Why Are Some Files Not Appearing in Finder?

Finder is one of the oldest and best features of macOS. And for that reason, occasionally using it can seem a bit less intuitive. Still, it’s one of the excellent file management systems for macOS. There are ample neat tricks and shortcuts for the Finder. But what do you do the file you are looking for is not appearing? It could be just a temporary bug or the data in question might be hidden away. Is there any method to fix that? We have solutions for both cases and How to reveal the files not appearing in Mac finder?

Check the Search Feature:

Finder has a robust built-in search function. When you open it, the search box is just at the top right corner. Tap on the bar and type in the name of the file you cannot search.

If it is not appearing, check the search parameters. For instance, if the file you are looking for is an image, but the file “kind” setting is Music or Document, it will not appear in the search.

And if the file you are searching for is an Application, but your search is set to “Other,” there still will not be any results. That is just a simple overlook, and it’s easy to fix.

Relaunch Finder:

Even the great and most trustworthy applications crash sometimes. If you are using Finder many times, you may notice that your PC is somewhat slow and less responsive. And you may realize that the files you have downloaded are not appearing in Finder.

These signs are a signal that your Finder application needs a reboot. It’s a simple fix. Here’s what you do:

1. On your keyboard use this shortcut: command + option + escape

2. A window with a “Force Quit Application” list will pop-up. Scroll to the bottom.

3. Select “Finder.”

4. Select “Relaunch.”

Files Not Appearing in Mac Finder

When Finder is back on, check to see if your files have appeared now. There was possibly some process that was stuck, and the Finder was unable to update the folder accurately. In most of cases, the relaunch will do the trick.

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Show Finder Hidden Files:

You probably not be aware of this, but Apple hides away some sorts of files from the Mac Finder because it’s safer for your PC that way. Although, you might need to see those files if you’ve to fix something else that’s caused trouble your Mac.

Files Not Appearing in Mac Finder


Many of them are in the Library folder, which keeps app type files and other data. If you’ve any version of macOS made after 2016, this is what you need to do to show hidden files in Finder:

1. Launch Finder on your Mac.

2. Find the Macintosh HD folder. Then select “Home.”

3. Press command + Shift + (dot).

4. Every hidden file now becomes visible.

You can also try this:

1. Launch Finder.

2. Select “go” from the Menu.

3. Select Go to Folder (Shift + Command + G)

4. Type in “Library” and then select “Go.”

You’ve to remember that these files will only appear while the Finder window is open. But when you close it and open it again, Finder will hide them again for one more time.

Show Hidden Files Using Terminal:

A terminal is a tool that remains in the utility folder in Apps. The foremost objective of Terminal is to perform tasks that would generally need more software. Or which would be too harsh for users to do on their own. You can use Terminal to reveal hidden files in Finder. Here’s the path to follow:

1. Open Terminal.

2. Type in this script:

$ defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true

$ killall Finder

Files Not Appearing in Mac Finder

Fixing Greyed Out Folders:

Here’s another problem you might run into with Finder. What if instead of files being hidden or not appearing, they are just grey. They are there, you can view them, but you can not open greyed out files or access them in any way.

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This issue occurs when Mac detects an error and resets the date to January 24, 1984, the date of birth of Macintosh computers. Ample things can cause this, like a wrong file system entry or even a power outage. You can use the Terminal app to fix this problem also. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Launch Finder and pick a folder that has the date error.

2. Open Applications and then Terminal.

3. Type in the following: Type SetFile -d 05/05/2020 /Path/to/grayed-out-folder/

4. Hit Return.

This command will change the date to 05/05/2020. You can also change it to anything you want. These instructions should make your greyed-out folders and files go back to normal.

Make the Most of macOS Finder:

Organizing your files can be quite a task. But if you have got a great app like Finder, things become a little straightforward. Finder is that old as Mac itself, and there is a reason it’s hard to replace it.

If you can not see your currently uploaded or downloaded files in Finder, try checking your search settings.

Then relaunch it if you required to. The odds are that the files will show up. If you are searching for the hidden files not appearing in Mac finder, not too anxious, they’re most likely still around. A terminal is a perfect tool that can assist you with hidden and greyed out folders and files.

How do you feel about Finder? Do you like it? Do you use it Frequently? Comment us in below section.

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