# Question regarding disappeared computer files

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-disappeared-computer-files/969179>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 6, 2022, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-disappeared-computer-files/969179 "2022-08-06T06:31:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Octagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2acd7d/32.png) [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-disappeared-computer-files/969179/21 "2022-08-09T00:49:42Z")

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I typically use ‘spotlight search’, and "finder’(bottom left-hand icon) and ‘recent items’ under the top left Apple icon. Necessary files I keep in named folders on my desktop.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-disappeared-computer-files/969179/22 "2022-08-09T02:50:36Z")

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OK, as his been explained previously, “Recent Items” is simply a “smart search” by the OS. Files are not “stored” there. It always pays to know where your files are actually stored in the file system. You can do a get-info on one of the files and see where it lives.

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