How to Search Trash?

ruffy · 11-10-2012, 10:22 PM

How to I perform a search on Trash Items?

Is there a way to place the Trash bin in Finder's left panel?

DeltaMac · 11-10-2012, 10:42 PM

Eh? more info, please!
Did you somehow remove the trash icon from your Dock?

Are you struggling with emptying the trash?
If you share your issue with us - someone may have a better method for getting the trash to behave.

acme.mail.order · 11-11-2012, 02:30 AM

(Trash icon not removable from dock without considerable work)

You search the trash by clicking the trash icon and looking in it, just like the trash beside your desk. If you have so much stuff in the trash that it makes this difficult then you need to change your work habits and empty the trash more often.

DeltaMac · 11-11-2012, 06:14 AM

I agree.
Trash is not a permanent storage area.
For me, it's a temporary use folder, almost always empty, or maybe a 5 or 10 items at the most.
Sometimes large folders, when doing a cleanup of the hard drive, but I know all about those files, and empty the trash almost immediately.
I don't think I have ever considered searching for files in the trash - unless I made some major error with the wrong files.
And, often the "put back" menu command will return a file or folder that I have accidentally trashed - at least for the last couple of versions of OS X.

ruffy · 11-11-2012, 12:17 PM

I DO keep my trash to a minimum. However the other day I did a lot of housecleaning and ended up with very many items therein, one of which I realized I should've kept. But alas, TRASH has NO search available for its contents. Who'd've thought?

NaOH · 11-11-2012, 12:39 PM

If the Trash has been opened, the Search field in the toolbar of the window will allow you to search file names in the Trash. Searching file contents does not work if items are in the Trash. For that, easiest would probably be to move the Trash contents to a folder (like on the Desktop) so that the files become completely searchable with Spotlight.

DeltaMac · 11-11-2012, 12:46 PM

Ah, OK
Make a new folder in the finder.
Drag the contents of your trash to that folder.
Find your file.
drag everything else back to the trash.
(empty your trash now, please

)

You could also retrieve that one file from a Time Machine backup.

( one of TM's fun uses... )

ruffy · 11-11-2012, 01:26 PM

Thanks DeltaMac - great ideas!
Funny how such simple solutions can hide from consciousness.

DeltaMac · 11-11-2012, 01:58 PM

I know a couple of folks that need a final review of files that should be in the trash.
They have some kind of intermediate folder, which gets the files first (like a folder named "waiting for destruction"

) They both had made major 'mistakes' with accidental trashing. Trashing a file goes to that folder first. One guy even has a second person to witness most trash deletions.
Just my 2 cents - and a thought that there's lots of other methods to make accidental trashing easy to prevent.

11-10-2012, 10:22 PM	#1
ruffy Triple-A Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 230	How to Search Trash? How to I perform a search on Trash Items? Is there a way to place the Trash bin in Finder's left panel?

11-11-2012, 12:46 PM	#7
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,952	Ah, OK Make a new folder in the finder. Drag the contents of your trash to that folder. Find your file. drag everything else back to the trash. (empty your trash now, please ) You could also retrieve that one file from a Time Machine backup. ( one of TM's fun uses... ) Last edited by DeltaMac; 11-11-2012 at 12:47 PM. Reason: NaOH beat me to it, but that's it...

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11-10-2012, 10:42 PM	#2
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,952	Eh? more info, please! Did you somehow remove the trash icon from your Dock? Are you struggling with emptying the trash? If you share your issue with us - someone may have a better method for getting the trash to behave.

11-11-2012, 02:30 AM	#3
acme.mail.order League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 6,045	(Trash icon not removable from dock without considerable work) You search the trash by clicking the trash icon and looking in it, just like the trash beside your desk. If you have so much stuff in the trash that it makes this difficult then you need to change your work habits and empty the trash more often.

11-11-2012, 06:14 AM	#4
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,952	I agree. Trash is not a permanent storage area. For me, it's a temporary use folder, almost always empty, or maybe a 5 or 10 items at the most. Sometimes large folders, when doing a cleanup of the hard drive, but I know all about those files, and empty the trash almost immediately. I don't think I have ever considered searching for files in the trash - unless I made some major error with the wrong files. And, often the "put back" menu command will return a file or folder that I have accidentally trashed - at least for the last couple of versions of OS X.

11-11-2012, 12:17 PM	#5
ruffy Triple-A Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 230	I DO keep my trash to a minimum. However the other day I did a lot of housecleaning and ended up with very many items therein, one of which I realized I should've kept. But alas, TRASH has NO search available for its contents. Who'd've thought?

11-11-2012, 12:39 PM	#6
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,642	If the Trash has been opened, the Search field in the toolbar of the window will allow you to search file names in the Trash. Searching file contents does not work if items are in the Trash. For that, easiest would probably be to move the Trash contents to a folder (like on the Desktop) so that the files become completely searchable with Spotlight.

11-11-2012, 01:26 PM	#8
ruffy Triple-A Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 230	Thanks DeltaMac - great ideas! Funny how such simple solutions can hide from consciousness.

11-11-2012, 01:58 PM	#9
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,952	I know a couple of folks that need a final review of files that should be in the trash. They have some kind of intermediate folder, which gets the files first (like a folder named "waiting for destruction" ) They both had made major 'mistakes' with accidental trashing. Trashing a file goes to that folder first. One guy even has a second person to witness most trash deletions. Just my 2 cents - and a thought that there's lots of other methods to make accidental trashing easy to prevent.