Spotlight won't search for folders if pdf search also selected.

steveadd · 04-11-2012, 11:57 PM

I've got a strange problem with Spotlight. If i include pdfs in the search, spotlight will not at same time search for folders.

Deselect pdfs and it finds folders again.

I reindexed Spotlight a number of times but not change.

I'm running 10.7.3 on a MacBook.

ganbustein · 04-14-2012, 05:41 PM

It's not clear how you're "including pdfs", but usually each thing you add to the search narrows the search down. If you say "Kind is PDF", then anything that is not a PDF (for example, a folder) will not be found.

When adding a search condition, you can hold down the option key while clicking on the (+) button, and you will get a condition that lets you choose between "Any"/"All" of the following are true.

Using that, you could set up a search for:

"Any" of the following are true
... "Kind" is "PDF"
... "Kind" is "Folder"

and get results of both kinds. Unless you add of "Any" clause, the assumption is that you want to match on "All".

NaOH · 04-14-2012, 06:26 PM

In the Spotlight menu (the magnifying glass icon at the top right of the screen), you can specify a search term and indicate if it should be found in folders or PDFs. It would look like this:

searchterm kind:pdf OR kind:folder

That would find folders with searchterm in the name and PDFs with searchterm in the name or within the PDF files (assuming the text within the PDFs is searchable)

steveadd · 04-15-2012, 01:30 AM

I'm in System Preferences for Spotlight and it allows searches of multiple types of files, applications and folders at the same time.

For some reason it won't search for folders unless I deselect pdfs.

Are we talking about the same problem?

NaOH · 04-16-2012, 10:59 AM

Please describe in extensive detail how you are performing a search and the results you are seeing.

steveadd · 04-18-2012, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaOH


	Please describe in extensive detail how you are performing a search and the results you are seeing.

I open the Spotlight panel at the top right corner of the screen (magnifying glass) and type in what I'm searching for.

In the Spotlight Preferences in System Preferences I have folders, pdfs, docs, applications and a few others selected under Search Results.

This works just fine on my iMac. On my macbook Pro it won't find folders unless I deselect pdfs. Sometimes it doesn't find other formats.

I've rebuilt or reindexed Spotlight a number of times.

Steve

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 12:00 AM

Okay, so what happens if you use that Spotlight menu to enter this (note the lack of spaces):

Code:

kind:folder

Does it show any results?

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 12:23 AM

yes if I search for:

kind:folder

It finds folders.

If I search any other phrase it won't find any folders if pdfs are chosen for search results.

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 12:31 AM

If you go to System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results, have you tried moving Folders higher up in the list? This is kind of a non-obvious way that you can adjust the order of the search results you are shown. I'm wondering if you move folders up high in the list and then do a test search if that makes any difference.

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 12:36 AM

Even if folders is #1, if I have documents or pdfs selected it won't find any folders. Also if I have just pdfs and docs selected it won't find any docs.

Seems to be maxing out on too many finds. It will then just show pdfs over docs or folders.

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 12:41 AM

How did you attempt to rebuild the Spotlight index?

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 12:43 AM

yes, just did it again half an hr ago. Have rebuilt a number of times.

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 12:47 AM

I didn't ask if you've rebuilt the Spotlight index, I asked how you did that.

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 12:49 AM

ok.

Most recently by putting the hard drive in the privacy category and then taking it out again.

Also used ONYX one time.

Steve

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 01:00 AM

Try this method. Copy the text below and open Terminal (in /Application/Utilities). Paste the code into the Terminal window at the prompt.

Code:

sudo mdutil -E /

You will be asked for your administrator password (and if you've never used the sudo command you'll need to accept the warning presented). When you type your password, it will look like nothing is being typed. That's normal. Once you've typed your administrator password, press Return.

This will completely remove the Spotlight index and force a new one to be created. Probably not necessary, but I would immediately quit Terminal and restart your Mac.

