excluding certain file type from spotlight search

For a specific search you can exclude them by typing "mysearchterm -.abcdef".

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Martin

I believe the only way to reliably do this is to do a Command-F search and in the criteria select Other... and from that list select Raw Query. If you are doing a file name search, but want to exclude certain extensions it would look something like this:

((kMDItemFSName == " OldTestament") && (kMDItemFSName != " txt"))

Using this I get an html document and a folder. If I just use OldTestament as the file name I get those plus some text documents.

After you set-up your RawQuery you can save it and reuse it, just altering the search term and the excluded bit.
Francine


Francine
Schwieder

You could do what I do with my mail and exclude the the folder the files are in by opening System Preferences, select Spotlight, click the Privacy tab and then add the folder containing the files to the Privacy list.
Francine


Francine
Schwieder

Continuing on Francine's suggestion;

1. Create a Smart Folder to search for the offending file type.

2. Grab all the files in the Smart Folder and move them to a newly created FOLDER, so aptly named.

3. Now simply add the FOLDER to the Privacy list.

You can restrict the results Spotlights shows you by going into the System Preferences. In there there is a Spotlight Pane. Just choose what you want to include in your results. You can see and read more at http://www.learntomac.com and I actually have a posting I put describing how to do this and more at http://www.learntomac.com/index.php/2006/10/04/spotlight-preferences/

I hope this helps!
Dan

I can't figure how to make Spotlight do what you ask. I can't make it do what I want it to do either, but that's another story.

I've been looking at third-party alternatives/additions to Spotlight. Haven't found one which does everything, but I think HoudahSpot might do what you're looking for. It seems to handle things that are not something pretty well.

Might be worth a look, there's a free trial download. Registered copy is $14.95.

http://www.houdah.com

Powerbook G4 12" Mac OS X (10.4.8) 1.5 GHz, 1.25Gb ram