[Macworld]

Post your comments for A quick way to change Spotlight's search location here

[Wings]

Mmmmm.... Cmnd-Opt-F does nothing here (10.5.2).

[rmcellig1]

Same here.

[abhishekaiyar]

yup! command option doesn't work here either. i am on finder 10.5.3

[Snert]

Should be Command-Shift-F.

[JScott]

CMD-Shift-F works for the name contains option.

[griffman]

My brain and my fingers were disconnected when I typed up the hint -- sorry about that. The hint has now been corrected (and a note added) to reflect Shift-Command-F as the correct shortcut.
-rob.

[rmcellig1]

That worked. Thanks Rob.

[whisper]

The second Command-F changes the folder to my "Documents" folder not my short user name.

[mretondo]

Nice trick.

Do you know of a way to have the search permanently search there System files? I hate having to make tha selection all the time and since search is so fast now I just wish it was on all the time.

[luther]

I've had a new Mac mini and Leopard for just over 3 weeks. Much of that time, I have been trying to find a way to get Spotlight to search within a specified folder. (I know how to AppleScript this in Tiger.) I tried your suggestion ... no luck!
Spotlight (at least on my Mac) lets you search the entire computer or your home folder. Nothing else. Period. The Shift (and any other) key makes absolutely NO difference!

[rmcellig1]

Go to your Finder preferences and change the New Finder windows open: to your Home folder. This should do it.

[luther]

My Finder preferences were already set to Home. But, I did try changing some other settings.

UNCHECKING "Always open folders in a new window" does work!

[luther]

But ... it's not the selected folder this is searched, it's the frontmost folder window.