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Some apps can no longer be searched after update


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Posted

Hi all,

 

I have been using Alfred 4.1 Build 1167. Since I updated to macOS Big Sur Public Beta (20A5343j), some previous-installed apps are not appearing in search results.

 

These apps CAN be opened from launchpad, or searched with spotlight. I also tried clearing application cache, rebuilding macOS Metadata, gave it some time and "reload". Still nothing unfortunately.

 

However, if I individually re-install these apps (replacing from the Applications folder works as well), they then appear in the search results.

 

Any ideas? Thanks a lot!

Posted

@Chris Alvin Welcome to the forum.

 

If you're using Alfred 4.1, go to Alfred's preferences > Help > Troubleshooting and run the File Search Troubleshooting, dragging in some of the files you can't locate. This will give you more information on whether the metadata for these files is complete, and if they're correctly included in Alfred's index.

 

Share some of the results from the apps that aren't found and we'll take a look.

 

Cheers,
Vero

Posted

@Vero Hi thanks for the prompt reply!

 

One of the apps missing from search is Microsoft Word. I navigated into the Applications folder and dropped it into the troubleshooter as you mentioned. Here are the results:

 

Quote

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'Microsoft Word.app'
Path: '/Applications'

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check file cache database...

File cache integrity is ok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if file is readable...

Alfred has permissions to read this file.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check file is in search scope...

File exists within Alfred's default search scope

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if volume '/' is indexed by macOS...

Indexing is enabled on this drive

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check direct file metadata...

Direct metadata available

Display Name: Microsoft Word
 Other Names: Microsoft Word.app
Content Type: com.apple.application-bundle
   Last Used: 2020-08-12 08:41:28 +0000

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check mdls file metadata...

Metadata contains required items

_kMDItemDisplayNameWithExtensions      = "Microsoft Word.app"
kMDItemAlternateNames                  = (
    "Microsoft Word.app"
)
kMDItemAppStoreCategory                = "Productivity"
kMDItemAppStoreCategoryType            = "public.app-category.productivity"
kMDItemCFBundleIdentifier              = "com.microsoft.Word"
kMDItemContentCreationDate             = 2020-06-15 07:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentCreationDate_Ranking     = 2020-06-15 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentModificationDate         = 2020-08-12 08:38:29 +0000
kMDItemContentModificationDate_Ranking = 2020-08-12 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentType                     = "com.apple.application-bundle"
kMDItemContentTypeTree                 = (
    "com.apple.application-bundle",
    "com.apple.application",
    "public.executable",
    "com.apple.localizable-name-bundle",
    "com.apple.bundle",
    "public.directory",
    "public.item",
    "com.apple.package"
)
kMDItemCopyright                       = "© 2020 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved."
kMDItemDateAdded                       = 2020-08-14 12:28:30 +0000
kMDItemDateAdded_Ranking               = 2020-08-14 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemDisplayName                     = "Microsoft Word"
kMDItemDocumentIdentifier              = 0
kMDItemExecutableArchitectures         = (
    "x86_64"
)
kMDItemFSContentChangeDate             = 2020-08-12 08:38:29 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate                  = 2020-06-15 07:00:00 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode                   = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags                   = 0
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon                 = (null)
kMDItemFSInvisible                     = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden             = 1
kMDItemFSIsStationery                  = (null)
kMDItemFSLabel                         = 0
kMDItemFSName                          = "Microsoft Word.app"
kMDItemFSNodeCount                     = 1
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID                  = 0
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID                   = 0
kMDItemFSSize                          = 1975133015
kMDItemFSTypeCode                      = ""
kMDItemInterestingDate_Ranking         = 2020-08-12 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemKind                            = "Application"
kMDItemLastUsedDate                    = 2020-08-12 08:41:28 +0000
kMDItemLastUsedDate_Ranking            = 2020-08-12 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemLogicalSize                     = 1975133015
kMDItemPhysicalSize                    = 2108661760
kMDItemUseCount                        = 1
kMDItemUsedDates                       = (
    "2020-08-11 16:00:00 +0000"
)
kMDItemVersion                         = "16.40"

-----------------------------------------------------------

Troubleshooting passed
 

 

Looks fine to me, would you mind take a look as well? Thanks!

  • 4 months later...
  • 2 months later...
Posted

I also have this issue. Alfred finds some apps but not others and doesn't find any files. 

 

For the applications that can't be found it appears to be missing metadata:

 

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'dosbox.app'
Path: '/Applications'

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check file cache database...

File cache integrity is ok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if file is readable...

