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How to find hidden folders using Finder

Really frustrated! I want Finder to show hidden files and folders. I've tried everything I could find in this forum and others to do so. This is what I have tried (repeatedly):

Suggestion #1:

Finder>Go hold the option key

If you need to show it permanently

Open your Finder>Go> Home folder then command J to see view options

Then, relaunch Finder

Suggestions #2:

Show Hidden Files Mac OS X El Capitan:

Click “Finder” icon on your Mac dock.
Open Terminal. Terminal is a utility that provides access to the OS X El Capitan operating system. It can be opened in one of two following ways:
Select “Applications” on the left side, then on “Utilities“, and double-click on “Terminal“
Open the OS X El Capitan Launchpad. Click the “Utilities” folder. Then, double click on “Terminal.”
Enter the following text into the Terminal window, then press “Enter“: “defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES”
Exit the Terminal program. This can be done by selecting “Quit Terminal” from the Terminal menu.
Restart Finder. Your new setting will take effect after you relaunch finder. To do so, hold down the “Alt” key and right-click or two-fingered click on the Finder icon. Select “Relaunch.”

Neither of these work for me. :-( Am using Macbook Air and El Capitan Version 10.11.4

MacBook Air, OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Jun 5, 2016 4:48 AM

36 replies

Jun 8, 2016 7:19 AM in response to chroot

I tried this as you suggested: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

but no joy. :-(

I can use the 'GoTo Folder' as you suggested, but that doesn't really answer my question - why can't Finder find this folder when I search for it???

dialabrain

Level 10

122,627 points

Jun 9, 2016 3:23 AM in response to Community User

Actually you post the screenshot the same way you posted the first screenshot. You don't need the advanced editor. But, you found the folder you wanted. As far as why the Finder doesn't, it doesn't look in Hidden Folders. If you want to find everything on your Mac, I would recommend installing EasyFind from the App Store. It can locate any type of file/folder.

Jun 8, 2016 7:35 AM in response to dialabrain

As I said, I figured out how to add the first screen shot, but then "add image" was greyed out, so couldn't figure out how to post the second one. The mysteries of the Mac. :-)

I'll look at EasyFind. I had read that Apple's Finder is lacking in many ways. Seems like such a simple task, wonder why it can't get it right???

Thanks for your help.

dialabrain

Level 10

122,627 points

Jun 8, 2016 7:39 AM in response to Community User

FWIW, the Finder is designed the way it is to prevent new users from easily getting into areas they shouldn't.

dialabrain

Level 10

122,627 points

Jun 8, 2016 7:41 AM in response to Community User

queenmab100 wrote:

As I said, I figured out how to add the first screen shot, but then "add image" was greyed out, so couldn't figure out how to post the second one. The mysteries of the Mac. :-)

FWIW, that has nothing to do with Macs. It's how this forum works.

Jun 8, 2016 8:07 AM in response to dialabrain

I downloaded EasyFinder and it found my folder - yeah! :-) Now, how do I get the Finder icon out of my dock? Can't seem to move or remove it.

PS So the forum doesn't let you add more than one screen shot??? I didn't understand that.

dialabrain

Level 10

122,627 points

Jun 8, 2016 8:12 AM in response to Community User

1. "EasyFind"

2. You can't remove it.

3. When you create a new post, you just click on the camera icon for each image you want to add.

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,902 points

Jun 9, 2016 3:15 AM in response to Community User

Spotlight (and thus Finder) will not search system folders by default and your user Library falls into that category. You can make it search system folders if you need to.

As already mentioned, if you know the path, just use Go to Folder.

In this case use this as the path

~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles.

In Unix, ~/ is an alias to your home folder.

Aalso note that the Profiles filed is likely not hidden, only the user Library folder is hidden.

You can acces the Library directly in Finder by holding down the Option key and selecting Library from the Go menu.

You can show the Library always by typing p,

cmd-h, cmd-j in the Finder, then check the box to show the Library folder.

You seem to know about both, so where does each of those options fail?

I Don't use Thunderbird, so it may be that they hid their sub folders which would double down on Apple's stupidity in hiding the Library folder.

Jun 9, 2016 3:22 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks for the tip but what I'm trying to accomplish is *not* to have to remember where the 'Profiles folder' is but to have a search engine that finds it for me. As a sixty-something, I have very few memory cells left so I'm looking for an application on the Mac to do the memory work on my behalf! :-)

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,902 points

Jun 9, 2016 4:29 AM in response to Community User

I'm not sure why you need to get into a folder the developer buried in the Library folder, but you'll have to remember how to search for system folders.

You shouldn't normally need to access anything in the Library.

If you start your search in your Library, then it will search within that folder and show results found there.

You'll have to show the Library folder in either of the two ways shown above.

To search the folder you are in by default, set that option in Finder's Preferences.

Another way to search for system folders is to add it to the search criteria.

To get the System Files criteria in the menu, choose Other… and search the list for System files. Check the box to keep it in the menu.

Jun 9, 2016 4:56 AM in response to Barney-15E

Could you please give me step-by-step instructions as to how to accomplish this:

To get the System Files criteria in the menu, choose Other… and search the list for System files. Check the box to keep it in the menu.

I'm not clear on where to find this "Other" to which you refer.

Thanks for your help.

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,902 points

Jun 9, 2016 5:03 AM in response to Community User

Sorry, I left out the part about adding additional search criteria to the search.

After starting a Search,

Next to the Save button on the right, click the + button. A new criteria line will appear.

The left-hand popup menu has the different criteria you can add to the search.

Select that menu and find Other at the bottom of the menu.

That will open a window with lots of criteria. Search for System files or scroll down.

To keep it in the menu, always, check the box next to it. If you just select it and exit the window, it will be in the search criteria for that search, but won't be in the menu.

There is also a criteria for File Visibility which can be handy for things that are actually hidden.

A simpler way to search the Library is to just start there and set the Search preferences in Finder to start in Current Folder.

dialabrain

Level 10

122,627 points

Jun 9, 2016 5:04 AM in response to Community User

OS X El Capitan: Narrow the scope of your searches

Jun 9, 2016 8:04 PM in response to Barney-15E

Well, that worked temporarily

Next to the Save button on the right, click the + button. A new criteria line will appear.

The left-hand popup menu has the different criteria you can add to the search.

Select that menu and find Other at the bottom of the menu. To get the System Files criteria in the menu, choose Other… and search the list for System files. Check the box to keep it in the menu.

However, when I exited the Finder and came back to it again, I needed to go through all these steps again for it to find the folder I wanted in the library. Is there a way that these search criteria can be made permanent for the Finder or is it only a one-time thing?

I always tried the following steps:

1. Clicked on the + button next to the Save button

2. Set criteria to "System files" "are included"

When I did that, it would find the folder. However, upon exiting the Finder and then re-opening it and searching for the folder (without going through the above steps), it did not find the folder. So, same question: Is there a way these search criteria can be made permanent?

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,902 points

Jun 10, 2016 2:24 AM in response to Community User

A search won't be saved unless you save it.

You can create a search (without any search item) and Save it. Then, select the Saved Search and enter the desired search term.

If you start with a Find by Name window (ctrl-shift-F), then add the System Files Are included, you can Save that search and put it in Sidebar.

Select it from sidebar, then enter your search term and it will search within the scope of the original folder you started with.

Why do you need to search for System Files so often? I'm not sure I've ever needed to.

If you need to get into that Profiles folder often, just create an Alias to the folder put it somewhere handy like the sidebar or Dock.

How to find hidden folders using Finder