EasyFind - ver 4.9.3, iMac, macOS Sierra, 10.12.6
2/28/19 using EasyFind yesterday, I checked the “include invisibles” box. I did a search. Result: ALL invisibles everywhere can be seen.
Cool! Now, how do I turn off that result? I do not want to see every single thing from the operating system+. .cups , .TemporaryItems , no-longer-invisible Library folder, Trash, etc.
There is no option labeled “EXclude invisibles”, or similar. And therein lies my probelm. After checking the “invisible” box and starting my search, the app UNchecked “include invisibles” box! Great, except it did not actually turn the invisible setting OFF. Search results now contain just “invisible” stuff.
And I cannot SEE that the setting is stilll checked! There is No visible checkmark in that box, but there wasn’t a persistent one yesterday either, after I HAD checked it, so there no way to know the state of that function by looking at it.
3/01/19 today: all search results still have a period preceding the file name in the WHERE column. For example, in iTunes on my machine:
23 Let’s Go Squirrel Fishing.mp3 —> ./MusiciTunes/iTunes Music/Compilations/Lava Surfers
How can I reset the “invisibles on/off” setting?
Thanks for your help!
Sandy
That is not an invisible file. The dot denotes it’s the current directory being searched.
Hmm. It had been invisible, I thought. I apologize for that error and for my bad attempt at humor with the surf tune’s name reference. I am sorry.
The issue persists. .AdobePatchFiles folder is visible at the top of the Applications folder in all views. In my home folder in column view, I have 39 now-visible files or folders named with a leading “.”, and also Library and Trash folders. “Invisible” folders are light blue vs darker blue for files/folders with no periods at start of name. Looking at ‘Macintosh HD’ under devices, there are 22 items from .apdisk to .Trashes to cores to opt to usr to Volumes which are now light blue visible items.
How can I make these invisible to me again? Will running the EasyFind “Invisible File &Folders” tool reverse the visibility? I have not tried it.
Thank you,
Sandy
No worries!
I’m not sure what you’re referring to here. EasyFind has no such tool, only a checkbox to include or exclude hidden files.
Are you referring to seeing hidden items in the Finder? If so you can press Shift-Command-period in the Finder to quickly show and hide hidden files.
That is handy Finder keystroke to know. Thank you!
It is the EasyFind tool I am referencing. When I ran EasyFind yesterday I included the option Invisible File & Folders. There is no indication that the option can also be used to then EXclude or re-hide any now-visible “hidden” files & folders, too. And I did not see anything in the manual about how to re-hide the now-exposed hidden files, so I was afraid to check that Invisible Files & Folders box and run the option again.
What search would I run in EasyFind in order to re-hide the now-visible items which should be hidden? Thanks!
There isn’t a specific search for this. You just uncheck the option and invisible files should be ignored.
And indeed, unchecking the “invisible files & folders” option did ignore the invisible files in a search just now, as it had before. Only this time I guess I understand more about it and how better to use this tool.
Thank you for your patience and your help,
Sandy Wood
