File found but not shown

[GoudSaan]

Hello,

 

On a brand new Mac Air M2 (last week), I created some files in the /username/Documents file, and when I try to search files inside it, Alfred/Spotlight finds them, opens Finder, but nothing appears.

For example username/Documents/test ; I use Alfred to find the "test" file ; it will show a result in the search bar (picture 1) , open finder, show me the column of "username" files (Documents is in it), a column where "test" is supposed to be but empty (picture 2 and 3). 

Same thing if I create a "test2" inside "test", but it will show two empty columns (picture 4). Same thing if a create a "test3" inside "test2" with three empty columns.

Last thing, if I create a test.rtf file and ask Alfred to open it, it will work, and if one of the files is already open in Finder, it works normally.

 

I checked all the confidentiality things for this Document file and nothing strange, even tried to reindex it with : sudo mdutil -E /Users/username/Documents and got : 

/System/Volumes/Data/Users/username/Documents:

Error: unknown indexing state.

 

Anyway, is there anything I can do to solve that issue ?

Thanks

Edited September 13 by GoudSaan

[Stephen_C]

Welcome to the forum.

 

If you have not already looked at it the best place to start is with this Alfred help page: Troubleshooting File Indexing Issues. Please work carefully through the suggestions there—particularly if you used the Mac migration assistant to transfer your data from an older Mac (which often seems to lead to initial indexing problems).

 

Stephen

[GoudSaan]

Thanks for your answer. I'm coming from Windows so no data migration.

I already looked at it and just didn't try the full metadata index rebuilding because I thought that just reindexing the "Documents" file would work.
Do you think that it might change something ?
Because from what I described, it's more a problem of Finder not able to show the files, their icons/names and what's inside than a problem of finding it.

Also, I think that "Documents" is the only file with that issue. The others seems fine, from what I tested.

Tristan

Edited September 14 by GoudSaan

[Stephen_C]

I suggest that you run file search troubleshooting (see the help page to which I linked), drop in a file that is giving problems and then post the output here.

 

Stephen

[GoudSaan]

And that's the funniest part haha.
Same results for Documents and test1.

[Stephen_C]

Just in case, please click on Copy Output and paste the complete results.

 

Stephen

[GoudSaan]

Here we go : 

 

Starting Diagnostics...

File: 'test2'
Path: '/Users/tristannaas/Documents/test'

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

Check file cache database...

✅ File cache integrity is ok

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

Check if file is readable...

✅ Alfred has permissions to read this file.

Unix Permissions: 493
Underlying Type: NSFileTypeDirectory
Extended Attributes: (
    "com.apple.provenance"
)

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

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

✅ Indexing is enabled on this drive

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

Check direct file metadata...

✅ Direct metadata available

Display Name: test2
 Other Names: 
Content Type: public.folder
   Last Used: 2024-09-14 08:07:22 +0000

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

Check mdls file metadata...

✅ Metadata contains required items

_kMDItemDisplayNameWithExtensions  = "test2"
_kMDItemEngagementData             = {length = 11, bytes = 0x0900000000dc49c6410001}
kMDItemContentCreationDate         = 2024-09-13 21:14:39 +0000
kMDItemContentCreationDate_Ranking = 2024-09-13 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemContentModificationDate     = 2024-09-14 08:07:22 +0000
kMDItemContentType                 = "public.folder"
kMDItemContentTypeTree             = (
    "public.folder",
    "public.directory",
    "public.item"
)
kMDItemDateAdded                   = 2024-09-13 21:14:39 +0000
kMDItemDisplayName                 = "test2"
kMDItemDocumentIdentifier          = 0
kMDItemFSContentChangeDate         = 2024-09-14 08:07:22 +0000
kMDItemFSCreationDate              = 2024-09-13 21:14:39 +0000
kMDItemFSCreatorCode               = ""
kMDItemFSFinderFlags               = 0
kMDItemFSHasCustomIcon             = (null)
kMDItemFSInvisible                 = 0
kMDItemFSIsExtensionHidden         = 0
kMDItemFSIsStationery              = (null)
kMDItemFSLabel                     = 0
kMDItemFSName                      = "test2"
kMDItemFSNodeCount                 = 1
kMDItemFSOwnerGroupID              = 20
kMDItemFSOwnerUserID               = 501
kMDItemFSSize                      = (null)
kMDItemFSTypeCode                  = ""
kMDItemInterestingDate_Ranking     = 2024-09-14 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemKind                        = "Dossier"
kMDItemLastUsedDate                = 2024-09-14 08:07:22 +0000
kMDItemLastUsedDate_Ranking        = 2024-09-14 00:00:00 +0000
kMDItemUseCount                    = 20
kMDItemUsedDates                   = (
    "2024-09-12 22:00:00 +0000",
    "2024-09-13 22:00:00 +0000"
)

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

Check file is in search scope...

