Finder - how to make it show ALL files and folder names without exception in searches?

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Level 1

4 points

Finder - how to make it show ALL files and folder names without exception in searches?

I love Mac OS. I HATE finder. I just want it to show me everything that matches my search string - files, folders, images, etc. All of them, everywhere on my machine. I just want it to be simple. Or point me to a good replacement program for Finder. I waste so much time trying to find stuff that should take a simple search... I've looked up all the silly shortcuts, like Shift+Cmd+G, which only finds folders in the directory you're in (why should it be separate anyway?).

Thank you

MacBook Pro with Retina display, iOS 8.4.1

Posted on Apr 17, 2016 6:40 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,120 points

Apr 19, 2016 10:50 AM in response to Jeff Ericson

Cmd-shift-g is not a find function at all. It allows you to type in the path of the folder you'd like to open. What you think is "searching" the current folder is really path completion. If you don't enter any preceding path information, it looks in the current working directory for the folder name you typed into the dialog box.

You can set the default starting search location in the Finder preferences. I have mine set for Current folder. It sounds like you might prefer "Search this Mac."

Typing into the search field in Finder will search both content and filename. It will offer search tokens for match types it finds.

If you just want to search for files and folders, but not file contents, then use cmd-ctrl-shift-f to search by Name (you can adjust that shortcut in Keyboard System Preferences).

If you are not getting results from your searches, then perhaps your Spotlight index is corrupt.

Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes - Apple Support

If that doesn't work for you, try Find Any Fileor EasyFind

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Answer 2

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Apr 17, 2016 7:52 PM in response to Jeff Ericson

I use PathFinder (http://cocoatech.com/pathfinder/) it has a lot of great features including seeing invisible files.

MacPilot (http://www.koingosw.com/products/macpilot/) will allow you to enable a lot of options including showing hidden files in the Finder.

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Answer 3

Jeff Ericson Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 19, 2016 11:10 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thank you - I like the Name find - I couldn't figure out how to change the shortcut in Preferences, but I guess I can get used to that. Here's my test, which the Name Find also failed:

I have hidden files and extensions showing - I've turned off every filter I can find. Using the Shift-Control-Command-F, if I type in Boudicca (I chose this because it's pretty unique) nothing comes up. And the file path is so obscure that cleaning out old files is a major event. Finder should bring this up!

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,120 points

Apr 20, 2016 10:11 AM in response to Jeff Ericson

The Finder and Spotlight will not search in certain system folders. Your user Library is one of those.

If you start the search in your Library folder, it should find them, but I don't know if it will search the Containers. The Containers are special locations for sandboxed apps.

You can add a criteria to search for System Files. Add a criteria to the search and select Other… Find the System Files attribute and add it to the search criteria.

Then see if it appears in the list.

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

135,761 points

Apr 19, 2016 6:39 PM in response to Jeff Ericson

EasyFind will search inside containers. You can find it in the App Store.

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