Invisible files: THIS saved my butt today!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

http://osxdaily.com/2018/02/12/show-hid ... -shortcut/

I inadvertently added a . to my bounced file name. Force of habit as I tend to locate in a sequence by hitting . the the time (i.e. - .0.26.34.46). So the files with a dot become invisible! Searching all files in the folder (via the Finder) and selecting to show invisible files produced no results.

I "did the Google" and found the above link. Sooooo easy! Soooo useful!

[stubbsonic]

I use a utility called "Find Any File" which works much better than Finder for accessing files unconditionally. So many times I search for files, and Finder just acts like things don't exist. Find Any File just brings everything up that meets the conditions. It's a good option for people with slightly older OS versions (pre-Sierra). And it works to locate invisibles, and various nitty-gritty system files.

This has saved my butt many times....

https://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.php

[mikehalloran]

Yea, that's one of my favorite Stupid Mac Tricks.

Find Any File is an API for the Finder but much simpler to use. You don't have to remember all the rules that Apple imposes. They really don't want you to find just anything.

High Sierra 10.13.3 had a bug in the Finder that made it impossible to find what I needed quite a bit of the time. Apple wouldn't acknowledge the bug but none of their workarounds did the trick.

I don't like that FAF can't be called up within my Mail apps to find docs for attachments. This is a daily task. Once you learn the tricks, Finder isn't that hard. Fortunately, Mojave restored Finder's functionality. The High sierra workaround was a real PIA.

[labman]

We love Find any file here!

[bayswater]

Fortunately, Mojave restored Finder's functionality. The High sierra workaround was a real PIA.

So, Mojave Finder Find works properly? I was baffle by earlier Finder versions, where it would tell you a file currently shown in the Finder window didn't exist.

I've been using EasyFind. Not elegant -- seems to rely on brute force -- but finds things.

[mikehalloran]

...So, Mojave Finder Find works properly? I was baffle by earlier Finder versions, where it would tell you a file currently shown in the Finder window didn't exist.

I've been using EasyFind. Not elegant -- seems to rely on brute force -- but finds things.

It works properly for Apple—infinitely better that 10.13.3 where I couldn't even search for files for attaching to email.

Apple really doesn't want you finding hidden files but it can be done in a search. These inexpensive utilities are a godsend in that regard.

[mothra]

If you know where the file is you dont even have to bother searching. Just hit CMD+shift+. (yes, the period key is part of it)

[bayswater]

If you know where the file is you dont even have to bother searching. Just hit CMD+shift+. (yes, the period key is part of it)

I'd forgotten that command. Thanks for the post. Very handy.