The re-creation of a Spotlight index takes some time while Spotlight indexes your stuff. I've got about 40 GB on my startup volume and it usually takes 15-20 minutes. You can tell if it's still in progress by simply looking at the Spotlight menu: There's a blinking dot in the middle of the magnifying glass while indexing is occurring. Just wait. Let it complete the indexing, then test, and report back.

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 01:08 AM

thanks will do

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 10:28 PM

NaOH, apologies for the delay. Done everything you suggested re indexing of Spotlight, restarted, but with no change to the problem.

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 10:31 PM

Hmm. The next step, simply a diagnostic one, would be to create a new user account and see if the issue exists there. That will tell us if the problem is confined to your usual user account or if it's a system-wide problem.

steveadd · 04-19-2012, 10:39 PM

I already had a second user for public use. The spotlight search works fine for folders.

NaOH · 04-19-2012, 10:54 PM

First, do you have any third-party Spotlight plugins installed? These would be in ~/Library/Spotlight. If so, move these to the Desktop, run the earlier Terminal command (just in case), and restart your Mac.

If you don't have any third-party plugins, or if you do and the above makes no difference, there are a few Spotlight preferences files to try replacing. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, preferences files can become corrupt. I can't honestly say which preferences file does what, but I would suggest moving all of them to the Desktop, running the same Terminal command we discussed earlier (again, just in case), then immediately restarting. I'm running Lion (10.7), so you may see some slightly different names or files if you're using something else.

~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.spotlight.plist
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.spotlight.plist.lockfile

These next two, by default, are not visible. Assuming you still have Onyx on your Mac, you can make them visible with that application. Go to the Parameters > Finder section, then enable the checkbox next to Show Hidden Files And Folders.

~/Library/Preferences/.byhost.spotlight.mdquery
~/Library/Preferences/.byhost.spotlight.XXXXXXXXXX.spo

Also check ~/Library/Caches, for anything that includes com.apple.spotlight in its name.

After you restart, you can revert the setting for hidden files with Onyx. Likewise, you should go to System Preferences > Spotlight to confirm all the settings are as you like since they were probably reset.

04-15-2012, 01:30 AM	#4
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	Spotlight search I'm in System Preferences for Spotlight and it allows searches of multiple types of files, applications and folders at the same time. For some reason it won't search for folders unless I deselect pdfs. Are we talking about the same problem?

04-19-2012, 12:00 AM	#7
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	Okay, so what happens if you use that Spotlight menu to enter this (note the lack of spaces): Code: kind:folder Does it show any results?

04-19-2012, 01:00 AM	#15
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	Try this method. Copy the text below and open Terminal (in /Application/Utilities). Paste the code into the Terminal window at the prompt. Code: sudo mdutil -E / You will be asked for your administrator password (and if you've never used the sudo command you'll need to accept the warning presented). When you type your password, it will look like nothing is being typed. That's normal. Once you've typed your administrator password, press Return. This will completely remove the Spotlight index and force a new one to be created. Probably not necessary, but I would immediately quit Terminal and restart your Mac. The re-creation of a Spotlight index takes some time while Spotlight indexes your stuff. I've got about 40 GB on my startup volume and it usually takes 15-20 minutes. You can tell if it's still in progress by simply looking at the Spotlight menu: There's a blinking dot in the middle of the magnifying glass while indexing is occurring. Just wait. Let it complete the indexing, then test, and report back.

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04-11-2012, 11:57 PM	#1
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	Spotlight won't search for folders if pdf search also selected. I've got a strange problem with Spotlight. If i include pdfs in the search, spotlight will not at same time search for folders. Deselect pdfs and it finds folders again. I reindexed Spotlight a number of times but not change. I'm running 10.7.3 on a MacBook.

