finder and spotlight aren't finding files

[cboexpeditions]

If I go to a specific folder I can see there are files in it. If I do a search for those very files, NOTHING comes up. This is the worst mac product I have ever used. Never again! What a waste of time! I am spending more time triple clicking "name" "drive" etc. to find files and then they still don't show up. Don't waste your tim with one of these cheap machines. I have never been so perplexed as to why apply would have done this, except to sell more machines and get rid of old inventory that probably has ancient software on it. You get a big thumbs down, apple.
oh yes - and I have also taken all the steps I'm supposed to take so that email messages do not show up in searches (since I would search within the email program for those), and they are STILL showing up in the searches. ridiculous.

 

[Fishrrman]

My suggestions (and my opinion only)

TURN OFF Spotlight with this terminal command:
sudo mdutil -a -i off

Stop indexing of all volumes with this one:
sudo defaults write /.Spotlight-V100/VolumeConfiguration Exclusions -array "/Volumes"

Then...
Download these two small (and FREE) utilities and use them to do searching instead:
EasyFind:
http://www.devontechnologies.com/download/products.html

Find Any File:
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/

With these you may be able to find things that Spotlight can't...

 

[NoBoMac]

Well, since no real details provided, difficult to know what is going on.

Can run the following from a command line: mdutil -E /

Or, try this: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201716

 

[cboexpeditions]

My suggestions (and my opinion only)

TURN OFF Spotlight with this terminal command:
sudo mdutil -a -i off

Stop indexing of all volumes with this one:
sudo defaults write /.Spotlight-V100/VolumeConfiguration Exclusions -array "/Volumes"

Then...
Download these two small (and FREE) utilities and use them to do searching instead:
EasyFind:
http://www.devontechnologies.com/download/products.html

Find Any File:
http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/

With these you may be able to find things that Spotlight can't...

[doublepost=1513501431][/doublepost]Thank you for the advice - I really appreciate it. I am going to give the Easy Find a chance to work for me since the ratings are clearly high.

Much appreciation!
[doublepost=1513501615][/doublepost]

Well, since no real details provided, difficult to know what is going on.

Can run the following from a command line: mdutil -E /

Or, try this: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201716

Thank you for the resources.