Alfred not searching within Dropbox folder following update to Dropbox (new Apple silicon version)

[dslkjdskljfdsk]

Hi there -

 

Can someone help me figure out why Alfred won't search my Dropbox folder since the latest update to Dropbox? The folder moved to Library\CloudSupport\Dropbox, and I've added it to Alfred's search path.  I've also run the file search troubleshoot utility and there are no issues. 

 

Thanks much for anyone's guidance.

[dslkjdskljfdsk]

As an update, I followed the steps to rebuild the index and still cannot get this to work. Spotlight does find the files with no issues.

[Vero]

@dslkjdskljfdsk Thanks for the update. Could you provide more information?

 

• Alfred version
• macOS version
• Dropbox app version
• Dropbox settings; Do you have it set to store files locally or cloud-only?

Is the path you added where the files are really stored, or a symlinked/alias location? If it's the latter, what is the actual file storage location?

 

Could you also provide the output of file troubleshooting for a few files so that we may take a look?

 

Cheers,
Vero

[dslkjdskljfdsk]

Thanks, Vero. I removed the latest version of Dropbox and downgraded to their recent non-beta release and everything is back to normal. 

 

For the wider community, it appears the cloud storage providers (at least Microsoft and Dropbox) are trying to adjust to MacOS's new APIs. Along with this, Dropbox is testing also testing M1-native software for the first time. There's more discussion on the Dropbox forums.

 

So, there are a few things going on right now and hopefully the versions will stabilize over the next few months. Doesn't appear to be an Arq issue! 

 

Thank you.

[dpsr]

It appears that Dropbox Beta and OneDrive (which also now uses Apple's File Provider API) the contents of the folder don't load until you navigate to that folder. Due to this, the "files" never make it to the Spotlight index and therefore Alfred doesn't show them. Navigate to the folder and immediately Alfred has the file in its searches. This also makes the File Search Troubleshooter always yield positive results, because to test a file you have to first navigate to Finder, thus adding it to the Spotlight/Alfred index.

 

A workaround that I've created, which appears to be working for the most part, is to run a small command in Terminal that forces all the folders to enumerate and therefore they get added to the index. Open Terminal and go to the top Dropbox/OneDrive folder, then run this command:

ls -R */

 

The ls command doesn't change files, but merely lists all folders/files

The -R switch says to do it recursively through subfolders

The */ says to list subfolder contents

 

Depending on the number of subfolders, this command might take a while, but you can leave the Terminal window open with the command running in the background while you do other things.

 

Update: You also will need to add ~/Library/CloudStorage to Alfred's search scope for Alfred to index the files.

Edited January 31, 2022 by dpsr

[vBAq]

Please make sure ~/Library/CloudStorage is automatically added to the scope by default upon upgrading to the next Alfred version. Everyone using a form of cloud storage will hit this issue as some point and it took me a long while to find this solution.

 

Thanks @dpsr!!

[Vero]

@hobbes444 If you take a look at the change log for the latest release, you'll see this addition has already been made in Alfred 4.6.3.

 

However, for anyone who has modified their search scope in the past, you'll need to add the ~/Library/CloudStorage path manually. 

[Archetyped]

Experiencing the same issue since updating to the Dropbox beta.  Dropbox files are displayed in Spotlight's search results, but not in Alfred's file search results.

 

Details:

• Alfred version: 4.6.3 [1285]
• macOS version: 12.1
• Dropbox app version: 142.3.4187
• Dropbox settings; Do you have it set to store files locally or cloud-only?: No such setting in Dropbox preferences, however all files are accessible locally without a network connection.
• Dropbox folder path: ~/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox (not a symlink)
• ~/Library/CloudStorage in Alfred Search Scope: Yes
• Dropbox files listed in Spotlight search results: Yes
• Dropbox files listed in Alfred file search results: No
• Dropbox files listed in Alfred default results (with "Search all file types" enabled): No

File search troubleshooting output:

 

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'test_dropbox.txt'
Path: '/Users/username/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox'

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

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: test_dropbox.txt
 Other Names: 
Content Type: public.plain-text
   Last Used: 

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

Check mdls file metadata...

