Finding file locations in Spotlight
I just upgraded to Yosemite and love Spotlight's new design, but I can no longer find a file's location on my computer by pressing Option+Command. So what's the new trick for finding file locations?
Press just the Command key -- the path displays at the bottom of the preview window at the right (not very noticeable especially when there is text going to the bottom of that preview).
You can also press Command Enter and that will open Finder to the containing folder with the file selected.
Command i opens the Get Info window with details, but unfortunately it opens behind any open window.
Similar Messages
-
Itunes cannot find file location
it says that the file location couldnt be found
Give me some more info and I'll be glad to see what I can do. A screenshot, what file iTunes is trying to find the location of, etc...
-
Find file location of pics in iPhoto?
How do i find the location of images saved in iPhoto? I want to use some as desktop images and the function to use an image as desktop pic doenst work so i want to find the file manually.
using iPhoto 11 v9.4.2
ThanksSee Terence Devlin's User Tip: How to access files in iPhoto:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4491
To reveal the image file that you want to use as a Desktop Picture in the Finder, select the photo in iPhoto and use the command "File > Reveal in Finder > Original".
But you should be able to show your iPhoto Library in the Desktop&Screensaver System Preferences. Do you not see it there like this? You should be able to access all events directly from there.
Regards
Léonie -
Can't find file location.
I recently transferred my iTunes to my laptop via the backup discs, which I thought worked well. When I tried to play some songs, iTunes told me that they couldn't be played because the original file couldn't be found. I first thought it was because the songs that couldn't be found were songs that I'd downloaded off the internet and put onto iTunes on the computer, then they were backed up with the rest. However, there are loads of other songs I've gotten through this method and they are all able to be played, it's only a few artists that aren't. I'm wondering if there's anything wrong because I can locate the songs on the backup disc and they work, as do the other songs I downloaded from the internet, but I don't want to have to find each song individually now as there are seven backup discs to go through.
If I transferred my iTunes library from the computer onto the laptop via homesharing instead of the discs, would I still encounter this problem?Are the "missing" songs somewhere on your local drive as well as the DVD backup set. If so iTunes might just be looking in the wrong place. Select a broken entry and press CTRL-I to Get Info, then look on the Summary tab. What path is shown? Where is the file really? Post back and I might be able to offer some suggestions.
Alternatively just copy the entire iTunes folder from one machine to the other over your network.
tt2 -
File location of Spotlight found items
Hi,
in prior versions of OS X, Spotlight had a feature in which if I positioned the mouse pointer one of the items in the list of found items, a "tool tip" would appear, showing the full file path. This was useful if I was cleaning out my system and deleting files, or for locating a file that I wanted to open from a particular app. In Lion, this feature seems to have disappeared. Now, if I hover the mouse pointer over one of Spotlight's list items, a larger window opend to the side of the Spotlight list, showing the selected item's filename (but not its path), what app opens the file by default, the file's size, and its "last modified" date, but I have no way of knowing where the file actually is located. Is there a way that I can determine a file's location directly from Spotlight like I could in earlier versions of OS X?
Thanks,
KenCT,
Thanks for the information.
Just to confirm, for anyone else who may have the same question in the future, when an item is selected in Spotlight's list of items that match the search criteria, it appears that in every case except for apps, a window will open to the the side of Spotlight's list, displaying information about that item. This window sometimes shows a preview of the file (for documents and images), and just info, if it's a folder. This window does not appear if an app is selected in Spotlight's list. When a Spotlight item is selected and Option-Command are both held down, the filepath (but not the name)of the item will be displayed at the bottom of the item's description window, and if the selected item is an app, then Option-Command will cause a window to open, showing info about the app as well as showing its filepath at the bottom of the window. Holding down only the Command key will result in the item's name appearing at the bottom of the window for all objects except for webpages, where it appears that both Option-Command and Command only result in a display at the bottom of the item's window that alternates between the webpage's title and its URL. Please note that I didn't do an exhaustive test of this, but I hope that this will be somewhat helpful to others.
Thanks,
Ken -
Can't find files either with Spotlight or Finder
So (for example) I just created a file (with Photoshop) called "duellingremotes.jpg" and it's in a folder in another folder on the Desktop. Nothing comes up when I search for "remote" either in Spotlight or by going Command-F. Is this not one of the basic abilities that I should have? What am I doing wrong?
