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Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
#55724 08/15/20 08:38 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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I have Excel file called BIKE HIKE Hike bike.

I put words twice in file name just for this issue. Still wont come up. The folder it is in, does come up. Stumped, any ideas? (good thing I remembered where this is buried five folders in hard to remember)..thanks

which is precisely why I'd like Spotlight to find it.

Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
kevs #55725 08/15/20 09:40 PM
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You should only have to put in one word in the file name for Spotlight to find the file. If you are searching using multiple words then too many or too few spaces between words in either the actual name or search argument can prevent the file from being found. (I'll give you three guesses how I know that and the first two don't count 🙄)

If one word doesn't find the file there is the possibility the Spotlight index has become corrupted and needs to be rebuilt. You will find instructions for rebuilding the Spotlight index in this Apple Support Document.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #55729 08/15/20 10:04 PM
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thanks Joe, even hike or bike, one word, nothing comes up.

Now this file ok will do the drag in then remove trick to re-index, report back.

Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
kevs #55859 08/31/20 01:42 PM
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Try EasyFind. It's free and it works.


iMac (19,1, 3.1 GHz i5, 12.7.4, 40 Gb RAM); MacBook Air (1.8 Ghz, 8 Gb RAM, 10.14.6, 256 Gb SSD) Vodafone router and Devolo Wi-Fi Extender, Canon TS8351 printer/scanner.
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
freelance #55860 08/31/20 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted by freelance
Try EasyFind. It's free and it works.

EasyFind hasn't been updated in 6 years, and 4-5 years ago they told me in response to a bug report that it was at the bottom of their list; it's looking more and more like they've abandoned it.

I switched to Find Any File ($6 shareware), which I find CONSIDERABLY faster, a few years ago. (Note that at the moment, FAF can't access the data partition of an APFS clone, but the dev is working on a fix.)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
artie505 #55864 08/31/20 05:12 PM
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Instead of using Spotlight, in Finder I go to File > Find. By adjusting the criteria, I'm usually able to find something rather quickly.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
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Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
artie505 #55865 08/31/20 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by artie505
(Note that at the moment, FAF can't access the data partition of an APFS clone, but the dev is working on a fix.)
For what it is worth, I just tested FAF 2.1.1 and it had no problem finding files on my desktop in Biq Sur (MacOS 11.0 beta) and Macintosh HD (Data) is among the twelve (count 'em — 12) real and temporary volumes FAF sees on the Big Sur boot drive.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
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Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #55866 08/31/20 05:37 PM
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Thanks all, ok JOe, I did re- indes and wallah, still does not come up!

I try bike, I try hike, even bike hike which is the name I have this file nothing in spotlight.

And dang Spotlight, I love it , but takes up most CPU and disk in out slows dows system more than anything else and it can't find this simple file still

Jon thanks! yes that works! Finder find, if I can remember, more cumbersome and less fun that spotlight but works... BTW, can one turn spotlight off and just use that? AGain, spotlight uses lot resources, slows down computer and works worse than finder find, though do love it's look/ interface

Easy find, like Spotlight, did not find file, only FInder Find did

BTW Joe the new like feature forum not work well, it take you separate page and then hit back button get back to thread.

Last edited by kevs; 08/31/20 05:54 PM.
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
jchuzi #55870 08/31/20 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by jchuzi
Instead of using Spotlight, in Finder I go to File > Find. By adjusting the criteria, I'm usually able to find something rather quickly.

Agreed, I generally find the basic Spotlight search to be pretty lame because of all the builtin limitations but using it in Finder is very powerful. The default Finder toolbar has a search window, any entry in that opens up all the other Finder search options. You can also get them by clicking ⌘F on the desktop or any Finder window.

BareBones software's BBEdit has a very powerful mulitfile Find (and optionally replace) function including GREP pattern searches.

DevonTechnologiesDevonSphere — the aid version — is useful too.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
kevs #55871 08/31/20 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
Thanks all, ok JOe, I did re- indes and wallah, still does not come up!

I try bike, I try hike, even bike hike which is the name I have this file nothing in spotlight.

And dang Spotlight, I love it , but takes up most CPU and disk in out slows dows system more than anything else and it can't find this simple file still

Spotlight uses far less CPU than any other search utility. Searching by its very nature is CPU intensive and often disk I/O and memory intensive as well. Spotlight reduces the load — more like spreads the load over a longer span of time — because it relies on an index rather than opening and reading each and every file as some utilities do.

