Check out Fixing Broken File Search On Your Mac at YouTube for closed captioning and more options.
Fixing Broken File Search On Your Mac
Comments: 10 Responses to “Fixing Broken File Search On Your Mac”
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Check out Fixing Broken File Search On Your Mac at YouTube for closed captioning and more options.
The adding and removing instructions went over my head (around 5.01). Where do you remove it from? And how do you add it again? Copy/paste? Thx, Gary
Dee: At 5:01 I'm showing the Privacy part of the Spotlight preferences. At the bottom are + and - buttons. Use the + button to add your Home folder, then select it and use the - button to remove it. You add first (to exclude from the search) and then remove second (to re-include in the search).
Thanks Gary! You just solved one of my pet peeves about having to constantly make my search iCloud instead of something else. There are so many things in Macs that I didn't know were there or how to use them. Your tutorials are wonderful!
Awesome! Thank you! Again, you solved a problem area for me!
I believe that the Terminal command to rebuild the index is a lot easier than adding and removing a drive to the Spotlight's privacy preferences.
sudo mdutil -i on /
Phil: It is easier, but it has a few things against it. Not everyone is comfortable using Terminal commands, let alone sudo in the Terminal. Also, Apple's "official" method is the one I show, which they also show on that web page.
hi Gary
I just installed MS Excel on the Mac a couple of days ago and it's still not showing up in my Spotlight search. I was going to try the add and remove method in the Privacy settings but the shortcut to the Excel app is greyed out and not selectable in that screen. Any suggestions? thx
Nick: Searching for Applications is probably different than searching for files and this technique is for files. I would try turning off "Applications" in the Spotlight preferences, and then turning it back on again. Also, maybe a restart.
That finder search window that shows "This Mac" and "This Folder" has space for OTHER folders to be added. I have a couple of folders (Posters and Images to Sort) that I OFTEN and ONLY want to search because I am looking for something specific.
Is there a way to add these "common default folders" to that Searching window?
Scott: No, thats not a customizable toolbar or anything like that. Instead, put those folders in the left sidebar of the Finder window, click on them first, before clicking the Search field and typing. It would be the same number of actions (click, click, type instead of click, type, click).