mac search for file type

[COKEDUDE]

am trying to find mp3 and mp4 on my external hd.



I tried to follow these methods here.



http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/602/how-can-i-search-a-specific-type-of -file-in-mac



This did not work



kind: mp3

kind: mp4



This was the only method that would seem to work.



find / -iname '*mp4' 2>/dev/null

find / -iname '*mp3' 2>/dev/null





I am using el capitan. After I click the other button the File Extension option does not seem to exist anymore.



Start a search with Command+F.

Click on the '+' icon on the far side of the taskbar

Select the type from the 'kind' pull-down menu. Select 'other' and then find 'File extension'



I don't see show all or file extension anywhere.





Open a Find Window (cmd-f) or do a spotlight search and select "show all"

Hit the little "+" icon (to the right of the 'save' button)

Select File Type as a search criteria and select the correct one.

Rerun the search.





This didn't seem to do anything.



.mp3

.mp4

 

[Tomorrow]

Can you just open Spotlight (cmd + space) and search for *.mp3 or *.mp4? That doesn't work?

 

[r0k]

I've gone in and tested this in El Capitan. I opened a network folder with mp3 files on it. I went in the search box in Finder and typed "mp3". I had already changed "search this Mac" to "search this Folder" in Finder preferences. A list of all the mp3 files on the drive came up very quickly. I didn't even have to resort to "*.mp3" like I might have had to do on one of those other OSs.

 

[richard2]

Try reindexing your external disc.

 

[Fishrrman]

Use "EasyFind" or "Find Any File".

Both are small, free, easy-to-use.

 

[r0k]

I've not had to tell OSX to reindex since the days of... was it Leopard? Tiger? I think simply typing in the search box in Finder should bring up the files he needs. Of course, right after a software update, Spotlight is busy reindexing anyway so the files might not show up right away. But any time other than hours after an OSX update, files matching your search criteria should show up pretty quickly.

 

[richard2]

I've not had to tell OSX to reindex since the days of... was it Leopard? Tiger? I think simply typing in the search box in Finder should bring up the files he needs. Of course, right after a software update, Spotlight is busy reindexing anyway so the files might not show up right away. But any time other than hours after an OSX update, files matching your search criteria should show up pretty quickly.

I have an old volume for which Spotlight has never returned accurate search results. Yesterday I reindexed it (by executing mdutil -E <Path>), and, to my surprise, it instantly resolved the problem!