saved searches

Not sure what your problem is, but I have a SavedSearch that returns a list of text files modified yesterday and today. If I select all or some and drag them, they move to wherever they are dragged, if they are dragged to another drive they are copied to that drive. If I drag to another folder on the same drive they are moved to that folder. Not sure how you are trying to do this, but try creating a folder on your Desktop, QuickBU, run your SavedSearch and select the files you want, hold down the option key (to make sure they are copied and not moved) and drag to the new folder. They should all get copied there. You can then burn the folder.

SavedSearches are saved to the SavedSearch folder in your home Library folder. You can't even navigate to sub-folders within that folder to save a new search. Your only choices are there, the root level of your home folder or the Desktop. You can also choose to add one to the Sidebar.

BTW, when I was fooling around with this I tried dragging some files to the Trash and they all got moved there. Since it took me a moment to figure out I had just moved them all from where they were into the Trash, and they were from different folders, putting them back took awhile. The up side of this is that as I was trying to figure out where they all belonged, I realized that I had forgotten to include an entire page of photos on my just updated web site. So thanks for inadvertantly helping me to get that straightened out!


Francine
Schwieder

Very weird. My Adobe reader is not even open, I've restarted a couple times, can't figure why it thinks any of these files are active.

I've noticed that Apple's Preview app often fails to notify the OS (or whatever) that a file opened with it & then closed is no longer in use. To clear these items' 'in use' status, I have to quit Preview. Is it possible the pdf's that generate your error have been opened with that app & it is still running?

SavedSearches are saved to the SavedSearch folder in
your home Library folder. You can't even navigate to
sub-folders within that folder to save a new search.
Your only choices are there, the root level of your
home folder or the Desktop. You can also choose to
add one to the Sidebar.

This always struck me as a stupid limitation. I always save Saved Search Queries to the Desktop & then move them to where they are most useful. For instance, I have one that finds old Filemaker 3 databases I haven't yet converted. That generates a document list, so it lives in my Documents folder, in the subfolder where I collect various unconverted doc files from old apps. Similarly, I have several that find various picture file formats. Those live in my Pictures folder.

It's not like I'm going to lose track of where they are if they aren't collected in the default SavedSearch folder -- I also have one that finds all files of Kind "Saved Search Query," which is more foolproof & better in keeping with the concept of Smart Folders anyway.

This always struck me as a stupid limitation.

This an example of the "what were they thinking?" question that springs to mind every now and again with some things in the OS. The Find default of Kind rather than Name is another.

I also have one that finds all
files of Kind "Saved Search Query," which is more
foolproof & better in keeping with the concept of
Smart Folders anyway.

Gee, it also seems kinda self-referential. Sort of like that Escher drawing of two hands drawing each other.... I like it! 😉

Personally, I keep the SavedSearches folder in the Dock, and have sub-folders for various categories of searches. But it is really annoying that I have to go there after I save a search to put the new one in a sensible place, rather than being able to save it there to start with.


Francine
Schwieder

Gee, it also seems kinda self-referential.

It is, in the sense that it finds itself, along with all the other Smart Folders. 🙂