After updating to Sequoia Finder does not find system files anymore

[gilby101]

don't know how to reconcile that with your other comment

I don't see any contradiction.

The option about system files (however that is defined) has been when searching.

These are separate statements about indexing: 1) never has been an option about indexing (or not indexing) system files, 2) at some point macOS stopped indexing ~/Library/Preferences. What is indexed is up to macOS - some of what we might call system files are indexed, some are not.

 

[svenmany]

I don't see any contradiction.

The option about system files (however that is defined) has been when searching.

These are separate statements about indexing: 1) never has been an option about indexing (or not indexing) system files, 2) at some point macOS stopped indexing ~/Library/Preferences. What is indexed is up to macOS - some of what we might call system files are indexed, some are not.

OK, I understand.

It's a strange situation. Apple offers the ability when searching to include/exclude system files but doesn't bother mentioning which subset of system files that influences. They are bozos.

 

[gilby101]

It's a strange situation. Apple offers the ability when searching to include/exclude system files but doesn't bother mentioning which subset of system files that influences. They are bozos.

They are.

These searches have confused me in the past, so I am glad to have investigated a bit more and now have a better understanding!

Ps. I checked with a High Sierra VM I have. This behaviour (not indexing ~/Library/Preferences) goes back to High Sierra and possibly much earlier.