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Apple Mountain Lion OS X Finder Spotlight – A Better Search Method to Find Files and Lost Folders

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Summary. Apple computers come with a file search feature called Spotlight that is included in their OS X operating system. Unfortunately, Spotlight is very simplistic and doesn’t offer an advanced search window.

20121215sa-apple-finder-iconSolution. A better way to search for files is to open a new Finder window (browser), then press command+F (or Find from the File menu). This produces a search bar where you can select to search files based on one or several criteria selected such as file type, size, date, and more.

Examples. Below are some examples of how the search criteria can be used. When choosing Other, it is possible to select from a long list of file characteristics.

Searching For a Specific File Type/Kind

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Other Search Criteria

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Choosing Other Produces This Long List of Options

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By Greg Johnson

Greg Johnson is a freelance writer and tech consultant in Iowa City. He is also the founder and Director of the ResourcesForLife.com website. Learn more at AboutGregJohnson.com