can't find any files!

[bob23]

I am using Alfred 2.0.3 with Powerpack

 

Until my current reinstallation of my Mac OS X (10.8.3), Alfred has been working great.

 

However, since reinstalling my OS, Alfred has not been able to find any files in Dropbox. I can fine all other files.

 

However, I am able to find all of my files - including Dropbox ones - in Spotlight. I tried both rebuilding Alfred application cache and the Spotlight index to no avail.

 

I tried using the "'file_name" and the "in file_name" commands, but neither was able to find many files. However, Alfred can also find all of my apps.

 

I tried reinstalling Alfred.

 

I even specifically added Dropbox to the list of searched places

 

Edited May 4, 2013 by bob23

[jdfwarrior]

I am using Alfred 2.0.3 with Powerpack

 

Until my current reinstallation of my Mac OS X (10.8.3), Alfred has been working great.

 

However, since reinstalling my OS, Alfred has not been able to find any files in Dropbox. I can fine all other files.

 

However, I am able to find all of my files - including Dropbox ones - in Spotlight. I tried both rebuilding Alfred application cache and the Spotlight index to no avail.

 

I tried using the "'file_name" and the "in file_name" commands, but neither was able to find many files. However, Alfred can also find all of my apps.

 

I tried reinstalling Alfred.

 

I even specifically added Dropbox to the list of searched places

 

 

Is there anything available in the Console.app that would help? Any kind of error messages?

 

When you say you can find all other files, you mean that you can find things in ~/Documents, ~/Downloads, etc?

 

Will it not find *any* file in Dropbox or just a specific one? If it's a specific one, is there anything special about it?

[bob23]

Is there anything available in the Console.app that would help? Any kind of error messages?

 

Here's everything in Console that relates to Alfred.

 

5/3/13 11:53:33.517 AM Preview[507]: persistentIdForFileURL: file://localhost/Volumes/Seagate3TB_1/Documents/Setup%20Files/Apps%20-%20Mac/Alfred/key.pdf failed
5/3/13 11:53:33.539 AM Preview[507]: persistentIdForFileURL: file://localhost/Volumes/Seagate3TB_1/Documents/Setup%20Files/Apps%20-%20Mac/Alfred/key.pdf failed
5/3/13 12:07:08.553 PM Alfred 2[172]: [TIMER] 0.376994 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/3/13 12:08:41.875 PM Alfred 2[421]: [TIMER] 0.324301 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/3/13 12:08:55.638 PM Alfred 2[575]: [TIMER] 0.405798 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/3/13 12:09:40.284 PM Alfred 2[176]: [TIMER] 0.415413 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/3/13 12:12:29.090 PM Alfred 2[173]: [TIMER] 0.500356 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 12:03:06.657 AM Alfred 2[170]: [TIMER] 0.349162 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 12:05:10.906 AM Alfred 2[174]: [TIMER] 0.438954 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 12:13:32.538 AM Alfred 2[176]: [TIMER] 0.461078 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 12:25:38.229 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: Moving Alfred to /Applications
5/4/13 12:25:38.230 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: Looking for instances of Alfred to terminate...
5/4/13 12:25:38.239 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: No Alfred related apps found, great!
5/4/13 12:25:38.240 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: Working with app name 'Alfred 2.app'
5/4/13 12:25:38.340 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: Moving Alfred from '/private/var/folders/yv/9mlk1b3n3bgdc9h25t2cbjnm0000gn/T/TemporaryItems/(A Document Being Saved By Alfred Assistant)/Alfred 2.app' to '/Applications/Alfred 2.app'
5/4/13 12:25:38.341 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: Cleaning up temp folder
5/4/13 12:25:38.341 AM Alfred Assistant[504]: Restarting '/Applications/Alfred 2.app'
5/4/13 12:25:38.614 AM Alfred 2[505]: [TIMER] 0.181526 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 12:26:57.209 AM Alfred Assistant[530]: Restarting Alfred
5/4/13 12:26:57.210 AM Alfred Assistant[530]: Looking for instances of Alfred to terminate...
5/4/13 12:26:57.218 AM Alfred Assistant[530]: 2 Alfred related apps found, great!
5/4/13 12:26:57.218 AM Alfred Assistant[530]: Attempting to terminate '/Applications/Alfred 2.app'
5/4/13 12:26:57.220 AM Alfred Assistant[530]: Attempting to terminate '/Applications/Alfred 2.app/Contents/Preferences/Alfred Preferences.app'
5/4/13 12:26:57.622 AM Alfred Assistant[530]: Restarting '/Applications/Alfred 2.app'
5/4/13 12:26:58.004 AM Alfred 2[531]: [TIMER] 0.294185 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 1:52:02.183 AM Alfred 2[173]: [TIMER] 0.410636 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 1:54:37.510 AM Alfred 2[322]: [TIMER] 0.188703 seconds to initialise Alfred
5/4/13 10:36:13.083 AM loginwindow[62]: Login items - LSOpenApplication returned error -10660, url=/.Trashes/501/Alfred 2 1.54.27 AM.app
5/4/13 10:36:49.717 AM Alfred 2[290]: [TIMER] 0.157384 seconds to initialise Alfred

