How to search files by name in NotchStar Find
To search by file name, open the Disk tab, pick Find and start typing. NotchStar walks your home folder and lists matching files and folders as you type, hidden ones included. It starts after two letters and stops at 200 results.
Steps
- Open Disk, then Find.
- Type at least two letters. After a short pause of about a quarter of a second the search starts, and a spinner shows while it runs.
- Each result shows its size and modified date. Show it in Finder, or move it to the Trash.
- Change the text and the search restarts. Typing more letters narrows it.
How matching works
- A name matches if it contains what you typed, anywhere in the name.
- Capital letters and accents are ignored, so cafe finds Café.
- Folders match as well as files.
What is skipped
- Anything outside your home folder.
- The Trash and
CloudStorage, which holds files synced from cloud services. - The insides of packages, such as app bundles.
- Symbolic links.
Limits
- Names only, not contents. For contents, use Spotlight.
- At most 200 results. Make the query more specific to see the rest.
- It walks the folder tree rather than using an index, so a big home folder takes a moment. See why scans are slow.
Removing a result goes to the Trash through the same safety check as the rest of Disk. To find large folders instead of a named file, read how to find the biggest folders. The Disk feature page has the full list.
