spotlight only searching by filename in 10.9.5 ??

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Level 1

73 points

spotlight only searching by filename in 10.9.5 ??

Ever since I updated to Mavericks 10.9.5, the search behaviour has changed.

Whatever I search for only suggests that I can search by filename. After a search completes, there's no option to re-filter, or change the filters.

I can't search "in" files. I create a new text file called "bob.txt" and open it up and put the word "banana" in it. Now, in finder, I type in "banana" in the search. It finds NO files.

I can't search for files between one date and another.

I can't search for files of a particular type, e.g. "png"

I can't seem to refine an existing search anymore.

I've done a disk repair permissions. I've done all the various stupid-finger-combo pram resets.

What do I have to do to make this critical feature work again?

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Sep 21, 2014 11:06 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

VikingOSX

Community+ 2024

Level 10

111,383 points

Sep 22, 2014 2:01 AM in response to Tim St.Clair

In System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results, check the boxes of the categories that you want search results (e.g. Documents, Images, etc.). The order here, in which these categories appear, will be the search results order in Spotlight. When done, switch to the Privacy tab. Drag and drop your boot drive icon into the open, striped well. Wait a couple of seconds, then select it, and press the negative button below to remove it. This causes Spotlight to reindex your hard drive to allow for the categories above that you selected. Probably less than an hour.

Here is a Mac Basics: Spotlight Article.

How to search with Spotlight more effectively - Super User

Create good queries in Spotlight - Macworld

Terminal

File Metadata Attributes Reference: Spotlight Metadata Attributes

File Metadata Search Programming Guide: File Metadata Query Expression Syntax

The Power of mdfind

Terminal Tips: creating a Spotlight-based gallery

Is it possible to search Spotlight for an absence of an attribute in a file?

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,656 points

Sep 22, 2014 4:05 AM in response to Tim St.Clair

Try reindexing Spotlight: Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes

It will only offer the search tokens it finds. So, it is not finding that string in any index besides file name.

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Answer 3

Tim St.Clair Author

Level 1

73 points

Sep 22, 2014 9:39 PM in response to VikingOSX

Cool, thanks for the tip.

Out of interest, is it possible to tell where a re-index is up to?

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Answer 4

Sep 23, 2014 5:25 AM in response to Tim St.Clair

When Spotlight is reindexing your drive, there will be a dot in the center of the Spotlight icon in the menubar. Click on the Spotlight icon, and you will see reindexing information including estimated indexing time. Apple's Mac notebooks: Spotlight indexing may make the fans run article shows a progress panel image.

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Answer 5

Tim St.Clair Author

Level 1

73 points

Sep 23, 2014 6:07 AM in response to VikingOSX

aah, I was wondering what was making the fan whirr along all afternoon - nice to know it was doing its job then.

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