No system files when searching with spotlight in finder, help please! :)

ibook911ibook911
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I used this every day, with Tiger.



i'd search using spotlight inside finder, and I would find system files. This is *very* useful, if you are deleting an application and want to get rid of all the remnants of the application.



Is there some way to be able to search the system files with leopard?



If not, this is taking a massive step backwards.



Thanks so much.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    daffy_duckdaffy_duck Posts: 248member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ibook911 View Post


    I used this every day, with Tiger.



    i'd search using spotlight inside finder, and I would find system files. This is *very* useful, if you are deleting an application and want to get rid of all the remnants of the application.



    Is there some way to be able to search the system files with leopard?



    If not, this is taking a massive step backwards.



    Thanks so much.



    I agree, I liked having spotlight for system files. On the other hand, their removal from the index may be one reason Spotlight in Leopard seems so much faster.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    ibook911ibook911 Posts: 607member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daffy_Duck View Post


    I agree, I liked having spotlight for system files. On the other hand, their removal from the index may be one reason Spotlight in Leopard seems so much faster.



    So there is really no solution? What a mistake not to even make it an option. I'll probably have to go back to Tiger. That really sucks.



    Unless there is a third party application I could use?



    Even non-spotlight days you could search for all the files on your computer. Now you can't? That is going back before time began.



    Thanks.
  • Reply 3 of 6
    buddhabuddha Posts: 386member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ibook911 View Post


    So there is really no solution? What a mistake not to even make it an option. I'll probably have to go back to Tiger. That really sucks.



    Unless there is a third party application I could use?



    Even non-spotlight days you could search for all the files on your computer. Now you can't? That is going back before time began.



    Thanks.



    Open Finder > Hold Apple F > Kind > Other > System Files (you can check it)
  • Reply 4 of 6
    icfireballicfireball Posts: 2,594member
    I noticed Apple axed the separate full spotlight search window versus the find (Apple-F) window. Now "Show All" goes to a normal find search.
  • Reply 5 of 6
    ibook911ibook911 Posts: 607member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by icfireball View Post


    I noticed Apple axed the separate full spotlight search window versus the find (Apple-F) window. Now "Show All" goes to a normal find search.



    Yep. This is one of the things I don't like. I liked how spotlight broke it down.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by buddha View Post


    Open Finder > Hold Apple F > Kind > Other > System Files (you can check it)



    Thanks. This is a way to at least find the files. Really appreciate that a lot. Thank you.
  • Reply 6 of 6
    agent_orangeagent_orange Posts: 87member
    If your main reason for wanting this feature is to find remnants of programs you want to get rid of, may I suggest AppZapper. You drag an .app file in, it scans for all related preferences, caches etc and then zaps them! Genius.
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