 

 

 

 

 

When you say you can find all other files, you mean that you can find things in ~/Documents, ~/Downloads, etc?

 

Yes, I can find almost everything in the Documents or Downloads folder - not everything though. I noticed that there are some times that I can't find. It's strange - there doesn't seem to be a pattern of what files I can or cant find. As for Apps, I haven't tried finding every app, but there a few I can't find (e.g. Textedit). However, I would say that I can find the vast majority of files outside the Dropbox folder.

 

 

 

 

Will it not find *any* file in Dropbox or just a specific one? If it's a specific one, is there anything special about it?

 

On the other hand, I can't find a single app in my Dropbox folder - not one.

Edited May 4, 2013 by bob23

[Janson]

I've the exact same problem. Alfred will find (using any of the File Search keywords) files & folders at deep levels inside my user folders, documents, downloads, etc.

 

But the DropBox folder... Alfred seems to stop at level 3 (eg. ~/Dropbox/Folder1/Folder2/Folder3 but doesn't find files nor folders inside Folder3).

 

Like the OP, I tried adding the ~/Dropbox folder to the Search Scope.

 

And like the OP, Spotlight finds stuff in the full Dropbox folder system as expected.

[Andrew]

I've the exact same problem. Alfred will find (using any of the File Search keywords) files & folders at deep levels inside my user folders, documents, downloads, etc.

 

But the DropBox folder... Alfred seems to stop at level 3 (eg. ~/Dropbox/Folder1/Folder2/Folder3 but doesn't find files nor folders inside Folder3).

 

Like the OP, I tried adding the ~/Dropbox folder to the Search Scope.

 

And like the OP, Spotlight finds stuff in the full Dropbox folder system as expected.

 

Try dragging the Dropbox folder to OS X's spotlight privacy folder, waiting a little while, then dragging it back out again. OS X will start reindexing this folder and then after some time, hopefully things will work again. If not, it might be worth performing a bit of a lower level reindex of your metadata using this method:

 

http://skillzdesign.com/blog/clarifies/forcing-spotlight-reindexing-using-terminal/

 

Let me know how you get on

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[Janson]

Yup. Having Spotlight re-index worked. I'd assumed since Spotlight could find a file, that Alfred could as well. Does Alfred use a cached/different index than Spotlight?

[Andrew]

Yup. Having Spotlight re-index worked. I'd assumed since Spotlight could find a file, that Alfred could as well. Does Alfred use a cached/different index than Spotlight?

 

Alfred uses the same lower level OS X metadata server, but performs different queries so there may have been something wrong with some parts of your metadata. A reindex is usually a good place to start if things start playing up.

[amazed1499]

Alfred uses the same lower level OS X metadata server, but performs different queries so there may have been something wrong with some parts of your metadata. A reindex is usually a good place to start if things start playing up.

why do i have to reindex spotlight all the time? in my view this renders the app useless. Spotlight finds every file. always. Alfred just offers to search the web. not convinced anymore. Alfred does not do the job.

[Andrew]

why do i have to reindex spotlight all the time? in my view this renders the app useless. Spotlight finds every file. always. Alfred just offers to search the web. not convinced anymore. Alfred does not do the job.

 

If your Mac and Spotlight are running as they should, you should never have to reindex. If you are finding that you are getting issues over and over, it might be something corrupted at a lower level in Spotlight's index. You may be better doing a full low level reindex using this method:

 

http://skillzdesign.com/blog/clarifies/forcing-spotlight-reindexing-using-terminal/

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[amazed1499]

i have alfred and spotlight next to each other. Spotlight finds the files. Alfred does not. An application should ease up my workflow, not making it more complicated. Getting frustrated with this app.

[Andrew]

i have alfred and spotlight next to each other. Spotlight finds the files. Alfred does not. An application should ease up my workflow, not making it more complicated. Getting frustrated with this app.

 

Did you do the reindex as per that link? File related issues are down to OS X's indexing... if this isn't working, then Alfred won't be able to find your files.