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Can't Find File

Since my last upgrade I can no longer find anything. I downloaded a file and it is missing. There is no longer a 'today', 'yesterday' or 'past week' folder. Half the time there is no plus sign.


My imac is no longer user friendly. 😟

iMac (24-inch Early 2009), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Feb 16, 2014 3:19 PM

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14 replies

Feb 16, 2014 3:58 PM in response to KCFalcon

Use Finder, that's exactly what it's for, you can alos use Spotlight, once the file is located you can hold down the Option key and Spotlight will tell you where the file is downloaded.


You can also use Finder to create custom searches and put that in your sidebard, I'd recommend getting a book on OS X Mavericks and I believe you will find it's as easy as ever and even more powerful than before. You simply don't know how to use your computer.

Feb 16, 2014 4:07 PM in response to rkaufmann87

right of course I tried to use finder. Sadly it doesn't work very well. Especially since the upgrade, it seems unable to find files. Many files don't show up. I dont know the name of the file I am looking for. It is an app that I opened, installed and it's now vanished. Flashback Malware Remover was the pkg. It told me it was installed successfully but what is the name of the tool that is now installed? Don't know. Doesn't show up on desktop or in apps. Doesn't show up under a name search of Flashback or Malware and it's not on the hard drive that I can see it.


Thanks though, I should have said, finder has not found it and also seems unable to find things, but it longer gives me the track and it seems to have gotten spotty since the upgrade. I even had a document printed out in my hand that I put words from the document in the search engine and finder couldnt find it. Yep, finders flukey too since upgrade.

Feb 16, 2014 6:25 PM in response to rkaufmann87

I'm glad your Finder works well. Please remember I have only had this problem since I upgraded and I understand how it is supposed to work.


Please if you are going to try to help me read the fact that it is not finding my files, even when I put in the correct search terms. I don't think it is correct to pretend to help me by ignoring the facts of the issue and acting like it is user based. Why do you think I am asking after an upgrade? If it was the fact I didn't know how to work it, I would have asked before the upgrade, don't you think? You're just wasting both our time and adding more frustration to someone who already has a lot of it.

Feb 16, 2014 8:54 PM in response to KCFalcon

KCFalcon,


The easiest way to find a file on your hard drive is to use Spotlight search. Simply type [command]-[spacebar] and then start typing the name of the file. That will return a list of files by name.


Secondly, any file that you downloaded from the web would typically end up in your "Downloads" folder. Open, Finder, click "Downloads" in the sidebar and you should see all the files (if you don't see "Downloads in the sidebar then see below).


Also, note that there is a new drop-down choice at the top of the Finder toolbar that allows you to group by "Name, "Kind", "Date Modified", etc. Choose "Date Modified" from that grouping list and it should restore your finder display to they way you are describing.


While you are at it you should just play around with the other controls in the Finder menubar and you can almost teach yourself what they do as the controls are quite intuitive.


While you are at it, click on the "Finder" menu in on the main menubar and choose "Preferences". You should also look through at least the "Sidebar" settings and make sure that "Downloads", "Documents", "Music", "Applications", and "Pictures" are enabled.


That should help you find your files in their typical locations.

Feb 16, 2014 9:11 PM in response to KCFalcon

lol, if you truly believe this is a technical problem then try the steps below.


1) open up disk utility (you can find this in applications>utilities

2) select the main partition usually name "Macintosh HD"

3) choose repair permissions

4) wait... and wait... and wait...

5) bing it's done!!! finally...

6) open up terminal

7) copy and paste the script below into terminal and press return/enter


sudo mdutil -E /

8) reboot

9) on startup and signing in, hit command + spacebar and see if spotlight is indexing, it should be.

10) wait... again.... and some more...

11) when it finally finishes you should be able to find all of your stuff.


If that doesn't work then reboot to recovery and choose reinstall OSX. It won't delete any files just reinstall the system files.


If this is not a technical issue then I'm sure that enough clicking in the finder will reveal your files. However, if you should be very specific when posting so we can help you the first go around if possible.

Feb 17, 2014 5:52 AM in response to claywd

Thank you. While I did say this, I guess no one caught it. I don't know the name of the file. I've used finder for years. I've used spotlight. I know how they work.


You guys are great but either I'm not saying it right or the point is being missed. I downloaded a file. It was a zip. I unzipped it. I clicked on it and it opened and installed. Now I can't find it. I actually installed it twice. But I don't know the name of it. The file is "Flashback removal tool".


It opened and said installation is successful. But I can't find it. I searched under the name (name search, btw is not new, just different and not as easy to use) of Flashback / Removal / Tool and all that came up was the dmg. Is the tool named something different? I don't know. How can I search if I don't know the name. It is not in the app folder either. I also used spotlight, nothing came up. I don't even know the extension of the tool, because it didnt appear in the folder the zip was in or on the desktop.


Maybe this tool is defective, but ever since I upgraded, I will put in content searches and the computer can't find them. I think maybe I need to re index the files.


I'm trying to put in all the details but they are getting ignored so this time around I expanded the description. Maybe someone else has the Malware Removal Tool and can tell me the name. Then I can use both spotlight and finder and search by name, though truthfully I think Mavericks corrupted the search function.

Feb 22, 2016 9:10 AM in response to claywd

OMG! Thank you for the post. I finally have the finder/spotlight back to work. Since I used migrate assistant to move everything from my old macbook pro to new one, the finder and spot light couldn't find what I needed. I tried to open spotlight in System Preference and dropped the whole HD to privacy tab and removed it--It supposed to re-index everything. Obviously it didn't. The steps below fixed the problem.


1) open up disk utility (you can find this in applications>utilities

2) select the main partition usually name "Macintosh HD"

3) choose repair permissions

4) wait... and wait... and wait...

5) bing it's done!!! finally...

6) open up terminal

7) copy and paste the script below into terminal and press return/enter


sudo mdutil -E /

8) reboot

9) on startup and signing in, hit command + spacebar and see if spotlight is indexing, it should be.

10) wait... again.... and some more...

11) when it finally finishes you should be able to find all of your stuff.


Thank you again.


Michelle

Sep 22, 2016 6:51 PM in response to KCFalcon

Hello - I am experiencing the exact same problem!! First of all, there is NO reason for anybody to be rude when responding to you! I have always been able to locate items through the easy search on "Finder". I haven't updated to the latest Apple Software yet, but in the last week or so, am no longer able to find any documents using Finder, as I have used it my first Macbook purchase in 2012. It is truly a hassle! I am going to try some of the solutions from the possible resolutions here. Please advise which one worked for you (or if you have already posted the solution, my apologies). Thank you!

Can't Find File

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