HT204014: Mac Basics: Spotlight helps you find what you're looking for

Learn about Mac Basics: Spotlight helps you find what you're looking for
Ferryman52
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Finding RAW images on my mac?

For storage reasons I want to find and remove all .CR2 files from my mac. Normal find and spotlight fail to find files I know are present. How can I complete this task please?

 

Thanks in advance

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Oct 27, 2015 9:02 AM

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Ferryman52

Q: Finding RAW images on my mac?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Oct 27, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Ferryman52
    Level 10 (105,960 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 27, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Ferryman52

    Which settings have you tried in the search window? With these settings I found plenty of CR2 files on my Mac.

    Screen Shot 2015-10-27 at 17.09.35GMT.png

    Check the System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy tab, if you have excluded any items from the search.

     

    If the .CR2 files don't show up, download FindAnyFile, it will search everywhere. 

    The trial is free:

    http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.html

  • by Ferryman52,

    Ferryman52 Ferryman52 Oct 27, 2015 12:46 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2015 12:46 PM in response to léonie

    Hi, thanks for that. Unfortunately, that option will not search within Photos as they are held inside the Photos application, they are hidden from normal search of the file structure. I'll use your other suggestion to see if that demo will locate the files within the contents of the Photos program though. Thanks again.

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Oct 27, 2015 1:02 PM in response to Ferryman52
    Level 10 (105,960 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 27, 2015 1:02 PM in response to Ferryman52
    that option will not search within Photos as they are held inside the Photos application,

    The photos are not inside the Photos application, but the Photos library. My screenshot is showing the CR2 files inside the Photos library and the search found them inside the package.

    If you add "System Files are Included" to the constraints of the search, the inside of packages will also be searched, as you can see from the path in the screenshot below:

    Screen Shot 2015-10-27 at 20.55.51GMT.png

     

    To add "System files are included", click the "+" button. hen select "Other", and in the "Other" list "System Files".

     

    Another way to search inside a package is to start the search from inside the package.  Ctrl-click your library, select "Show package contents", select the "Masters" folder, and start the search from the Finder window of the "Masters" folder.

  • by LarryHN,

    LarryHN LarryHN Oct 27, 2015 3:00 PM in response to Ferryman52
    Level 10 (84,261 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Oct 27, 2015 3:00 PM in response to Ferryman52

    If the RAW files are within the Photos library you must only manage them using Photos - you can not modify the contents of the Photos library using the finder - doing so will corrupt your {photos library beyond repair

     

    LN

  • by Ferryman52,

    Ferryman52 Ferryman52 Oct 27, 2015 3:32 PM in response to LarryHN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 27, 2015 3:32 PM in response to LarryHN

    Hi Larry, thanks for your support. I agree to your reply, it was just that, initially, it was not clearly evident in Photos. The trick was to create a smart album and indicate that photos = CR2. That done, a catalogue of all CR2 images was created. It was then a simple matter to trash all CR2 files.

     

    Thanks again