✅ Metadata contains required items

_kMDItemDisplayNameWithExtensions      = "test_dropbox.txt"
kMDItemContentCreationDate             = 2022-02-16 18:37:28 +0000
kMDItemContentCreationDate_Ranking     = 2022-02-16 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentModificationDate         = 2022-02-16 18:37:28 +0000
kMDItemContentModificationDate_Ranking = 2022-02-16 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentType                     = "public.plain-text"
kMDItemContentTypeTree                 = (
    "public.plain-text",
    "public.text",
    "public.data",
    "public.item",
    "public.content"
)
kMDItemDateAdded                       = 2022-02-16 18:37:28 +0000
kMDItemDateAdded_Ranking               = 2022-02-16 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemDisplayName                     = "test_dropbox.txt"
kMDItemDocumentIdentifier              = 14297
kMDItemFileItemID                      = "__fp/NzdjNGNkZTEtZDQwZC00NjBmLWI3NWQtMmZhYTgxNTY0ZDEx/__fp/fs/docID(14297)"
kMDItemFilename                        = "test_dropbox.txt"
kMDItemFileProviderID                  = "com.getdropbox.dropbox.fileprovider"
kMDItemFSContentChangeDate             = 2022-02-16 18:37:28 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate                  = 2022-02-16 18:37:28 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode                   = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags                   = 0
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon                 = (null)
kMDItemFSInvisible                     = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden             = 0
kMDItemFSIsStationery                  = (null)
kMDItemFSLabel                         = 0
kMDItemFSName                          = "test_dropbox.txt"
kMDItemFSNodeCount                     = (null)
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID                  = 20
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID                   = 501
kMDItemFSSize                          = 7
kMDItemFSTypeCode                      = ""
kMDItemInterestingDate_Ranking         = 2022-02-16 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemIsDownloading                   = 0
kMDItemIsShared                        = 0
kMDItemIsUploaded                      = 1
kMDItemIsUploading                     = 0
kMDItemKind                            = "Plain Text Document"
kMDItemLogicalSize                     = 7
kMDItemPhysicalSize                    = 4096
kMDItemUserOwned                       = 0

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

Check file is in search scope...

✅ File exists within Alfred's default search scope

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

✅ Troubleshooting passed

 

Please let me know if there's any other information you need.

[jarrodjob]

I am running into the same issue as @Archetyped.

I was also able to run the file troubleshooter / also the files are searchable via Spotlight.

I cannot see any files or folders within OneDrive.

I have attempted adding the hidden Group Container paths and other solutions but I am falling short.

 

Frustrating.

 

I am setting up a new M1 Mac after migration assistant.  I did re-install onedrive and all files are downloaded and synced.

[Vero]

4 hours ago, jarrodjob said:

am setting up a new M1 Mac after migration assistant. 

 

If you used the macOS Migration Assistant, you may be encountering a different issue, where macOS reports your home folder incorrectly.

 

Take a look at step 2 here to widen the search scope and work around the macOS bug:

https://www.alfredapp.com/help/troubleshooting/indexing/monterey

 

Let us know how you get on. 

 

Cheers,
Vero

[jarrodjob]

6 hours ago, Vero said:

Take a look at step 2 here to widen the search scope and work around the macOS bug:

https://www.alfredapp.com/help/troubleshooting/indexing/monterey

 

I did this and it worked.  Thanks @Vero.

Any tips on how I can be notified if and when this may be fixed?

 

Thanks again for a great app!

 

[vitor]

4 minutes ago, jarrodjob said:

Any tips on how I can be notified if and when this may be fixed?

 

You can check the macOS release notes, but I doubt this will show up there. Apple will probably either leave this unfixed or address it silently. The most common cause seems to be using Migration Assistant from an Intel Mac to Apple Silicon, which won’t be common forever.

 

From your standpoint it doesn’t really matter: it’s working now and (presumably) by the time you need another migration this specific issue may not affect you.

[meolsen]

@dpsr

 

Is the file listing you suggest something you need to do anytime you add folders/files to keep them touched, especially if you are syncing on multiple systems?

 

ls -R */

[emirhan]

Open Alfred's preferences and navigate to the following configuration:

Features > Default Results > Search Scope

 

Perform the following actions:

1. Untick macOS Applications Folder
2. Untick Folders in Home (ignoring the warning)
3. Remove all scope folders by clicking a folder, pressing ⌘A to select all of the folders, then pressing backspace, or the - button below the folder list.