To add to Daniel's response,
When you search for a term in Spotlight, it assumes that the term you are searching for represents a word or the beginning of a word. That said, it will find the word within the file name as long as it is delineated in the filename either with-punctuation, ChangeOfCase, or spac ing.
So, if you named the file DuellingRemotes.jpg, it would find it if you searched for "remote." But it would not find it on searching for "mote"
If you want to search for something that is an embedded string in a file name, use the Name Contains option in Cmd-F.
With that, you could search for "ingrem", "otes" or any other part of the file name. -
I'm trying to play two albums using iTunes but they say the files can't be located and won't play. The albums are on my iPod Nano 3rd Gen. and will play there. Syncing my iPod and computer doesn't resolve the problem. How do I get the albums from the nano to the computer?
Hello, FayAnnR.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
Here is an article that I would recommend going through when iTunes indicates that a file can not be located.
iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1408
If the media was purchased from iTunes, I would recommend deleting the missing media and either transfer purchased from your iPod or download them again via the third article below.
How to delete content you've downloaded from the iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5772
iTunes Store: Transfer purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1848
Download past purchases
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2519
Cheers,
Jason H. -
How do I find a file location of a file used by Illustrator?
I am trying to load a keyboard shortcut file in Adobe Illustrator it should go in: Library/Preferences/Adobe Illustrator CS5 Settings/en_US but I cannot find the directory. If I save a kb file from inside Illustrator the file saves but I cannot find the location. Spotlight search retuens nothing?
I saved a manualy modified kb shortcut file and saved the changes with a new name. I cannot find the new file that will have an extension of .kys but I have not been able to find it. I am using OS X Lion 10.7.2 What am I doing wrong?Highlight the file in the search results and press the Command and Option keys down. The location will appear at the bottom of the preview screen.
Regards,
Captfred
Edit: Note correction from control to Command keys -
New PC. New solid sate OS and the new photo 1tb drive. the restore and convert seemed to go smoothly. all the photos loaded. the albums although are having issues finding file locations.@ !
You keep asking variants on this same question. You've had replies in all your other threads. If you can't find them, go here and click where it says Activity:
Thomas Cannon Jr. -
I typically have several open Preview files at any one time and often forget where, sometimes if, I saved them. In Mountain Lion, how do I find the location of an open Preview File? Tried holding option + command in spotlight but I don't see a path name appear anywhere.
Yes, cmd-option on a file you choose in Spotlight and the path will appear at the bottom of the Preview window.
EDIT: Also, if it is bookmarked the path is in Bookmarks. -
How do I use Spotlight to find the location of a document?
Spotlight used to show the location of document when I hovered the mouse over an item in its list. It no longer does this. Now it tells me that a document exists and allows me to open the document, but doesn't tell me where to find the document. How do I use Spotlight to find the location of a document?
Hi Thomas ...
Open System Preferences > Spotlight then select the Search Results tab.
Select the all the categories for the search results you want.
Restart your Mac.
If that didn't help the Spotlight preferences may be corrupted.
Go to ~/LIbrary/Preferences
Move the com.apple.spotlight.plist file from the Preferences folder to the Trash.
Try Spotlight.
edited by: cs -
In Spotlight, Why can't I see the file location?
There has been a loss of a feature from 10.6 SL or 10.7 Lion....
When I search for a file in Spotlight, I want to see the file location. Instead, I get the file preview. Is there a way to set a perference so I can actually "find" my file in the folder instead of just viewing it.You're welcome!
-
How do I find a file with Spotlight? Or, more to the point, why does Spotlight make it soooo hard to find the location of files?
Example: I want to find file "foo.xls". I type in "foo.xls" into Spotlight and sure enough, there it is! Great! Er .. but wait. All Spotlight lets me do is OPEN the file. I don't want to do that, I just want to know where it is; what folder it is in.
How do I do that? I can't right-click on items in the Spotlight result list (why not? isn't this what most users would do?). I can't press spacebar for quicklook. I can't seem to do ANYTHING with Spotlight EXCEPT open the file.
