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Spotlight doesn't find application after AppStore update

This started happening with Type2Phone, an app from Houdah Software. Every time after I would update the app via the AppStore, Spotlight would no longer find the app (I use Spotlight for app launching). I contacted the developer, and following a series of steps, we found that what is happening is that somehow the updated app is having this attribute added to it:

kMDItemSupportFileType = ( MDSystemFile )

[This is the output of the mdls command]

This explains why Spotlight is no longer finding the app.

Now logically, he informed me that this command should remove the attribute:

sudo xattr -d com.apple.metadata:kMDItemSupportFileType /Applications/Type2Phone.app

But although the command executes, it doesn't remove the attribute! I.e.

mdls /Applications/Type2Phone.app/ | grep MDSystemFile

Still has " MDSystemFile" as output.

I've run Disk Utility to check for directory damage, rebuilt permissions, etc. to no avail. The only solution is to rebuild the Spotlight index completely -- but the problem will recur with a new update.

Although it inexplicably only happened every time I updated Type2Phone, now it's happening when I update Tweetbot.

Any insights into this problem which is driving me batty?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Jul 11, 2013 7:41 PM

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Spotlight doesn't find application after AppStore update

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