Find Any File name search utility for Mac OS X review

Section: Mac Software, System Utilities, Reviews

Provides: Hard drive and storage file searching
Format: Digital download
Developer: Thomas Tempelmann
Minimum System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.4.1
Processor Compatibility: Universal
Price: $3.99
Availability: Now
Version Reviewed: 1.5.1

I like the general concept behind Apple’s Spotlight feature better than in the way it’s executed in OS X. I wouldn’t want to live without Spotlight, which was introduced with Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger back in 2005, but I really miss the quick and easy filename searches in earlier versions of OS X’s Find dialog.

You can, of course, run filename searches in Tiger and later versions of OS X, but it involves configuring tedious pull-down menus; tiresome when a quick name search is the best way to hone in on a file I’m looking for without the “too much information” returns that Spotlight’s indexed searches yield.

Perceiving an unmet need, Thomas Tempelmann authored an excellent little replacement for the pre-Tiger OS X Find utility called Find Any File, which he recently updated to version 1.5.1. Find Any File doesn’t do away with the pull-down configuration menus, but has a big speed and convenience advantage in that you can do a quick name search by just entering your keyword(s) in the default field without first selecting properties from the menus.

And if you do need to configure a more complex file search, Find Any File’s manifold menu selections can accommodate that, as well.

Unlike Spotlight, FAF doesn’t use an indexed database but instead taps the file system driver’s fast search operations, where available. This lets you search for file properties such as name, dates, size, etc., but not for file content (Spotlight, Devon Technologies’ EasyFind, and Spotinside—the latter two are both freeware—are better for that). Learn more about EasyFind and Spotinside below.

Find Any File can also find files that Spotlight doesn’t, e.g. those inside bundles and packages and inside folders that are usually excluded from Spotlight search. It is reasonably fast; most searches taking only a few seconds.

Find Any File has a few unique features that other search tools don’t offer:

• A hierarchical view for the found items. You can switch to it using Command-2 or click on the right-hand icon at the top of the results window:

Note that the search above revealed over a hundred hits. That many results in a flat list would be hard to browse. With the hierarchical view, however, you can directly look for the results in the folders that interest you.

• If you hold the Option key (alt) down while choosing Find, you are asked for an administrator password - and then Find Any File will restart with root permissions, being able to find really any file on your Mac’s volumes (something that Spotlight won’t do). Note that this will only work on local disks, not on network mounts, though.

• You can save your entered searches to Find Any Files documents (they’ll have the extension “.faf”). You can then double click them in the Finder to have them start the search immediately, or use the saved search as a preset.

Search Examples

• Have you just installed or launched a program for the first time and like to see what it modified or added to your disks? There’s a way to do that (it excludes .DS_Store files from the results because they’re not really relevant to this question).
• Searching for files only inside your Music folder that are neither in AAC nor in MP3 format and which are at least a megabyte in size? So, you could enter two Name criteria as follows, along with a minimum size. Also note that the search is limited explicitly to the Music folder.
• Or, you might want to find all Numbers documents created in 2009 only.

Find Any File’s Limitations

• This tool’s design was inspired by the Classic Mac OS’ Find File application, hence its UI design might look a little old fashioned.
• The user interface gets somewhat sluggish when it’s performing a search.

Find Any File does what it’s advertised to do, and fills a productivity gap Apple created when it dumped easy file name searches.

Find Any File has heretofore been freeware, but Templemann says he’s decided to offer the app at US$4 in the Mac App Store. It will remain free to users of PPC Macs and those not having updated to 10.6.6.

Appletell Rating:

Buy Find Any File

Alternate Suggestions:

If you want to search for data inside files, and Spotlight results are giving you too many returns, check out EasyFind by DEVONtechnologies, which offers several extra search options (e.g. wildcards), displays results a bit neater and has a single-window user interface some might prefer. Since version 4.6 (released in November, 2010) EasyFind also uses the fast disk search function that Find Any File uses (CatalogSearch), where appropriate.

Another favorite alternative file search utility of mine is Spotinside, a Spotlight-enhancer that layers several elements on top of the Spotlight engine, notably results previews in the interface window, decently efficient phrase searching, much more conveniently configurable and sortable results organization, searches within results, and, not least, Spotinside doesn’t commence searching before you bid it to.

Full Story » | Written by Charles Moore for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

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