solved File search can’t find files/weird diagnostics results

[alexcr]

Alfred has been working absolutely fine for months, even after upgrading to Ventura. Then all of a sudden it can’t find some files.

 

What is troubling is that running Diagnostics gives different results each time I run it!

 

First time:

 

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'Notes de réunion Paul.md'
Path: '/Users/alexandre/Documents/academic/3-research'

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

Check file cache database...

✅ File cache integrity is ok

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

Check if file is readable...

✅ Alfred has permissions to read this file.

Unix Permissions: 420
Underlying Type: NSFileTypeRegular
Extended Attributes: (
    "com.apple.lastuseddate#PS",
    "com.apple.macl"
)

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

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

✅ Indexing is enabled on this drive

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

Check direct file metadata...

⚠️ Direct metadata is missing, this file is likely not indexed by macOS

Display Name:
Other Names:
Content Type:
   Last Used:

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

Check mdls file metadata...

❌ macOS metadata missing essential items

kMDItemFSContentChangeDate = (null)
kMDItemFSCreationDate      = (null)
kMDItemFSCreatorCode       = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags       = (null)
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon     = (null)
kMDItemFSInvisible         = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden = (null)
kMDItemFSIsStationery      = (null)
kMDItemFSLabel             = (null)
kMDItemFSName              = (null)
kMDItemFSNodeCount         = (null)
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID      = (null)
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID       = (null)
kMDItemFSSize              = (null)
kMDItemFSTypeCode          = ""

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

❌ Troubleshooting failed

 

Second time:

 

Starting Diagnostics...
File: 'Notes de réunion Paul.md'
Path: '/Users/alexandre/Documents/academic/3-research'
-----------------------------------------------------------
Check file cache database...
✅ File cache integrity is ok
-----------------------------------------------------------
Check if file is readable...
✅ Alfred has permissions to read this file.
Unix Permissions: 420
Underlying Type: NSFileTypeRegular
Extended Attributes: (
    "com.apple.lastuseddate#PS",
    "com.apple.macl"
)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Check if volume '/' is indexed by macOS...
⚠️ Indexing may not be enabled on this drive
/:
    Index is read-only.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Check direct file metadata...
⚠️ Direct metadata is missing, this file is likely not indexed by macOS
Display Name: 
 Other Names: 
Content Type: 
   Last Used: 
-----------------------------------------------------------
Check mdls file metadata...
❌ macOS metadata missing essential items
kMDItemFSContentChangeDate = (null)
kMDItemFSCreationDate      = (null)
kMDItemFSCreatorCode       = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags       = (null)
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon     = (null)
kMDItemFSInvisible         = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden = (null)
kMDItemFSIsStationery      = (null)
kMDItemFSLabel             = (null)
kMDItemFSName              = (null)
kMDItemFSNodeCount         = (null)
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID      = (null)
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID       = (null)
kMDItemFSSize              = (null)
kMDItemFSTypeCode          = ""
-----------------------------------------------------------
❌ Troubleshooting failed

 

I have tried to reindex the macOS volume (Advanced-->Rebuild macOS Metadata) and multiple times to `reload` the Alfred cache.

 

Spotlight cannot find this file either.

 

Any idea what could be wrong here?

Edited December 1, 2022 by alexcr
syntax

[alexcr]

Looks like I posted this too fast.

 

Here’s what happened:

 

- couldn’t find files

- followed Alfred diagnostics, including reindexing the volume, etc.

- STILL couldn’t find files after reindexing finished

- rebooted my macbook

- reindexing went for a second (??) pass for some reason

- finding files now works

 

Case closed. I’ll be filing this under the "odd macOS behaviors" folder.