We've all gotten so accustomed to using Spotlight for our Mac-searching needs. Hey, it's convenient! But you may not know that the Finder has a more advanced way to search, and with this method.
We've all gotten so accustomed to using Spotlight for our Mac-searching needs. Hey, it's convenient! But you may not know that the Finder has a more advanced way to search, and with this method, you can do some pretty awesome stuff when you're looking for your files, including searching for system resources (like .plists) that you may need when you're troubleshooting problems.
To check it out, first open a Finder window by clicking on its icon in your Dock.
Then type your search term in the box in the upper-right corner of the window. After you do that, you'll see a small plus button appear below your search.
Normally, you can use this to configure several different criteria for your search, so you could keep hitting that plus button to add new parameters until you get exactly what you want to find. For example, you could set up a search for all PNGs with particular text in their names that were created after a certain date, as below:
However, I think one of the best features here is that you can use a ton of advanced searching attributes that aren't listed in the default menu. To do that, click the plus button, and then select the first drop-down menu (which is probably labeled 'Kind'), and choose 'Other.'
Then you'll get a long long LONG list of the attributes you can use to search. On this list are some incredibly obscure things you could search for, such as the page height of a document, what the time signature is of a song, or the exposure details of a photograph.
Search All Files For Text
However, I really like using the aforementioned 'System files' attribute, which you can select to search through all of the system stuff that you usually can't find through Spotlight.
As I've done in the screenshot above, if you toggle the 'In Menu' checkbox on, you'll then be able to select the particular attribute you've chosen from the drop-down instead of having to pick it from that long list every time.
So now when you select 'System files' from that menu and toggle the second drop-down to 'are included,' you'll find everything Spotlight has kept from you all these years. For shame, Spotlight.
Obviously, you can use these search attributes to narrow down what you're looking for even further—find .plist files that were changed in the last day, for example. In any case, it's nice to have an easy, fast way to find things like that, without having to open up a Terminal window, browse through your Library folder, or anything else.
Lesson 3: Working with Files
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File basics
Understanding how to work with files and folders is an important part of using your computer. Once you understand how files and folder work, you'll use them all the time. In this lesson, we'll show you the basics of working with files, including how to openfiles, move your files into folders, and deletefiles.
Watch the video below to learn more about working with files and folders.
Watch the video below to learn more about the macOS Finder.
What is a file?
There are many different typesoffiles you can use. For example, Microsoft Word documents, digital photos, digital music, and digital videos are all types of files. You might even think of a file as a digital version of a real-world thing you can interact with on your computer. When you use different applications, you'll often be viewing, creating, or editing files.
Files are usually represented by an icon. In the image below, you can see a few different types of files on the desktop.
What is a folder?
macOS uses folders to help you organize files. You can put files insideafolder, just like you would put documents inside a real folder. In the image below, you can see some folders on the desktop.
Finder
You can view and organize your files and folders using a built-in application known as Finder.
To open Finder, click the Finder icon on the Dock, or double-click any folder on your desktop. A new Finder window will appear. Now you're ready to start working with files and folders.
From Finder, double-click a folder to open it. You can then see all of the files stored in that folder. You can also click a location in the Sidebar on the left to go to a different folder.
Note that you can see the name of the current folder at the top of the Finder window.
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If the Sidebar isn't visible on the left side of the Finder window, select View > Show Sidebar from the Menu bar.
To open a file:
There are two primary ways to open a file:
Moving and deleting files
As you begin using your computer, you will start to collect more and more files, which can make it more difficult to find the files you need. Fortunately, macOS allows you to movefiles to different folders and delete files you longer use.
To move a file:
It's easy to move a file from one location to another. For example, you might have a file on the desktop that you want to move to your Documents folder.
You can use this same technique to move an entire folder. Note that moving a folder will also move all of the files within that folder.
To create a new folder:
To rename a file or folder:
You can change the name of any file or folder. A unique name will make it easier to remember what type of information is saved in the file or folder.
To delete a file or folder:
If you no longer need to use a file, you can delete it. When you delete a file, it is moved to the Trash. If you change your mind, you can move the file from the Trash back to its original location. If you're sure you want to permanently delete the file, you will need to empty the Trash.
Note that deleting a folder will also delete all of the files within that folder.
Selecting multiple files
Neooffice review. Now that you know the basics, here are a few tips to help you move your files even faster.
To select more than one file:
There are a few ways to select more than one file at a time.
To select all:
If you want to select all files in a folder at the same time, open the folder in Finder and press Command+A on your keyboard. All of the files in the folder will be selected.
If working with files and folders feels a little tricky right now, don't worry! Like anything else, working with files and folders is largely a matter of practice. You'll start to feel more comfortable as you continue using your computer. In the next lesson, we'll talk about another important concept: how to find files on your computer that you can't easily locate.
Shortcuts
If you have a file or folder you use frequently, you can save time by creating a shortcut on the desktop. Instead of navigating to the file or folder every time you want to use it, you can simply double-click the shortcut to open it. A shortcut will have a small arrow in the lower-left corner of the icon.
Note that creating a shortcut does not create a duplicate copy of the folder. It's simply a way to access it more quickly. If you delete a shortcut, it will not delete the actual folder or the files it contains. Also note that copying a shortcut onto a flash drive will not work. If you want to bring a file with you, you'll need to navigate to the actual location of the file and copy it to the flash drive.
Macos Search Text In FilesTo create a shortcut:
Macos Search All Files For Text Free
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