Folder options of find results

Hello. I cannot manage to save columns and sorting in the find results window. I am using the find tool very often and I cannot save the columns I want or how list will be sorted.

Although I can do all above very easy with all other folders/locations, in the find panel the sorting and columns somehow reset each time.

If its of any interest I have set the find tool to always search all my hard drives ( C:\ & D:)

If your Find tool is outputting to a Collection (i.e. you see the results in a lister and not in a special output window) then you just need to save a folder format for the collection in question, e.g. the col://Find Results Folder Format.

If you change the name of the output collection then your saved format won't be used and the Collection Default Format will be used instead, if it's turned on.

See which Folder Formats and Default Formats are defined under Preferences - Folders - Folder Formats and check the name of the collection which the Find tool is outputting to.

Thanks a lot for your reply. You are right, I forgot to say that I have set the output of the results of the find tool to a lister.

I went to Preferences>Folders>Folder Formats>Default Formats>Collection and changed the Collection format, which I wasn't aware.

This doesn't apply to your issue, but it is interesting to note in case other search for this topic.

Find Results sent to the Find Window have their own "format", named Find Results Columns, which does not appear listed under Preferences - Folders - Folder Formats. It is accessible by right-clicking any Find Results column (in the Find Window) and selecting More.... The dialog only provides the option to specify which columns appear, and a single sort order column. (Other Folder Formats can be sorted by multiple columns.) Setting these columns does nothing to modify the Folder Format of the Find Results Collection when it is opened in a lister. (Nudel has already covered changing this format above.)

I see what you mean, useful info but you can achieve by right click on the column headers, not on any result.

BTW I chose "Show results in: Lister", because I couldn't find how to jump on the first result by keyboard only - without using the mouse. If the output is lister I just press the down arrow and I am on the results list.

How can I navigate to results when these appear as Find Window & Output Window without using the mouse?

Unless you don't like having the results appear in the lister, I'd ignore the Find Results/Output Window.

I think it's only there because it's always been there and didn't seem worth removing once the ability to see results in listers was added.

OK thanks for your reply. One last question:

Can I have the find window (not the lister) closed after finished searching? Because sometimes after various searches I have many open.

So what I want is: launch the find window, perform the search, view the results in lister and the find window automatically closes after finished searching.

I thought there was a way to auto-close/hide the Find window but I can't find it so may be thinking of something else.

You might prefer using the Find Panel instead of the Find Window, though. Then you aren't left with extra top-level windows. (Tools -> Find Panel in the default menus.)

You are thinking of something else, the feature request I filed! :stuck_out_tongue: Unfortunately, the current version has no way of accomplishing this.