Find Software Folder On Mac

  

Jun 08, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

“I saved my Word document a while back, but it disappeared on my Mac. Can someone please tell me how to find lost documents on a Mac?”

If you are relatively new to the macOS system, then chances are that you might encounter a similar situation as well. Although macOS is quite user-friendly, sometimes it can take a lot of time to find a file or locate a particular folder. Just like Windows or Linux, Mac also presents different ways to find files and browse its local storage system.

In this post, we will teach you how to find folders on Mac as well as recover any lost document on your Mac system as well.

Part 1. How to Find Hidden Files and Folders on Mac Hard Drive?

Ideally, you can browse the internal hard drive or Mac or even explore an external device well. The solution to find lost files on Mac would be same for almost every major version. Though, there might be some change in the overall interface of the macOS. Following are some of the common techniques that you can follow to find any file on Mac.

1. Use Recent Items to Find Documents on Mac

The AutoRecovery folder is a hidden folder, so you probably won't see it if you just try to navigate to it in Finder. Use the Go To Folder tool and enter the full path to get around this. If you close a file and click Don't Save, the AutoRecover file will be deleted because Office assumes that everything is ok and the AutoRecover file isn't. Jul 23, 2013  There are many programs that allow you to find the license keys of software installed on Windows, but what about Mac users? Fortunately, the developers of Magical Jellybean Software have come with a solution for Mac and its called Mac Product Key Finder. This software does what Windows Product Key Finder does for the Windows PC. It is able to detect and decipher license keys of nearly. Thunderbird Profile Folder On Mac / Windows / Linux. Most software programs that deal with data have their own ways of interacting with that data. They usually have special formats for data files in which contents can be stored and interacted with using the program’s UI. Send a message to a public mail folder. If a public mail folder has been assigned an e-mail address by the folder's administrator (a folder setting called 'mail enabled'), you can send a message directly to the public folder. You may be able to find the e-mail address for a public folder by looking in the To field of messages in the public folder. On a Mac, however, downloads can be accessed the same way you browse your applications, music and movies: via the Finder. Click on the Finder at the bottom left of the screen (the leftmost icon.

If you wish to find some recently opened files or folders on Mac, then you can follow this simple approach. The macOS would maintain a record of the recently accessed documents, applications, and sometimes even system processes. Therefore, you can quickly learn how to find lost files on Mac with this approach.

  1. Just go to the Apple logo on the top left corner of the screen and click on the “Recent Items” option.
  2. This will give you a list of the recently accessed folders, apps, and documents. Just click on the icon of your choice to view the file or application.
  3. Additionally, you can also go to the File menu > Open Recent section to view the recently accessed files. You can clear the history from here or click on any file to access it once again.

2. Check the Downloads Folder to Find Files

Too often, Mac users download something from the internet and later realize that the downloaded document disappeared on Mac. If you also think that the Mac download folder is missing, then consider following these quick steps.

  1. To start with, go to the desktop on your Mac system and visit the “Go” section from the main menu. From here, you can visit the “Downloads” folder on Mac.
  2. Alternatively, you can also go to your Library and click on the “Downloads” section from the left panel.
  3. Once the Downloads folder on Mac has been opened, you can just look for any file of your choice. There is a search tab on the top that can help you do the same in less time. Simply click on it and type the name of the file you are looking for in the Downloads folder.

3. Check the Trash to Find Deleted Files

When we delete something on Mac, the file is not removed from the storage right away. On the contrary, it will be moved to the Trash, from where we can recover the deleted data if we want to. Therefore, if you can’t find lost documents or folders on Mac, then make sure that you check its Trash before taking any drastic measure.

  1. Firstly, you need to access the Trash folder on Mac. You can do this by clicking on the Trash icon on the dock.
  2. When the Trash folder would be opened, you can view all the deleted files that are stored on it temporarily.
  3. If you wish to recover a file, then select it, and right-click. Click on the “Put Back” option from the context menu to restore it to its original location.

4. Search the Spotlight to Find Files and Folders

Spotlight is probably one of the most resourceful features in macOS. Since Spotlight has been an evident feature in every major macOS, you won’t face the slightest of trouble in finding any file on your Mac system. The feature can be accessed from the desktop and will let you look for files, documents, internet searches, and so much more in one place. If you don’t know where to find documents on Mac, then simply follow this drill.

  1. To access Spotlight, go to your Mac’s desktop and click on the search icon on the top right corner of the screen. Here, type the name of any file or folder that you are looking for.
  2. In no time, the system will start looking for the suitable content with respect to the searched keyword. Once you get the results, you can just hover the mouse on the icon to get its preview. Ideally, Mac will let you preview pictures, videos, audios, documents, etc.
  3. In order to access a file, simply click on it and it will be opened on your Mac system. If you want, you can click on the “Show All in Finder” option as well to view all the searched results together.
  4. This will display the relevant results in Finder, so that you can find the suitable files and folders that you were looking for.

