Spotlight search within compressed .zip files

Question

Spotlight search within compressed .zip files

I was told that Macs including users with Mavericks can search for files within compressed .zip files. I did an experiment by zipping files using Mac's "Compress" command, then tossed the original uncompressed files and emptied the trash. Spotlight cannot find the files within the compressed files that remain.

Am I wrong about that ability in Spotlight?

I see no Spotlight preference settings for choosing compressed files with an archive.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)

Posted on Jan 3, 2016 7:50 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,446 points

Jan 4, 2016 5:27 PM in response to Michael Goettee

Well again, using Spotlight in El Capitan, I can specify a file that I know is in a particular zip file, and it shows a match. When I double-click on that filename (not the .zip filename), within the .zip in Spotlight, it opens that file with the default application assigned to open it.

Take a look at Pacifist. It isn't free ($20 shareware), but also includes a QuickLook plug-in, so that you can select a .zip file in the Finder, press the space bar, and see what is in it. The Application will allow you to extract specific files, and other features. If you use it without paying, it will use a count-down before it is available to use.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,446 points

Jan 3, 2016 10:47 PM in response to Michael Goettee

Revisit what you have checked in the System Preferences : Spotlight : Search Results categories. All of mine are checked. Although I no longer run Mavericks, I know that it let me see words inside Pages and MS Word .docx documents (both zipped, renamed containers), and I could also see unique words inside other zipped documents. I had all of my Spotlight Search Resutls categories checked in Mavericks, and continue this in El Capitan.

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Answer 3

Jan 4, 2016 7:14 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks, Viking.
I've checked all that apply in Spotlight Preferences. I'd hoped that "archived" or "compressed" files was an option.

I may have discovered an answer to my question, but will leave this post unsatisfied for a while for one reason:
I searched for the two test archived files again and it DID take me to the .zip file, but what threw me was that it didn't actually show the file's name WITHIN the .zip file. Just the archive name. (name.zip).
So I suppose that if anyone knows of an additional app that will both find the file and extract it separately, then all my wishes come true.

Thanks again.

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Answer 4

May 13, 2016 5:15 AM in response to VikingOSX

That does not solve anything. That searches one zip. How do I search all my zips on the terminal or in spotlight?

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