Removing everything solved the Dropbox issue for me. I'll edit this entry if this causes any other issues.

[vapov]

Upgraded from Alfred 4 to Alfred 5 and had this same problem on Monterey 12.5.1 (most recent).
I followed the official troubleshooting step 2.2 to Widen Search Scope and it worked immediately.
https://www.alfredapp.com/help/troubleshooting/indexing/monterey/

It's the same as emirhan's advice but is missing the last step, to open finder and dropp in Macintosh HD to the search scope so only "/" appears.

Edited September 2, 2022 by vapov

[netnothing]

I'm trying to get this resolved.  I can get the Dropbox folder to appear in search results if I widen the scope completely - either by removing everything from the Search Scope prefs or just adding /.

 

But I don't really want this.  Doing this starts to clutter results with stuff in /System.

 

Even adding the manual entry of ~/Library/CloudStorage isn't working.

 

Any ideas?

[ima_mango]

The solution provided by emirham above worked for me. No idea how, but it worked. My dropbox results now show up again in Alfred.

[netnothing]

@ima_mango Yes, this worked for me as well, but in doing so it widened the search scope so that I get results from within /System.  I don't want anything from there to be in my search results.

[rdg]

FYI, I solved this by adding my entire home folder to the Search Scope. I navigated to /Users and then picked my home folder, and Alfred added it as "~"

With that, I didn't need to enter the ~/Library/CloudStorage folder to get results when I search for a file in the Dropbox folder.

I have "MacOS Applications folder and Folders in Home checked, though the later is redundant with ~ as an included path.

 

This seems to me like an Alfred bug, in that it's excluding everything from the ~/Library, even those things explicitly added, unless the whole home directory is present in the search scope.

[netnothing]

3 minutes ago, rdg said:

FYI, I solved this by adding my entire home folder to the Search Scope. I navigated to /Users and then picked my home folder, and Alfred added it as "~"

With that, I didn't need to enter the ~/Library/CloudStorage folder to get results when I search for a file in the Dropbox folder.

I have "MacOS Applications folder and Folders in Home checked, though the later is redundant with ~ as an included path.

 

This seems to me like an Alfred bug, in that it's excluding everything from the ~/Library, even those things explicitly added, unless the whole home directory is present in the search scope.

 

Thanks!  I added ~ and it seems to be working.

[iandol]

I have also not been able to use `file` prefix or [spacebar] search with any of my Dropbox files. And indeed explicitly adding `~` to the Search Scope works. As far as I know, my settings for Search Scope were the defaults before I added `~` — it does include `~/Library/CloudStorage`:

 

 

@Vero — is this expected behaviour or a bug?

Edited January 5, 2023 by iandol

[vitor]

Instead of manually adding ~, try resetting the Search Scope. If the default doesn’t work for you, “Applications and Home” should.

[netnothing]

2 hours ago, vitor said:

Instead of manually adding ~, try resetting the Search Scope. If the default doesn’t work for you, “Applications and Home” should.

Yeah, resetting to Alfred defaults removes ~ and thus no searches are done in Dropbox.

 

Resetting to "Applications and Home" just has Alfred add ~ to the list.

 

So at this point, you need to have an actual entry for ~ in the search scope for Alfred to be able to see Dropbox files.

[vitor]

1 minute ago, netnothing said:

Resetting to "Applications and Home" just has Alfred add ~ to the list.

 

Not quite, it also does other changes to Library inclusions and changes one of the checkboxes at the top. You can verify this by switching between different resets. In this case it produces the same desired outcome as manually dragging ~, but in other cases it might not.

[netnothing]

3 minutes ago, vitor said:

 

Not quite, it also does other changes to Library inclusions and changes one of the checkboxes at the top. You can verify this by switching between different resets. In this case it produces the same desired outcome as manually dragging ~, but in other cases it might not.

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that it only added ~ to the list.  Just that resetting to "Applications and Home" adds ~ to the list, so if you have a custom setup where you manually added ~ to the list to get Dropbox to work, you likely don't have to use the "Applications and Home" reset.