By MacMost Videos
Ever find yourself looking for certain files over and over again? Learn how to create a saved search in your Finder side bar as Gary leads us through the steps. Once you create the search use it over again without having to enter all the criteria.
First, click on the location where you wan to search such as documents, a certain folder or iCloud). Next, in your Finder window, type CMD-F (also in File Menu). This will take you to a new tab in the Finder where you can enter your criteria. The default is Kind is Any. In the second box where “Any” is, select for example, PDF from among the many selections (Application, Document, Folder, etc). If you are satisfied with the results, click Save and give it a name you will recognize this will put it in a special folder with other saved searches, also be sure to use box to add to side bar if you want to. The search will look like a “gear” icon. That will make it easier to retrieve. If you have sizable results, use your option in View to help find what you are looking for.
Looking at the “gear” icon in the sidebar of Finder, you will see your saved search icons. Right clicking on the icon will give you a number of options, including being able to look at the criteria. You can drag the icon from the side bar and put it on your Desktop or even add it to the Dock.
For a more advanced search, go again to the location/folder you want to search, type CMD-F and then in the KIND box, use the drop down to select what you want to do. Several options are shown in the list such as Name, Last Opened, etc. If you don’t see what you want, go the bottom of the list and select “Other” which will offer you many choices.
Example: in the KIND box choose, Last Open Date, the next box shows “within last” then you enter a number, i.e. “10” and the last box offers “days, weeks, etc:” Move the header around in the results to suit your needs. If you don’t see what you are looking for, use CMD+J to add additional columns of information.
To refine your search, add additional criteria. With your saved search open in the Finder, click on the “+” to add another line of criteria to narrow what you are looking for.
If you are not getting any results, you may need to add another criteria line with “Any” or “All” of the following criteria are True. Hold down the OPT key and click on the “+”, you’ll notice that it has changed to three dots. You will need to re-arrange your criteria so that it may require all the criteria or any. Click and hold on the line where the criteria is stated and drag it down to a place that will give you the results needed. Experiment with the positioning to get the results you need.
Source URL is in YouTube. Search for Creating Convenient Saved Searches For Your Mac Finder Sidebar. The video is produced by MacMost.