Spotlight: Search in content working on substrings

If you search for content with Spotlight, you have to type the search phrase from the beginning, i.e. searching for files containing the word homework you could search for home or homework but not for work.
Capitalization is important. So homeWork can be searched by home, homework and work but not by ork.
Does anyone know, how to create a spotlight search, that does a true search for "contains in content" working on substrings as well?
Peter

Hello JSam23,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
If Spotlight isn't bringing up expected search results, you can reindex Spotlight so it knows where those files are located.  Take a look at the information below on how you can do this.
I do want to forewarn you though, that reindexing Spotlight, especially your entire hard drive, can take time depending on how full the hard drive is.  This can result in your computer seeming slow, or the fans running at a higher speed than normal.
From the Apple () menu, choose System Preferences.
Click Spotlight.
Click the Privacy tab.
Drag a folder or an entire volume (your hard drive) to the list.
If prompted for confirmation, click OK.
Remove the item or volume you just added to the list by clicking it and then clicking the minus ("-") button.
Close Spotlight preferences.
Spotlight will re-index the contents of the folder or volume.
Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes - Apple Support
Cheers,
Alex H.

Similar Messages

  • Spotlight Search is not working with Lion

    I was on 10.6.5 and installed Lion.
    Spotlight searching is not working at all now. I have tried everything in the Spotlight preferences Confidentiality, selecting my hard disk and exclusding it quitting putting it back.
    I waited 3 days to be sure it was not because indexing is not finished.
    I don't know what I can try now..
    I have Time Machine I tried Mac OSX Combo 10,7.3.

    Try this, lauch Terminal and at the prompt copy & paste
    sudo mdutil -i off /
    Press return.
    You'll be prompted for you password, it will be invisible
    Then copy & paste this command
    sudo rm -rf /.Spotlight-V100
    Press return and finally
    sudo mdutil -i on /
    Press return

  • Spotlight search is not working in iphone 6

    Spotlight search is not working. It works only when I reboot the device. Also, it works for 10 to 15 min.Please help

    Try this, lauch Terminal and at the prompt copy & paste
    sudo mdutil -i off /
    Press return.
    You'll be prompted for you password, it will be invisible
    Then copy & paste this command
    sudo rm -rf /.Spotlight-V100
    Press return and finally
    sudo mdutil -i on /
    Press return

  • With the iphone 4s sometimes the spotlight search does not work and you must restart the device. There will be an update that will fix the problem?

    with the iphone 4s sometimes the spotlight search does not work and you mustrestart the device. There will be an update that will fix the problem?

    Hi. I have 3 different casemate hard cases and i have been experiencing same problem.

  • IPads spotlight search has stopped working

    I have updated to ios5 and the spotlight search was working under ios5 at first but it has suddenly stopped. I can type a word in the search bar but then nothing happens. I have tried a reboot (holding down the home and sleep buttons) and ensured that all the search categories are checked in settings.
    Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    i have the same problem! its very frustrating! Ive done all i can do to fix it, including turning the ipad 2 off, doing a hard reset (rebooting) multiple times, turning off and on all the categories in the spotlight settings menu, and get nothing in return.
    After each reboot, spotlight returns some results for your first search, but then, if you want to search for a second thing, were back at the beginning, meaning, no search results at all. So, if i want to find something using spotlight, i have to turn off the ipad all the way, and then after it starts, use that single chance that i get after it wakes up to search for something. The second time, it just doesnt show anything anymore.
    Suggestions? I have a 32 gig ipad 2, and this started happening after i upgraded to ios5, if that helps.
    Theres no troubleshooting for something like this in the ipad 2 manual....
    Message was edited by: mjolimpia

  • Spotlight searching no longer working - indexing and search disabled.

    I've been searching the web and tried everything:
    Server 10.5.8
    In Server Admin - the attached drive is a SharePoint with Spotlight search on.
    I've used mdutil to enable Spotlight.
    I've checked permissions.
    I can search the Boot Drive. I can't search the attached drive.
    mdutil returns indexing and search disabled when used to turn it on.
    very frustrating.
    Anyone out there have a clue?
    Thanks,
    Mark

    HI James,
    Open System Preferences/Spotlight and click the Privacy tab. Where you see; Delete any locations listed, Quit System Preferences and restart your Mac and see if you can use Spotlight.
    Spotlight Tips
    Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes
    Carolyn

  • Spotlight Search file contents

    I have a lot of Flash .as files. They are just text files, but they need the .as extension to work with Flash.
    I'm trying to use Spotlight to search inside them, but it doesn't seem to work. I know that there are certain words in the contents of these files, but if I search I get no results.
    Is there a way to tell Spotlight to index these types of files? Why wouldn't it just do it to begin with?

