spotlight comments (under get info) disappear

[kannd86]

I've been trying to add keywords to some of my photos so it will be easy to search for them later, but when I type something into the comments box and check it later, it's not there. I can't figure it out. Isn't that what the box is there for? My only guess is that my photos are all stored on an external hard drive which sometimes I turn off and use with another computer. Maybe it's not capable of saving the keywords? I can't imagine why though. I must be missing something. Can someone help?


Info: I'm using an eMac. About This Mac says Mac OS X Version 10.3.9, 1.25 GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB DDR SDRAM. I often connect my hard drive to my brother's laptop (don't have the info for that at the moment). I'm using a SimpleDrive Model No. 90000-4049-002.

 

[hughvane]

When you say "keywords ..... into the comments box", what exactly do you mean, and where does Spotlight come into it?

Update: Oops, sorry, I see now what/where you mean. I've typed a comment under Spotlight in a photo Get Info window from the internal HD, and it's remained there. I've also done it with a photo from my ext HD, it's also remained there. Why yours should disappear is a mystery, but is the external hard disk write-protected somehow?

Suggestion: Next time you have the external hard drive hooked to your eMac and switched on, run Repair Permissions from OnyX (recommended) or from Disk Utilities in OS X.

 

[kannd86]

Yeah, when I right click on a file, Get Info, there's a text box called Spotlight Comments. Actually, it's just called "comments" on the eMac. The laptop has a newer operating system, I guess they started calling it Spotlight Comments at some point.

I don't think my hard drive is write-protected somehow, although I don't really know what that means. I didn't do anything to it. I store all of my photos and music and everything important to me on this hard drive, will running OnyX or Disk Utilities do anything to my files? What exactly is it for?

The OnyX program on the apple website says it's for 10.5 only. The laptop is 10.5.6. Should I run it while the hard drive is connected to the laptop?

 

[hughvane]

Thinking more about it, of course your ext HD can't be write-protected, or you wouldn't be able to transfer files to it. Forget that possibility.

Permissions is a process whereby the OS allows the user (you) to modify files. To test the theory that somehow permissions may have been changed in some way, drag one of the photo files from the ext HD to the eMac desktop, and then type text into Comments. Then return the photo file to the ext HD, and check it to see if the Comment has been saved.

Next, is the ext HD formatted FAT32, or HFS (or HFS+)? (use Disk Utility to determine that when the ext HD is mounted). The first is identified as MS-DOS in Disk Utility, and is standard Win format; the second is the native Mac format for hard drives. If the ext HD format is MS-DOS, then that could be why the comments are not being retained. The file format of the Comments in Get Info is not recognised under MS-DOS.

Complicated, I know, but the same thing happens with Mac icons which do not display under MS-DOS. You cannot use the / symbol in naming files in MS-DOS, but you can in MacOS.

Re Onyx - your original post said OS 10.3.9, so you need version 1.5.3 from here Titanium Software or here Download OnyX for Mac - OS X maintenance & optimization tool. MacUpdate Mac Optimizers Software Downloads. Onyx is a system maintenance utility, and is arguably the best for the job. Once you've used Onyx to repair permissions and run script maintenance, you may well see an improvement in system performance. If you need further assistance with Onyx, post back for advice.

 

[kannd86]

Okay, I dragged/moved a photo from the hard drive to the desktop, typed in a few words, then dragged it back. The words stayed. I ejected then turned off the hard drive, then turned it back on and checked, the words are still there. So I typed some words in the comments box of another photo on the hard drive, this time not moving it anywhere, ejected the hard drive, turned it off then back on and checked, the words are still there. So I tried it again with a different photo, ejected the hard drive, and this time unplugged it for a few minutes, plugged it back in, turned it on and checked, everything is still there. I'm going to try restarting the computer and then connecting it to the laptop to see if everything stays. If it does, I'll be happy, but I don't understand why all the comments I added the other day disappeared. Thanks for your help, be back in a few.

 

[kannd86]

Do you have any documents on your Mac that you just can't remember what they are? Here is a way to add 'Spotlight Comments' to your files - Apps or Documents.

slotsspiele

That link doesn't say anything about spotlight comments. I'd like to know how to add comments to multiple files at a time.

to hughvane - sorry I never came back. I've been adding spotlight comments to some files and most of them seem to stay but sometimes they disappear. I can't figure out exactly why, but I'm also sure I'll never figure it out unfortunately. Thanks for your help.