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

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.

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.

I fixed this by deleting the .Spotlight-V100 folder and restarting the index.

One person said it didn't work for them.

Another person just deleted it from /System/Volumes/Data without going into Recovery. I don't like to modify a live file system like that, but it didn't seem to hurt. Also, it was on an Apple Silicon Mac, so if yours is Intel, you just would go into normal Recovery.

Finder does not show files on current fol… - Apple Community

Open Finder and go to Settings, Advanced and change 'When performing a search' to 'Search the Current Folder'.

Unfortunately, this didn't work. The 'local folder' search fails both in Safe Mode and after a normal restart. Guess I'll call Apple.

The solution I posted before works for many people. A few have reported that it does not work, but not many compared to the ones that it has fixed.

BPBear544 wrote:

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!

They may eventually do so. In the meantime, you can try to fix it yourself.

Sadly I've tried this twice and it doesn't work. Also - the external drive keeps going invisible in finder "locations"?

I go to Disk Utility, open the drive, drag that over to "locations" so I can see it. A day or so later again and it disappears. Such a headache!

I purchased a new MacBook Pro M3 and transferred my data from Time Machine. The spotlight issue persisted regardless all the recommendation that came from this thread. I end-up calling Apple.

I had conversations with 3 Apple tech support reps yesterday.

The first one was trying to convince me that everything is working as suppose to. When I refused to buy his story he escalated me to 2nd rep.

This one promised that he knows how to fix it and convinced me to jump through the hoops.

1) diskutil resetUserPermissions / 'id -u'

2) shutdown and start in recovery mode

3) while in recovery mode, start terminal and run: repairhomepermissions

4) quit terminal and reinstall operating system

The process took some time (1h 40 min), so he disconnected before its completion, promising that the issue will be fixed.

The issue was not resolved regardless. So I called Apple again.

The 3rd rep asked me to:

1) go to spotlight Privacy and add Macintosh HD

2) then close it.

3) wait 2 minutes (but it seemed we wanted 3 or 4)

4) go to spotlight Privacy and remove Macintosh HD

5) restart computer.

It worked !!! the spotlight start showing results for individual folders.

3rd time apparently has its charm.

None of the other options worked for me but my external drive that I was using failed (managed to recover most of it but had to replace it); the replacement drive, for whatever reason, allows me to search it. So... all's well that ends well?

If you just want to search for file names give the share ware Find Any File a try. FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages.

same thing happening here on a brand new install with 2023 Mac Pro. It wasn't immediate... at first was working fine for the first week or so, and suddenly I am getting this same bug. grrr..

Did you try running DiskUtility? That fixed it for me.