How on earth do you find files inside a specific FOLDER?

[madsylar]

Yes, spotlight is cool but how do I search for files within a specified folder?

I select the folder, hit cmd+f, I can see the folder selected, i type name matches *.avi hit enter and nothing. I try avi only and nothing. I try holidays and hit enter and nothing.

Can anyone explain please?

Thanks

 

[madsylar]

Yes, spotlight is cool but how do I search for files within a specified folder?

I select the folder, hit cmd+f, I can see the folder selected, i type name matches *.avi hit enter and nothing. I try avi only and nothing. I try holidays and hit enter and nothing.

Can anyone explain please?

Thanks

I've been a windows user for 12 years, unless I'm retarded or missing something very obvious, you can't narrow the search to a specific folder without adding it to the list of folders spotlight indexes.

Vmware fusion is the best software for Mac

 

[lkirkup]

Goto Finder > Preferences > Advanced and at the bottom of the window look for "When performing a search:" and select "Search the Current Folder."

 

[Ann P]

Right-click and Show Package Contents.

 

[pit29]

i type name matches *.avi

There're no suche things like the Windows wildcards * and ? in MacOS. To search for all avi files, just type .avi when doing the search. Narrow it down to the current folder by clicking on the box, or in preferences as said above. Typing "*.avi" will look for exactly that: files that contain "*.avi", and not: and file with the extension .avi.

 

[ikir]

use the search in the finder window, in this window select that folder and not all mac. Simple....

 

[xi mezmerize ix]

yea using search in a finder window finds anything

 

[GGJstudios]

Yes, spotlight is cool but how do I search for files within a specified folder?

I select the folder, hit cmd+f, I can see the folder selected, i type name matches *.avi hit enter and nothing. I try avi only and nothing. I try holidays and hit enter and nothing.

Can anyone explain please?

Thanks

1. In Finder, double-click the folder you want to search
2. In the search area, type the name you want to search for. If you want all files of a certain extension, just press the space bar once
3. Click the top circled "+" so it becomes a "-"
4. From the dropdown, select File Extension and type the extension you're searching for.
5. At the top, where it says Search: click the folder name, rather than This Mac.
6. Search

​

Right-click and Show Package Contents.

That doesn't apply.

Goto Finder > Preferences > Advanced and at the bottom of the window look for "When performing a search:" and select "Search the Current Folder."

That setting doesn't exist in Leopard.

 

[FSMBP]

Goto Finder > Preferences > Advanced and at the bottom of the window look for "When performing a search:" and select "Search the Current Folder."

That's it. And this is option is only there is 10.6

I don't know why there are other responses that say otherwise.

 

[GGJstudios]

That's it. And this is option is only there is 10.6

I don't know why there are other responses that say otherwise.

Where is a response that says otherwise?

 

[madsylar]

thanks but

Thanks but I'm doing something wrong because none of these options do what i need.

I have a website. A real example: i have a website and need to find a file called scheduler. This is what I do:

1) Open the root folder on finder.
2) cmd+f > select "foldername" (instead of "this mac") > select "File name" instead of "content".

and them i hit enter. Nothing happens. It doesn't search.

What's going on?

 

[madsylar]

Thanks but I'm doing something wrong because none of these options do what i need.

I have a website. A real example: i have a website and need to find a file called scheduler. This is what I do:

1) Open the root folder on finder.
2) cmd+f > select "foldername" (instead of "this mac") > select "File name" instead of "content".

and them i hit enter. Nothing happens. It doesn't search.

What's going on?

Lol, finder only looks for files in the same folder, it doesn't look in subfolders.

Do I really have to use windows to search in subfolders? Please don't tell me that...

 

[swiftaw]

Lol, finder only looks for files in the same folder, it doesn't look in subfolders.

Do I really have to use windows to search in subfolders? Please don't tell me that...

Finder searches through subfolders when I try.

 

[lkirkup]

That setting doesn't exist in Leopard.

Sorry, but at what point did he say he was using Leopard?
I must have missed that.

 

[GGJstudios]

Sorry, but at what point did he say he was using Leopard?
I must have missed that.

Sorry, but at what point did he say he was using Snow Leopard?
I must have missed that.

The fact is, the OP didn't specify which OS version they're using, and I didn't assume either. I stated that the setting doesn't exist in Leopard, so anyone using Leopard who reads this thread won't wonder why they can't find that setting.

 

[Fishrrman]

Google, and then download, "EasyFind".

Beats Apple's searching tools every which way.

Actually, one of my favorite search tools was "FastFind" from the old Norton Utilities suite. Trouble is, the only copy I have is PPC, so it must run "in Classic". Wish they'd put one out in OS X coding.....

 

[lkirkup]

Sorry, but at what point did he say he was using Snow Leopard?
I must have missed that.

The fact is, the OP didn't specify which OS version they're using, and I didn't assume either. I stated that the setting doesn't exist in Leopard, so anyone using Leopard who reads this thread won't wonder why they can't find that setting.

Well the assumption was made that he was using Snow Leopard as he is a new user. Sure he could be using an older machine, but hey..
I also tried your solution on an old Puma system but couldn't find the screens you posted.

 

[GGJstudios]

Well the assumption was made that he was using Snow Leopard as he is a new user. Sure he could be using an older machine, but hey..

My solution works in Leopard or Snow Leopard, which are the two current Mac OS X versions. There are still a great number of Leopard users in this forum, including those new to Macs or just new to this forum, so it makes perfect sense to clarify which settings only exist in 10.6.

I also tried your solution on an old Puma system but couldn't find the screens you posted.?.

My solution doesn't work in Windows 3.1x either, but what does that have to do with anything?.

I didn't say the setting was wrong; I only clarified that it only applies to 10.6. Sensitive much?

 

[antonborisov]

Why not to use Terminal?

Launch Terminal and type something like this:

find ./Documents/ -name *.avi

You could go even further and open desired files like this:

find ./Documents/ -name *.avi -exec open {} \;

 

[Cinematographer]

1) Open the root folder on finder.
2) cmd+f > select "foldername" (instead of "this mac") > select "File name" instead of "content".

and them i hit enter. Nothing happens. It doesn't search.

What's going on?

It's kind of obvious, but did you let Spotlight index your HD? If not, it won't find anything.

Lol, finder only looks for files in the same folder, it doesn't look in subfolders.

Do I really have to use windows to search in subfolders? Please don't tell me that...

Finder searches through subfolders. Of course it does.