I presume there is some hidden shortcut key involving some obscure combination of option+command etc etc, but how am I supposed to know that? Isn't this supposed to be easy?
This is, to say the least, very frustrating.
--TimIn 10.6 and prior, the user would need only hover over the item in Spotlight's results and a yellow flag would appear with the location. In 10.7, a new Spotlight feature emerged, the preview, so the yellow flag is gone.
Use Finder's Spotlight instead in the upper right of the Finder window. You can always use Finder's "Show Path Bar" view, so that, after doing a Finder Spotlight search, you can single click on a file and see the path listed at the bottom of the window. -
Spotlight fails to find files & folders
Spotlight frequently fails to find files or folders that I have created on my user. Some files and folders will show up, but perversely never the ones I want. For example, I wanted to locate a folder I have entitled "Business Card", so I entered "Business" into spotlight. I got a couple of "business" hits on my documents, and a whole slew of system ones and mail messages, but I had to shuffle manually through my files until I found it. And this kind of thing is happening all the time, to the point where I have virtually written off Spotlight.
I have all the options in the preferences list checked, and have placed files and folders at the top of the list.
Any thoughts as to why this is happening?
Thanks.Spotlight is notorious for its weaknesses and erratic behavior. You might try reindexing your Spotlight. Open up Spotlight in Sys Prefs, go to Privacy and drag the HD Folder there. Leave it a minute then remove it by clicking on the minus at the bottom. This will force Spotlight to reindex the drive, which may take some time.
I mostly use EasyFind (free) instead of Spotlight.
http://www.devon-technologies.com/products/freeware/ -
What has happened with Spotlight? Can't find files anymore. Why?
Apparently I have two iPhoto libraries. When I use Spotlight to find them, I get an iPad user guide as the first return. One library is in Pictures. If I search that Finder folder for iTunes Library, search finds nothing. If I search that folder for iPhoto it returns iPhoto Slideshows, a file that follows after the iPhoto library file. If I use Spotlight, it returns hundreds of unrelated files. Not useful.
If I double-click the library in Pictures, I get this message in iPhoto: Do you want to switch the current iPhoto Library from “iPhoto Library” to “iPhoto Library” and relaunch iPhoto?
I suspect if I do, I'll never find the library that is now open. How'd I get two libraries? I didn't do that.
My main question: Why doesn't Spotlight return the location of the file I'm looking for?
Seems to me I've been finding files very efficiently with Spotlight for years, but this new version is almost useless.Yes, I've done that. I just did it again in response your suggestion. Had a fusion disk problem s few days ago; had to wipe it and restore so I'm working with a clean system. Should have been indexed... I dropped my whole hard disk in the privacy space; nothing happened. Then I dropped iMac Home; I could see it was indexing. But nothing changed...
Today the problem was searching for a library and I wondered if Spotlight is coded to not find such Apple created fundamentals.... But daily, no matter what I'm searching for, even if I find it, it is not as efficient as it used to be.
Maybe I'm just a grouchy old man, but it seems to me Spotlight was better before it was improved.
Maybe you are looking for
-
Have an image larger than my canvas that I pan across over three seconds. Apply a tilt shift effect to a smart layer but I do not wish the tilt shift to pan with the image I want the 'camera' to be fixed on sticks and panning the image. Would try and
-
IPod Classic not recognized by iTunes, but iPod Touch is recognized
I have both an iPod Classic and an iPod Touch. iTunes on my Windows XP computer will recognize the iPod Touch, but it will not recognize the iPod Classic. I went through the first series of tests recommended at the Apple site, but I stopped when it s
-
11.1.4 wont open after update
i can't open iTunes after it updated.. i read that i have to remove iTunes and reinstall... will i lose my library???
-
I tried to submit an interactive PDF form, but received a message: Error opening URL to submit the form. My form is created in InDesign cs6 and exported to interactive PDF with text fields. any one has some tips to deal wiith this?
-
How can i rewrite this query so it uses less inner joins (it causes my temp space to explode :) ) ( SELECT Waardes.*, Tellers.Nr_Dataitems, Tellers.Nr_Details FROM ( SELECT extractvalue(Value(el_node), 'Node/Id') node, extractvalue(Value(el_dataitem)