< FAQ
Why is Search not finding a file?
Search may not return the results you expect because:
- The files you are looking for are not in the drives or folders you asked the software to catalog
- Search only looks at certain attributes of the file (name, file type and source) - specifically, it does not find files by their content (e.g. text in a Microsoft Word doc)
- In the case of photos, additional attributes are part of the catalog, such as location - if you are searching by location and not finding the file, it may be missing in the photo file itself
- The file is a "hidden" file or is in a hidden folder (by default these files are not displayed when browsing files in Microsoft Windows® File Explorer or macOS Finder)
- Despite asking for a folder to be cataloged, when the operating system asked you to allow the software to access that folder, you did not grant the permission
- On macOS you can change the permissions by going to System Preferences | Security & Privacy | Privacy | Files and Folders
Note that some file types are cataloged and can be found using Search, but will not display when browsing files in the software, for example html files and binary files such as software installers.