spotlight insensitive to file/folder name?

[hqz]

Hey all,

I am using Lion and one of the really annoying things for me is that spotlight is very spotty and often can't find a folder/file based on the name I enter (e.g., even things right on the desktop). This seems to be caused by spotlight overemphasizing results that contain the search string than the file/folder name.... and in my experience, the problem is particularly severe for folder names.

Has anyone experienced this or has any tips? Thanks in advance!

Best,
hqz

 

[hqz]

bumping once (and if no one answers won't bump again)

 

[Montymitch]

I'm guessing you just recently completed the install. Lion has to reindex everything (it does this immediately after first boot), so let you computer sit for a bit and it should speed up spotlight significantly. I had the same problem. Updated, hit cmd+spc, and thought that I'd made a huge mistake upgrading. Now, it runs quick as ever.

 

[hqz]

My problem is not speed, and it's already been a few days. The problem is that it isn't finding things that should be there.

Btw, I do have an optibay SSD in there... I wonder if that's part of the problem or not.

 

[Leia1912]

I'm having problems with Spotlight, too. I have 2 kinds of problems:

--inability to search for text phrases within files;
--occasional inability to find folders/files.

After discussion with Apple on Saturday, I fixed the second problem--but I'm not sure it is fixed truly or not. (It came back today and I had to repeat the steps taken to fix it.)

Here's how to try to fix it:

Go to Finder and click on the "Go" menu in the menubar. Hold down option (or command--can't figure out which) while holding down "Go." You will see Library pop up as an option.

In your Library, go to Preferences.

Drag the com.apple.spotlight.plist file to the Desktop and restart.

Your computer will have to re-index everything, but it should at least recognize you now have files & folders.

(If you don't see a com.apple.spotlight.plist, btw, go to the Spotlight preferences--in System Preferences--and add try unchecking items in the list there, then close the Spotlight prefs. Open and fix what you unchecked--this is just to force Spotlight to generate a preferences file you can trash.)