    They open by default into Flash. But if I open one with text text they open just fine. They are simply text files.
    Spotlight seems to know how to look inside all kinds of things. It seems to index jsfl (another kind of file related to Flash) so it seems to know about a lot of "fringe" types.
    If not there must be some way to edit the spotlight settings and tell it that .as files are just text....

  • Spotlight/Searching does not work for afp shares in Lion

    Hi
    I cannot search for files in Finder on my afp shares. The server and client are both running Lion 10.7. Anything I am missing? Should this work or not? I'm so used to Spotlight I would really hate it if this isn't supported for afp shares.
    Thanks NEI

    Acrobat catalog, PDX, files only work from local or network drives.
    From Acrobat's Help;
    "Moving collections and their indexes"
    "You can develop and test an indexed document collection on a local hard drive and then move the finished document collection to a network server or disk."

  • Spotlight search doesn't work on Time Machine after Lion

    I've got a new (couple of months old) iMac that came with Snow Leopard.  Since updating to Lion however, I've been unable to search for any files on my Time Machine drive (external USB connected HDD).
    I've tried forcing Spotlight to re-index my external drive by adding the external drive to the Spotlight Privacy and then removing again but I'm not convinced It's doing anything.  I've also tried repairing the time machine disk in Disk Utility (which completed with no problems)
    The strange thing about this problem is that if I set Finder to show all hidden files (via the "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE" command), after I reboot and go into Time Machine, it starts picking up files that I'm searching for.  But when I disable the hidden files again, Spotlight goes back to returning 0 results.
    This is really frustrating as everything was working before I updated to Lion.  I've tried searching for other clues to clearing my Spotlight cache on the external drive but nothing has worked.  Some methods (such as this:- http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/A5.html) refer to repairing a sparse bundle on my external drive but I can't find the file it's talking about.  Am I missing something obvious here?
    Any help would be most appreciated.

    Anyone can help on that topic ?
    I'm looking for a solution for that too ...

  • Spotlight search doesn't work--for first letters H and N only! (iOS 5.1)

    I have been reading a thread about spotlight not working until people updated to 5.1. Well, I have the reverse problem. I updated to 5.1 a few days ago, and now I can search for everything EXCEPT words that begin with H or N. When I try that, the enlarged letters on the keyboard freeze for 10 seconds, then disappear. Although the N or H appears in the search screen, no search results appear. I have tried shutting off various programs but that does not help. Anyone else see this problem?

    Thanks, but I have done that already several time. I also closed all open applications, and I also Reset All Settings. No improvement. BTW I am using an iPhone 4.

  • IPhone 4S ios 6.1.2 Spotlight Search not Working!!!

    Hi Guys,
    I recently upgraded by iphone 4s to ios 6.1.2 and now i found out that the spotlight search is not working.
    when i try to search a contact and press search the keyboard slides down and the screen is empty does not show anything.
    Pls help what do i do?

    thanks for replying !!
    I checked it all the tabs are selected but still i cant see any thing i searched.
    Deafult if the one i am searching for it should display search the web even thats not being displayed !!
    Can you think of some thing that will solve my issue?

  • Spotlight Search stopped working on my 4s

    Spotlight Search stopped working on my iPhone 4s.  Apple replaced my 4s 2 days ago and now spotlight search has stopped working on the 2nd 4s.  The Apple techs are stumped, any ideas?

    Friends,
    finally I found someone having the same problems
    I have an iPhone 4S 32 GB (germany, T-Mobile).
    I have all my mails and contacts via my work MS Exchange Server.
    My first iPhone 4S stopped searching after a while - it only shows 1 out of 10 search attempts.
    I walked to the Apple Store and they gave me a new one.
    Also the second one stopped doing any search 1 or two days later.
    So, disactiveted the search in my mails, my contact etc..
    ...but it doesn´t bring ANYTHING on the screen while typing.
    Today, I´ve been to the Apple Store again and the guy just sent me home - they can´t do anything
    Guys, this *****. I managed to use the iPhone at work instead of my Blackberry and now all other colleagues are buying iPhones, but if this is not going to work I´ll have a big problem.
    Any ideas here? What can I do?
    Thanks folks.

  • Spotlight search (search iphone) does note work half of the time.

    When searching my iphone4s nothing show up half the time. (spotlight search)  Sometimes it works fine and other times I type and it does not search or show anything. Powering down the phone did not fix.  Just odd it works for a minute then seems to stop completly.  No other problems besides this one.

