard of any way to include system files in searches when searching from the spotlight icon in the menubar.

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Answer 9

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 22, 2009 10:09 AM in response to V.K.

Just popping in to let you know that I can't get it to work in Snow Leopard either. I suspect that the compression algorithm is what's mucking up the previous working fix. BTW, I never found anything that would fix the Spotlight menu item. As far as I'm concerned, Spotlight's crippled in its present state and I usually use Terminal's locate command, rebuilding the locate database using Leopard's /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb file.

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Answer 10

V.K.

Level 9

56,174 points

Oct 22, 2009 11:40 AM in response to baltwo

baltwo wrote:
Just popping in to let you know that I can't get it to work in Snow Leopard either. I suspect that the compression algorithm is what's mucking up the previous working fix.

ah, that could be. I tried to see what files are read or modified when you do a finder search and it looks like that file is the only one involved but changing it does not seem to affect anything.

BTW, I never found anything that would fix the Spotlight menu item. As far as I'm concerned, Spotlight's crippled in its present state and I usually use Terminal's locate command, rebuilding the locate database using Leopard's /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb file.

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Answer 11

Oct 22, 2009 2:11 PM in response to V.K.

Thank you all for your replies!

It's sad, but at least I now know that it's just not possible (anymore or yet). 😟

Björn

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Answer 12

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 22, 2009 3:41 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

Thanks for the feedback. Good computing.

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Answer 13

Oct 22, 2009 3:48 PM in response to Björn Herrmann

if you "don't want to use other apps for searching" then the short answer is no. As to why you don't want to use other apps, only you know the answer. Why not use terminal?

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Answer 14

Oct 23, 2009 12:30 AM in response to Tom in London

Depending on the situation (need to find hidden file, know location or not, search in specific folder like /System, know name of file or not, etc.) I'm already using a mix of regular Spotlight, my custom saved search or Terminal.

I like the idea to get things done using the built-in stuff and getting Spotlight to cover all of the above would've been the most comfortable way. Since it seems that it can't be done, I'll just stick with that.

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