Originally Posted by keys
Jon thanks! yes that works! Finder find, if I can remember, more cumbersome and less fun that spotlight but works... BTW, can one turn spotlight off and just use that? AGain, spotlight uses lot resources, slows down computer and works worse than finder find, though do love it's look/ interface

Finder is 100% dependent on Spotlight. Disabling Spotlight would disable Finder searches and a number of other applications and functions in MacOS including Time Machine. One reason Spotlight appears to use a lot of CPU cycles is because it is critical to the operation of many functions in MacOS and applications so it get used a LOT! If you really want to do away with Spotlight, switch to an iPad which has no Finder or Spotlight and searches are limited to in-app only.

Originally Posted by keys
BTW Joe the new like feature forum not work well, it take you separate page and then hit back button get back to thread.

We had to upgrade to this newer version of UBB because the old version relied on an obsolete version of PHP which has significant security issues and was removed from our server.

Last edited by joemikeb; 08/31/20 06:57 PM. Reason: typo

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
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Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #55872 08/31/20 08:03 PM
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kevs Offline OP
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Joe, good job with interface, much faster, thanks, but the like, I would remove it until fixed as 4 clicks.

Spotlight is huge i/0, dave super duper poilnted this out, but alas, you say I have to keep it. But thanks to you and Jon, I'll use finders from here on in. Way more accurate.

Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
kevs #55874 08/31/20 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted by kevs
Spotlight is huge i/0, dave super duper poilnted this out, but alas, you say I have to keep it. But thanks to you and Jon, I'll use finders from here on in. Way more accurate.

I will let you in on a secret, Finder search IS Spotlight, it is just another interface to the same application.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #55886 09/01/20 01:57 AM
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kevs Offline OP
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Ok Joe, I'll trust you one that, but Spotlight inferior to Finder because of "because of all the builtin limitations " what is that?

Not that i need to know, but just curious!

i'm all Finder search now, will never use spotlight again. (even though I'm sure Spotlight is accurate most time, why bother when certain % of times it can't find stuff?)

Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #55889 09/01/20 07:27 AM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by artie505
(Note that at the moment, FAF can't access the data partition of an APFS clone, but the dev is working on a fix.)
For what it is worth, I just tested FAF 2.1.1 and it had no problem finding files on my desktop in Biq Sur (MacOS 11.0 beta) and Macintosh HD (Data) is among the twelve (count 'em — 12) real and temporary volumes FAF sees on the Big Sur boot drive.

Clarifying what I see and have communicated with FAF's dev about:

This screenshot shows what I see in /Volumes while booted into HD, and this one shows what FAF 2.1.1 sees.

HDz and CCC are clones (the former in the same container as HD...the latter in a different container), but what FAF is seeing is only their system volumes. I can search their data volumes by selecting the appropriate volumes in /Volumes and searching "in Finder selection."


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
artie505 #55982 09/04/20 10:00 AM
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I'm curious about how what you see in FAF compares to what I see, because I've been working with the dev to "correct" what I see, and I'd like to confirm that your experience is consistent with mine.

Thanks.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
artie505 #55986 09/04/20 03:26 PM
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This is what FAF sees. I haven't had my coffee yet but I don't know where you got the other image.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #56458 10/11/20 09:59 AM
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Here are before and after (the recent FAF update) pics of my drop-down.

HDz and CCC in the top image pointed to only my system volumes, but the bottom image offers either my system or data volumes as options.

I can't make the least bit of sense out of the image you posted, but it's probably because I can't relate it back to your hardware/software configuration.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
artie505 #56462 10/11/20 02:45 PM
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What you are seeing is the difference between Catalina and Big Sur and after reading the article referenced by Mike Bombich I assume some of those volumes in my view are virtual, not real.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Spotlight cannot find my BIKE HIKE file
joemikeb #56464 10/11/20 03:15 PM
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Originally Posted by joemikeb
What you are seeing is the difference between Catalina and Big Sur and after reading the article referenced by Mike Bombich I assume some of those volumes in my view are virtual, not real.
I don't know why you think Big Sur has anything to with it, because I'm not running Big Sur.

The change in what I"m seeing is simply the result of FAF now recognizing the existence both components of my Catalina volumes.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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