If you know the file’s general location, such as the drive on which it’s stored or the folder where it’s located, searching just that location can dramatically narrow the results and help you find the file more quickly. How to search the current folder or drive with macOS Finder Luckily, you can easily change the default search location for Apple macOS Finder. While handy if you’re searching for a fairly unique text string and have no idea where the file could be, the results from such a broad search can be overwhelming or difficult to sort through, especially when searching for a common term or a string of characters used in a system file. Using the This Mac option means the search is performed on the internal hard drive and all connected drives, such as external hard drives, USB thumb drives, and even network-connected drives. When you search for a file on a Mac using Spotlight, Finder, or another window with a search field, the default search range is This Mac. For more info, visit our Terms of Use page. This may influence how and where their products appear on our site, but vendors cannot pay to influence the content of our reviews. We may be compensated by vendors who appear on this page through methods such as affiliate links or sponsored partnerships. Search your Mac more efficiently by changing the default search range for macOS Finder from This Mac to the current folder. How to search the current folder on your Mac instead of This Mac with Finder

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