File content search on Mac desktop running 10.11.6 El Capitan

Calahonda52 · 23-09-2018 12:42PM #1

Looking for words in excel s/sheet.

Mac help says use the + on the RHS of Finder: it is not there, can only search by file name.
Thanks as always.

calum · 25-09-2018 11:50PM

The "+" should appear when you start typing into the search box in Finder, in a new toolbar below the search box. After it appears, you can just delete whatever you typed into the search box, if you don't need to use it as one of the search criteria.

However (though I forget if it worked like this in El Capitan, or with Office docs), you can normally search the contents of files without using that. Type the word or phrase you're looking for in the Finder search box, and just press Enter instead of selecting "filename matches" from the menu that appears. This should search file contents as well as file names.

Calahonda52 · 26-09-2018 06:46AM

calum wrote: »

The "+" should appear when you start typing into the search box in Finder, in a new toolbar below the search box. After it appears, you can just delete whatever you typed into the search box, if you don't need to use it as one of the search criteria.

However (though I forget if it worked like this in El Capitan, or with Office docs), you can normally search the contents of files without using that. Type the word or phrase you're looking for in the Finder search box, and just press Enter instead of selecting "filename matches" from the menu that appears. This should search file contents as well as file names.

Thanks, the + does not appear, i will try the second bit later

calum · 26-09-2018 10:00AM

Here's where you should see it. Note you have to press Escape when the popup menu appears, not click the Clear icon (X).

File content search on Mac desktop running 10.11.6 El Capitan

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