To search the contents of files, you need to index the volume where the files are located using the Sherlock 2 program (in the Apple menu).

Open Sherlock 2 for me.

Depending on how you installed your system software, your startup disk may already be scheduled to be indexed. However, you still need to make sure the computer is turned on during the scheduled indexing time.

To see the current indexing schedule:

•	Open the Find menu and choose Index Volumes, then click Schedule.

IMPORTANT: Sleep interferes with indexing on portable computers. If you’re using a portable computer, make sure it’s not set to go to sleep using the Energy Saver control panel.

Open the Energy Saver control panel for me.

To create or update an index:

1	Open the Find menu and choose Index Volumes.
2	Click the volumes you want to index.
	Mounted servers, CD-ROM discs, and read-only disks appear in Sherlock's list of volumes, but they do not appear in the Index Volumes window. You cannot create or update indexes for locked floppy disks, CD-ROM discs, and disks or volumes that you can view but not modify.
	Tip: If you create an index of a volume before it's locked, you can later search that volume.
3	To change the indexing schedule, click Schedule.
4	To change other indexing options (for example, to only index documents written in certain languages), open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
	For more information about items in the Preferences window, open the Help menu and choose Show Balloons, then point to the item you want to learn about.
5	Click Create Index (or Update Index).

Tip: You can index a folder in the Finder using the folder's contextual menu (press the Control key and click the folder).

If you want to index a shared volume:
You must create or update the index directly on the shared volume. Once a shared volume is indexed, anyone with access to it can search its contents.

Changing indexing preferences

You can change the settings that determine the types of files that are searched or the speed of indexing. For example, you can only index items with specific labels assigned to them, or documents written in certain languages.

Most changes take effect the next time an index is updated or created. Changes to language indexing options only take effect the next time a new index is created.

To change your indexing preferences:

•	Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
	By default, Sherlock searches the languages that are appropriate for the country where you purchased your Mac OS software. For the greatest accuracy and speed, select only the languages used in the documents you'll be searching.
	For more information, open the Help menu and choose Show Balloons, then point to the item you want to learn about.

If searches do not find documents in languages you've specified in your indexing preferences:
You may have created the index before you selected your language indexing preferences. To make your language choices take effect, delete the current index (select the volume and click Delete Index in the Index Volumes window), then create the index again.

Related topic

Searching for files