    OK, well at least it works 50% of the time.

  • How to Delete Messages in Spotlight Search History without Resetting or Syncing!!

    I know there are a lot of individuals dealing with this issue and if you are like me you spend hours searching "how to delete messages in spotlight search history" and it seems like every post either says to reset your phone or sync it! I'm sorry but I did not want to go through the hassle of resetting my phone but I did try to sync it which did nothing so I decided to just mess around with my settings and I believe to have found the answer to everyone's question!!
    This worked for me so I really hope this works for you! Just follow the steps below:
    1. Go to <settings><general><spotlight search><uncheck messages>
    2. Then turn your phone off and wait a minute! Turn your phone back on and off again 2 or 3 more times while waiting a minute in between turning it off!
    3. After you are done doing that go back to step 1 and <check messages>!
    4. Now go to your spotlight search and those messages should be deleted! If they are deleted I would recommend going back to step 1 and <uncheck messages> so you do not have the same problem with messages showing up again in the spotlight search!
    It works for Mail too! Just follow the same steps listed above but uncheck mail instead of messages or do both at the same time!!
    *Here is an extra tip which will remove deleted Mail Messages, just follow the steps below:
    1. Go to <settings><mail, contacts, calendars><your mail account> scroll down and click <advanced> Now click <remove> under the title Deleted Messages and you can choose to have your mail removed After One Day, After One Week, After One Month or Never.
    I hope this post was detailed enough and easy to understand!
    I really hope it works for you like it did for me!
    Good Luck!!!

    I tried this fix and it does not work.
    I have read that this is a problem for a long time - years. Me, personally, I do have emails and texts from the past that are private and were deleted, that I do not want my husband or daughter to read. Many people have this complaint and have had it a long time. Why does Apple not fix it?!?
    Another privacy issue is the iMessage default settings on new devices. We bought a new iPhone for my college-age daughter and received all of her text messages until we noticed it and told her. We did a temporary fix. Then I got a new iPhone and the same thing happened. I had to set up iCloud accts. for each of us so that we each have privacy that cannot be tampered with. We still share our original iTunes account. Why did that have to happen?!? 
    We have been Apple consumers (laptops, iPads, iPods, iPhones) for over ten years (? longer w/just desk top) w/ the same account. These breaches in privacy are upsetting!!  My point here is that these breaches are unacceptable!  The spotlight search issue appears to be unresolved.  FIX THIS APPLE! 

  • Iphone spotlight search

    I don't know when this started, but on my iPhone 4S running iOS5, the spotlight search has stopped working.  You can "swipe" to the left and see the keyboard come up, and you can type normally, but nothing happens.  The only thing that makes it work is quitting all open applications and powering off/on.  But even then, it only works a SINGLE time, then back to the same issue.  Anyone know of any fix or is this an iOS5 issue?

    Same problem over here in Germany...
    Got the iPhone 4S and Spotlight search didn't work properly right from the start. After the upgrade to iOS 5.0.1 it is still the same. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't work at all. I have now switched off spotlight search for mail and it seems to work now.
    But for me the search through my mails is the most important and useful one. So with that turned off spotlight's kind of useless for me...
    But if that many people do have this problem Apple is going to fix that. They have to!
    Cheers,
    Marius

Maybe you are looking for

  • ITunes 10.5 crashes when iPhone 4 plugged in

    After my partition got corrupted last night (thanks 10.7.2 and FileVault!) I restored from a 1 month old backup. I updated to 10.7.2 and iTunes to 10.5. Now when I plug my iPhone 4 in (Running iOS 5 GM), it tells me I need to put the passcode in and

  • SOAP Receiver Adapter - Dynamic URL

    Has anyone tried modifying SOAP URL dynamically using UDF in the mapping?. I searched Forum and couldn't get right answer. Does it work with Adapter Specific settings and variable transport binding? Please donot post links to other posts unless it go

  • I ran a month-long trial version of Acrobat XI Pro to experiment with some of its features.

    To do so I had to de-activate the previous licensed version of the same program. Now the trial has expired, I can't seem to reactivate the old software, which came as part of an Adobe Creative Suite package. Any suggestions as to what I could do here

  • Problem with update N8

    When I try update my N8 Ovi Suite shows error whit code number 17008. Know somebody what's going on?

  • No HTML report from ISE in linux

    Hello everybody :) I work with Xilinx ISE 14.7 undre linux openSUSE 13.1 bootle kernel 3.11.29. I have such a small issue. After synthesis when I want to see Design summary mainly "advanced synthersis report" and "timing details" I cannot generate or