04-14-2012, 05:41 PM	#2
ganbustein MVP Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Berkeley CA USA Posts: 1,016	It's not clear how you're "including pdfs", but usually each thing you add to the search narrows the search down. If you say "Kind is PDF", then anything that is not a PDF (for example, a folder) will not be found. When adding a search condition, you can hold down the option key while clicking on the (+) button, and you will get a condition that lets you choose between "Any"/"All" of the following are true. Using that, you could set up a search for: "Any" of the following are true ... "Kind" is "PDF" ... "Kind" is "Folder" and get results of both kinds. Unless you add of "Any" clause, the assumption is that you want to match on "All".

04-14-2012, 06:26 PM	#3
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	In the Spotlight menu (the magnifying glass icon at the top right of the screen), you can specify a search term and indicate if it should be found in folders or PDFs. It would look like this: searchterm kind:pdf OR kind:folder That would find folders with searchterm in the name and PDFs with searchterm in the name or within the PDF files (assuming the text within the PDFs is searchable)

04-16-2012, 10:59 AM	#5
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	Please describe in extensive detail how you are performing a search and the results you are seeing.

04-19-2012, 12:23 AM	#8
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	yes if I search for: kind:folder It finds folders. If I search any other phrase it won't find any folders if pdfs are chosen for search results.

04-19-2012, 12:31 AM	#9
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	If you go to System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results, have you tried moving Folders higher up in the list? This is kind of a non-obvious way that you can adjust the order of the search results you are shown. I'm wondering if you move folders up high in the list and then do a test search if that makes any difference.

04-19-2012, 12:36 AM	#10
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	Even if folders is #1, if I have documents or pdfs selected it won't find any folders. Also if I have just pdfs and docs selected it won't find any docs. Seems to be maxing out on too many finds. It will then just show pdfs over docs or folders.

04-19-2012, 12:41 AM	#11
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	How did you attempt to rebuild the Spotlight index?

04-19-2012, 12:43 AM	#12
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	yes, just did it again half an hr ago. Have rebuilt a number of times.

04-19-2012, 12:47 AM	#13
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	I didn't ask if you've rebuilt the Spotlight index, I asked how you did that.

04-19-2012, 12:49 AM	#14
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	ok. Most recently by putting the hard drive in the privacy category and then taking it out again. Also used ONYX one time. Steve

04-19-2012, 01:08 AM	#16
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	thanks will do

04-19-2012, 10:28 PM	#17
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	NaOH, apologies for the delay. Done everything you suggested re indexing of Spotlight, restarted, but with no change to the problem.

04-19-2012, 10:31 PM	#18
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	Hmm. The next step, simply a diagnostic one, would be to create a new user account and see if the issue exists there. That will tell us if the problem is confined to your usual user account or if it's a system-wide problem.

04-19-2012, 10:39 PM	#19
steveadd Prospect Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 26	I already had a second user for public use. The spotlight search works fine for folders.

04-19-2012, 10:54 PM	#20
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,649	First, do you have any third-party Spotlight plugins installed? These would be in ~/Library/Spotlight. If so, move these to the Desktop, run the earlier Terminal command (just in case), and restart your Mac. If you don't have any third-party plugins, or if you do and the above makes no difference, there are a few Spotlight preferences files to try replacing. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, preferences files can become corrupt. I can't honestly say which preferences file does what, but I would suggest moving all of them to the Desktop, running the same Terminal command we discussed earlier (again, just in case), then immediately restarting. I'm running Lion (10.7), so you may see some slightly different names or files if you're using something else. ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.spotlight.plist ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.spotlight.plist.lockfile These next two, by default, are not visible. Assuming you still have Onyx on your Mac, you can make them visible with that application. Go to the Parameters > Finder section, then enable the checkbox next to Show Hidden Files And Folders. ~/Library/Preferences/.byhost.spotlight.mdquery ~/Library/Preferences/.byhost.spotlight.XXXXXXXXXX.spo Also check ~/Library/Caches, for anything that includes com.apple.spotlight in its name. After you restart, you can revert the setting for hidden files with Onyx. Likewise, you should go to System Preferences > Spotlight to confirm all the settings are as you like since they were probably reset.