5. Use Terminal to Find Files and Folders on Mac

Terminal is one of the most useful utility tools in Mac that lets us send direct commands to our system. A lot of users are not able to find any file or folder on Mac which is hidden. In this case, you can take the assistance of Terminal to view the hidden files/folders first. Later, you can go to Finder on Mac to access the data of your choice.

- 3 minutes to read it.
  1. To begin with, you need to launch the Terminal app. Go to Applications > Utilities and open the Terminal app or look for it from the Spotlight.
  2. 2. Once Terminal is launched on your Mac, simply copy the following commands and press enter: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE killall Finder
  3. This will restart Finder and will display all the hidden files and folders on it as well. Now, you can just click on the search icon and enter the name of the files/folder you are looking for. This will let you find files and folders on Mac that are even hidden from the user.

If the content you are looking for is present on your Mac’s storage, then you would be able to find it by following the above-listed methods. These techniques will work even if the data has been hidden or deleted, so that you can find any file on Mac seamlessly. Though, if your data is deleted or inaccessible, then consider following the next section to find lost files on Mac.

Part 2. How to Find Lost Files on Mac?

There are times when users end up losing their important data on Mac. While there could be different reasons behind it, you can easily find lost documents on Mac by using the right methods.

Why Files Get Lost?

Before we teach you how to find lost documents on Mac, it is important to know what could have caused the situation in the first place. Here are some of the major reasons for data loss on Mac.

  • Sometimes, users end up deleting something accidentally, which gets lost.
  • The change in location of the files can make them inaccessible at times.
  • A virus or malware attack on the storage can make your files corrupt.
  • Chances are that your data could be overwritten by something else.
  • The data can be mishandled by a third-party application as well.
  • The storage unit or partition can get corrupt or formatted.
  • A firmware issue, corrupt update, or any other software-related problem

Recoverit Data Recovery: The Best Mac Lost Partition Recovery Software

No matter what could have caused your files to be lost on inaccessible, you can easily get them back using Recoverit Mac Data Recovery software. It is an extremely reliable and advanced data recovery tool that supports every leading Mac and Windows version. The application is developed by Wondershare and yields positive results in all kinds of data loss scenarios. Also, it is extremely easy to use and will not need any prior technical experience to find lost files on Mac through it.

Find Software Folder On Mac

If you have deleted a partition on Mac or have lost it due to any other reason, then you should use Recoverit Data Recovery. It can help you restore partition data on Mac by following these easy steps.

Step 1: Select a disk

To start with, just launch the Recoverit Data Recovery application on your Mac. Subsequently, the application will identify the inbuilt partitions on your Mac and will provide their list. You can just select a partition of your choice and start the recovery process.

Step 2: Scan the Location

In no time, Recoverit would try to access the lost content from the selected partition. Though, if the partition has been lost, then the quick scan might not yield the needed results. In this case, you can perform an Deep Scan on your Mac to scan the entire storage.

Since it might take a while, it is recommended to wait for the recovery process to be completed. Try not to restart your Mac or close the application when it is performing a deep scan.

Create a folder on mac

Step 3: Preview and Recover

That’s it! Once the process is complete, the application will display the recovered data under various categories. You can view a section from the left panel and preview your data on the right.

In the end, you can select the files you wish to get back and click on the “Recover” button to save them to a secure location.

Find Software Folder On Mac Windows 10

In some new macOS versions, third-party applications are not allowed to access the logical partition of the drive. To overcome this, you can reboot Mac in recovery mode and launch Terminal from the Utilities menu. Type “csrutil disable” and press enter to disable its System Integrity Protection. Once it is done, restart Mac in the normal mode and run Recoverit Data Recovery again.

Part 3. Tips for Finding Files on Mac

If you don’t want to lose your data and learn how to find files on Mac quickly, then consider following these expert suggestions:

  • There are all kinds of keyboard shortcuts that you can use while browsing the file system on Mac. For instance, if you have been browsing a directory and would like to go back to the default folder, then press the Command + Shift + H keys. This will take you back to the Home instantly.
  • Finder in Mac also allows us to set some default folders, so that we can access them easily. Just go to the Finder Preferences to set a default folder for a quick access.
  • The toolbar on Mac already provides a lot of options, but you can further customize it to make it easier for you to find files on Mac. Just go to View > Customize Toolbar and make the needed adjustments.
  • You can easily look for a file through the “Search” bar on Finder. Also, you can sort the displayed data on the basis of different parameters (like size, last modified, etc.) to find files easily.
  • Mac also lets us preview files before opening them in order to find the respective content. For instance, you can just select a file, and click on the Quick Look button to get its preview in seconds.