✅ File exists within Alfred's default search scope

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

Check MDQuery file search...

✅ macOS returned a match for this file in your search scope.

File Search Results for search scope (
    "[0] /System/Volumes/Data/Users/tristannaas/Documents/test/test2"
)

File Search Results for ~/ (
    "[0] /System/Volumes/Data/Users/tristannaas/Documents/test/test2"
)

File Search Results for / (
    "[0] /System/Volumes/Data/Users/tristannaas/Documents/test/test2"
)

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

✅ Troubleshooting passed
 

[Stephen_C]

11 hours ago, GoudSaan said:

it will show a result in the search bar (picture 1) , open finder, show me the column of "username" files (Documents is in it), a column where "test" is supposed to be but empty (picture 2 and 3).

How are you asking Alfred to reveal the file in Finder? Are you highlighting the relevant search result in Alfred (you don't need to do that if it's the first result), then holding ⌥ while pressing ⌘?

 

What happens if you type find in Alfred followed by the name of the file? (See Alfred Preferences → Features → File Search under Revealing Files.)

 

Stephen

Edited September 14 by Stephen_C

[GoudSaan]

I just type the name of the file without anything else, if it's the first to come out I just press enter, if not I select it with the arrows and then press enter.

If I hold on ⌘ alone, or ⌘ and ⌥ simultaneously, and then press enter, same results as if I'm pressing enter alone. Same if I type "find" before the filename.
If I hold only⌥ before pressing enter it actually shows me the file.

Example : typing 'test2' in alfred, then holding ⌥,"search for 'test2' in finder" appears under test2 file, pressing enter, results in picture below.

 

 

 

 

[Stephen_C]

I am now a little confused. Forgive me if I'm wrong but what you seem to have created is empty folders—which Alfred is correctly displaying as a result of your search. To be quite clear, is the screenshot shown in your last post the result of a search in Alfred for test or for test2? If it's the result of a search for test and you selected that folder in the search results is it not then merely (correctly) showing the empty test2 folder?

 

Let's get away from tests. Does Alfred show normal files and folders correctly when you search for them?

 

Stephen

[GoudSaan]

It's for test2 yes.
If I do the exact same thing for "test", the results are below and it shows me "test" and "test2". As said before, both of them are in "Documents (/username/Documents/test/test2). 
So Finder shows me the files inside Documents if I search for them with ⌥ (so just showing their existence without going inside), but not if I want to go inside (just pressing enter after I type the file name).

If your last question is "Is Documents and the files inside it the only files having this problem ?", the answer seems to be yes, although I haven't tried all the files.

 

Edit : the more we discuss and try things, the more I think it's a graphical problem. Not being able to show me the icons and names of things inside the "Documents" file although the computer knows it exists.

 

Edited September 15 by GoudSaan

[vitor]

The names are making this confusing to follow. There are files and folders called the same thing, nested inside themselves. I recommend you instead call them something distinct like folderAlice or fileBob. Something that makes it clear what type we’re discussing and that differs from more than one character.

 

A few things are clear, however: This isn’t related to indexing, otherwise you wouldn’t see the paths in Spotlight and Alfred; and if the files aren’t showing up in the Finder, that’s a macOS issue which will be unrelated to Alfred.

 

I recommend you search online for your issue and ask in general Apple related forums, like Apple’s own, where other people may have experienced your issue (this is the first time I ever heard of it) and provide insight. A few quick searches led me to posts in Apple’s forums claiming the issue for them was having Desktop and Documents stored in iCloud Drive. Start by turning that off.

[GoudSaan]

Ok I thought that calling files with numbers would be easier to understand since they are nested into each other, again it's /username/Documents/test/test2 .
I created the test.rtf file to see if Alfred was able to open it, and he is able to open it, so I didn't mention it much because "it works".

My Apple Forum post if you want to follow : https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255757623?sortBy=rank

 

Finally, I checked in my settings and "Desktop and Documents stored in iCloud Drive" is already off.

Edited September 15 by GoudSaan

[kzssc]

Experiencing the same. Suspect that the problem lies with spotlight. I tried locating showing a file in spotlight but it simply opens finder and navigates to Macintoch HD (not even the default location for opening finder, which for me is set to /downloads). The same happens when i do the same with alfred. Thanks for documenting this and creating the thread over at apple. 

Edited September 17 by kzssc