Alfred has permissions to read this file.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if volume '/' is indexed by macOS...

Indexing is enabled on this drive

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check direct file metadata...

Direct metadata available

Display Name: DOSBox
 Other Names: 
Content Type: com.apple.application-bundle
   Last Used: 2020-03-12 11:31:29 +0000

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check mdls file metadata...

macOS metadata missing essential items

kMDItemFSContentChangeDate = 2020-03-12 11:31:29 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate      = 2020-03-12 11:31:29 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode       = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags       = 0
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon     = 0
kMDItemFSInvisible         = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden = 0
kMDItemFSIsStationery      = 0
kMDItemFSLabel             = 0
kMDItemFSName              = "dosbox.app"
kMDItemFSNodeCount         = 1
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID      = 20
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID       = 501
kMDItemFSSize              = 1
kMDItemFSTypeCode          = ""

-----------------------------------------------------------

Troubleshooting failed
 

Another with the same:

 

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'Google Chrome.app'
Path: '/Applications'

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check file cache database...

File cache integrity is ok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if file is readable...

Alfred has permissions to read this file.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if volume '/' is indexed by macOS...

Indexing is enabled on this drive

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check direct file metadata...

Direct metadata available

Display Name: Google Chrome
 Other Names: 
Content Type: com.apple.application-bundle
   Last Used: 2021-02-26 10:35:22 +0000

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check mdls file metadata...

macOS metadata missing essential items

kMDItemFSContentChangeDate = 2021-02-26 10:35:22 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate      = 2019-12-14 03:29:08 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode       = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags       = 1024
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon     = 1
kMDItemFSInvisible         = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden = 0
kMDItemFSIsStationery      = 0
kMDItemFSLabel             = 0
kMDItemFSName              = "Google Chrome.app"
kMDItemFSNodeCount         = 2
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID      = 0
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID       = 0
kMDItemFSSize              = 2
kMDItemFSTypeCode          = ""

-----------------------------------------------------------

Troubleshooting failed
 

Slightly different for file (rather than application):

 

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'Change of contact details.gsheet'
Path: '/Users/steve/Google Drive'

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check file cache database...

File cache integrity is ok

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if file is readable...

Alfred has permissions to read this file.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check if volume '/' is indexed by macOS...

Indexing is enabled on this drive

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check direct file metadata...

⚠️ Direct metadata available, but content type may be incorrect

Display Name: Change of contact details.gsheet
 Other Names: 
Content Type: dyn.ah62d4rv4ge80s65kqzw1k
   Last Used: 2021-01-27 07:16:14 +0000

-----------------------------------------------------------

Check mdls file metadata...

macOS metadata missing essential items

kMDItemFSContentChangeDate = 2021-01-27 07:16:14 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate      = 2021-01-27 07:16:14 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode       = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags       = 0
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon     = 0
kMDItemFSInvisible         = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden = 0
kMDItemFSIsStationery      = 0
kMDItemFSLabel             = 0
kMDItemFSName              = "Change of contact details.gsheet"
kMDItemFSNodeCount         = 176
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID      = 20
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID       = 501
kMDItemFSSize              = 176
kMDItemFSTypeCode          = ""

-----------------------------------------------------------

Troubleshooting failed
 

Posted

Hi Vero, thanks for that. I have followed the steps carefully, including doing an alfred 'reload' about rebuilding the indices but I have the same issue. Are there further troubleshooting steps I can take?

 

Thanks,
Steve

Posted

@Steve Ball Given you've asked the same question by email, please follow the instructions I've provided in my email as I don't wish to duplicate support queries. Let us know how you get on.

 

Cheers,
Vero

Posted (edited)

[Admin note: We do not recommend blindly running commands found on the internet. Make sure that you understand the commands you're running and the impact they can have on your Mac.]

 

I followed the instructions around rebuilding the index without luck. Vero helped diagnose that it was the underlying Spotlight indexing that was at fault and that while my Spotlight searches were broken Alfred was going to have the same issues.

 

I googled for "fix broken spotlight" and basically tried every suggestion I could find. One of them worked after also rebooting.

 

The commands I tried:

 

  • sudo mdutil -E /

  • sudo /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -seed -lint -r -f -v -dump -domain local -domain system -domain user -domain network

  • killing SystemUIServer via Activity Monitor

  • rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Spotlight.plist

  • sudo mdutil -i on /

  • Checking that /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.Spotlight.plist and /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist were present and uncorrupted 

  • sudo mdutil -Ea
    sudo mdutil -ai off
    sudo mdutil -ai on

Edited by Vero

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