There you go! After reading this guide, you would be able to find any file on Mac without much trouble. We have listed different inbuilt methods to find lost documents on Mac, recover hidden files, and even restore deleted data. If you can’t find lost files on Mac via Trash, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery. It is an advanced and user-friendly data recovery application that will help you get back all kinds of content lost on your Mac. Since the tool is available for free (basic version), you can simply download it on your Mac and use it as per your requirements.

What's Wrong with Mac

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There are few things in life more annoying than not being able to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s car keys, sunglasses, or that important file you’ve created on your Mac six months ago which is now hopelessly buried under gigabytes of information you’ve worked with since.

Find Software Folder On Mac

While the former can be solved with Bluetooth tags, there are no accessible trackers that help you recover lost files Macs are so good at hiding (business idea?). But don’t worry, there are more than a few ways to help your Mac find folders and files that you deemed gone forever.

Best ways to find your lost folder on Mac

There’s a special kind of feeling when your Mac is still new. You know where everything is and can pinpoint any file within a few clicks. But several months later the pristine landscape is gone and you’re left with heaps of data that’s hard to go through — you just know that you’ve put the latest version of a critical presentation in the Documents folder and leave it at that.

Let’s start a little revolution and find out how to scan your Mac lost Documents folder with the help of a few built-in tools manually as well as a quick automatic app.

How to find lost apps

Oftentimes, we install apps and then completely forget about them, which eventually leads to an overflowing hard drive, full of junk we never use. Or you might remember there was a specific app that helped you convert media or crop images, and now you want to find it.

Here’s how to go about it.

Find Software Folder On Mac Free

First, check whether the app you’re looking for is in your Launchpad, which is a visual (iOS-like) layout of almost all the apps on your Mac. To access Launchpad, just pinch the Trackpad with four fingers. Go through the screens manually or search for the app’s name in the bar at the top.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in Launchpad, try the Applications folder itself. The shortcut to get there is Shift + ⌘ + A or you can also select Go ➙ Applications from the menu bar. Scroll through all the items in the folder and make sure to check the Utilities subfolder too, since lots of lightweight apps get shuffled in there.

Unfortunately, not all apps always end up in the Applications folder. In fact, you can put the application file anywhere on your Mac. So if you think it might be applicable to your situation, you can still track your app in System Information.

System Information is a technical utility that can show you any static specification on your Mac, down to the smallest detail. To launch it, go to Launchpad and search for System Information, or find it in Applications ➙ Utilities. After opening System Information, navigate down to the Software tab and click on Applications. Find the app you need and copy its location. Paste the location in Go ➙ Go to Folder and hit Enter to finally find your app.

Create A Folder On Mac

How to find lost files on Mac (folders too)

Now that you know where all your apps are, let’s move on to how to make your Mac find folders and files.

It’s a good idea to start any search with Spotlight, your Mac’s built-in search engine. To activate Spotlight, click on the magnifying glass icon in the menu bar or use the shortcut ⌘ + Space. Type in the name of the lost folder on Mac and Spotlight will present you with a few options that match your query. Just press Enter to open.

Note: There are lots of ways you can make your Spotlight search more specific. For example, type kind:folder to only see folders or include the minus (-) sign right before the keyword (with no space) to exclude a word from search.

Home Folder On Mac

A more accurate way to recover lost files Macs hide somewhere in their system is to use Finder. Open Finder (the first icon in your Dock) and type the query in its search field. Make sure to select Search: This Mac to get the results from everywhere. The good part about using Finder is how you can click the plus sign just below your search query and start specifying your search on a variety of dimensions, such as File Size, File extension, and any other metadata category — even a combination of a few.

Both of the ways above work well for when you want to find lost files on Mac manually and at least sort of know what you’re looking for. But what’s the best way to spot files and folders that are not frequently used but still take up lots of space?

How to quickly delete large files and folders

When you need to free up space, picking files one by one is very inefficient (e.g. deleting one movie or a picture folder). Besides, the heaviest folders on your Mac are not likely to be on top of your mind.

What you need here is an automatic solution like CleanMyMac X. This Mac optimization utility not only scans your Mac in full to detect all possible inefficiencies as well as malware but visually shows you which files and folders take up all the space.

Find Folders On Mac

First, use CleanMyMac X to run a Space Lens scan:

  1. Download CleanMyMac X for free.
  2. Navigate the sidebar and select Space Lens under the Files tab.
  3. Hit Scan.
  4. Travel through your folders and files to see if any stand out.
  5. Just check the folders you want to get rid of and click Remove when you’re done.

Then, move on to the Large & Old Files scan:

  1. Select Large & Old Files in the sidebar.
  2. Hit Scan.
  3. From the filtering options, choose the time you’ve opened the files last (e.g. One Month Ago) or size, or file type.
  4. Check all the files you don’t need anymore and click Remove.

Just like that, you can find lost files on Mac as well as get rid of the ones you don’t need anymore, using CleanMyMac X. In my case, a few seconds of work led to over 7 GB of extra free space, and I’ve never felt more in control of my Mac than now.