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spotlight stops searching contacts

Hi, this one is a 'baffler' - new state of puzzlement.


After upgrading to Mountain Lion spotlight would occasionally stop searching my contacts, the artist previously known as Address Book. The Spotlight preference box for Contacts is ticked, and the Privacy tab does not have anything listed. Occasionally it would start searching Contact again after a re boot, but this is a mac and shouldn't need that. Now even that doesn't work, I can't get spotlight to search contacts at all. I have also added my HD to privacy, then removed it off forcing it to re index everything, which takes a while. It would work after that then stop after a few days.


I am normally not alone if ever I have a problem and find helpful solutions in forums etc. But alas, I seem to be on my lonesome on this cold dark night.

Any help appreciated, thanks.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 10, 2012 9:14 PM

Reply
31 replies

Sep 10, 2012 10:39 PM in response to sberman

Hi.

1. Yes

2. #1, at the top of the list.


I have reindexed the contacts meta data, which I did a few weeks ago and this works. But I am expecting it to start failing again as it did last time. Reindexing instructions below for your info;


1. Back up your Address Book: File > Export > Address Book Archive (or Contacts archive in Mountain Lion)

2. Quit Address Book.app or Contacts.app

3. Delete the following folder in your home folder:

~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/Metadata/

If you use iCloud, delete the following folder in your home folder:

~/Library/Application Support/Address Book/Sources/RANDOMNUMBERS/Metadata/

Then, ensuring you have backed up your contacts, go to the iCloud System Preferences Pane and uncheck the box for Contacts. When shown options, choose Delete from Mac. Once deleted, recheck the box and your Contacts will re-sync.

4. Restart Address Book.app and wait a few moments, this folder will be recreated and repopulated

5. Wait a minute or so for OS X to reindex this folder

Sep 11, 2012 12:58 PM in response to Jamie123

Since searching from withing Contacts is flawless but searching Contacts from Spotlight is not, I suspect there's something needing repair in Spotlight, not in Contacts.


I've looked around for Spotlight items to tweak, but have not found anything. I've looked for such things as Preference files associated with Spotlight, but have had no luck.

Sep 16, 2012 7:13 PM in response to sberman

Hey, yep it was an interesting read, I have hesitated as anything too complicated and I tend to really get myself into trouble. But what is interesting is that it appears to be working, spotlight touch wood is searching contacts.


What changed was that I accidently deleted contacts off my mac, and sync'd it back from my iphone as I couldn't see how to do it from icloud. Since then it been great. You watch, as soon as I hit send it'll bomb...


😉

Sep 21, 2012 12:26 PM in response to danzaroni

Mine has worked for the last week, so I'm expecting it to stop soon. My suspicion is that it has to do with sync'ing to icloud. I would be working away and all is fine then suddenly it isn't. Nothing had changed to affect this sudden capabililty departure, except that it must have sync'd on line to icloud.


The only thing I have done different to your description 22 Sept was that I deleted mac contacts, re loaded from iphone, then sync'ed to icloud. Not sure this amounts to anything. Biggest puzzle is that so few are affected, when I am doing nothing unique or un usual.

Oct 18, 2012 1:07 PM in response to Jamie123

I have the same issue. I have deleted metadata folder and re-indexed and address book search remains flawless but Spotlight search only finds some people, but not all. If I update a contact's info, it then finds it. Very frustrating. I called Apple Support and spent 3 hours with them on the phone and they could not get it to work either.

Nov 17, 2012 10:05 PM in response to Jamie123

Jamie123 wrote:


Mine has worked for the last week, so I'm expecting it to stop soon. My suspicion is that it has to do with sync'ing to icloud. I would be working away and all is fine then suddenly it isn't. Nothing had changed to affect this sudden capabililty departure, except that it must have sync'd on line to icloud.


The only thing I have done different to your description 22 Sept was that I deleted mac contacts, re loaded from iphone, then sync'ed to icloud. Not sure this amounts to anything. Biggest puzzle is that so few are affected, when I am doing nothing unique or un usual.


I also think that it has something to do with iCloud See my Detailed Post Next...

Nov 17, 2012 10:59 PM in response to arkady1

I am on OS 10.8.2, All Latest Updates, MacBook Pro 17', SSD all maxed out.


I don't remember having this issue prior to OS 10.8.2, to which I Upgraded from 10.7.4.

I did not try Deleting any Files or Folder to fix this yet!

I did recently Signed Out and back Into iCloud while on call with AppleCare.

This issue of - Spotlight Stops Searching Contacts - comes and goes!

This issue existed before and after my Sign Out and Into iCloud!!!



Below is the Log of my Latest Research:



Thursday, November 15, 2012


Re-indexed Spotlight on my MacBook Pro by Dragging my Macintosh HD in and out of Privacy Tab in Spotlight!

54 minutes remaining at halfway point. Looks like it could be a two hour project!

That took 1hr 9min on my SSD!!!

Problem still exists


Time Machine Backup ran during Re-Indexing, but I decided to let it do its thing!


Unchecked Contacts in Spotlight

Restarted

Checked Contacts in Spotlight

Problem still exists - even if it worked for the l1nu5r post on Apple Discussions below


Saturday, November 17, 2012


After 2 SuperDuper Clone Backups + Time Machine Backup - All Contacts can be Searched in Spotlight!!!! The Issue Fixed itself - All Contacts could be Searched in Spotlight, but... That "success" lasted only for a day:)!



Sunday, November 18, 2012


After my SuperDuper Clone Backup, Contacts could not be found, even after UnMounted External HDs, turned them off and Restarted, and Shut Down my Mac twice!


I Edit a Contact and that Contact showed up in Spotlight, but only that Contact


I did a Safe Boot - Nothing in Spotlight was available except Web and Wikipedia


I Shut Down for 2 min and Restarted. Spotlight did some more Indexing for about 1 minute!



That Edited Contact showed up in Spotlight, but only that Contact



My Best Guess:


This issue appears to be related to iCloud!

I hope Apple is reading this and all our posts!
Apple is welcome to call me...

I will be calling AppleCare soon!

I hope All Our Dots Will Connect, so that this Issue is fixed!!!


Stay tuned!

spotlight stops searching contacts

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