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We’ve all probably had that time when we quickly opened TextEdit or our word processor and jabbled down a few words then saved it. Because we were in such a rush, we may of forgetten what we named it. Or you just got some new pictures through your webmail and don’t have time to upload them to MobileMe or Flickr, so you just drag them to a folder. I’m sure there are a lot of other scenarios, but how do we find that missing file?

1. View your Recent Items
From the Apple menu, Recent Items will show you, the last 5, 10, or 15 applications, documents or servers you’ve used. To change how many are displayed, open System Preferences and choose “Personal.” In the middle of the page, simply choose how man you want displayed. If you’re active on the computer, that one file for which you’re looking might not be one of the last 15. Don’t be alarmed, you’ll find it with these other methods.

2. View all of the files opened: Today, Yesterday, Past Week…
If tip 1 wasn’t deep enough, the second tip shows a way to view all files opened Today, Yesterday, the Past Week or view All Images, All Movies or All Documents. Open a new Finder window by clicking the Finder icon on your dock or clicking File > New Finder Window. At the bottom of the left collumn, you’ll find those folders. If you’ve opened tons of files, it’ll be a lot harder to go through but some of these next tips will make that experience a little easier.

3. Use CoverFlow to quickly browse files

Using tip 2 and 3 together are almost certain to find that file. Simply click the CoverFlow icon from the view options in the Finder window. Most people overlook the power of CoverFlow. Personally, I’ve been using it almost daily since Leopard came out. It might just be that I lose things a lot and resort to it, or it’s a great tool.

4. Search for it with Spotlight
If you’ve got any idea what the file might be named, give it a search. It’s as easy as  - SPACE (default shortcut for Spotlight), then type in the first few letters. I really don’t know why people aren’t that happy with Spotlight; I’ve used it since it came out, and although it doesn’t do much, it always finds what I’m looking for.

5. Time Machine

If you still really can’t find it, you’re in luck if you’re backed up with Time Machine. If not, it might be time to pick up an external hard drive and start backing up…

If you’ve got any other ways you use to find missing files, don’t be afraid to leave a comment. I’m still looking for ways to find that missing way to find that missing file, if that makes any sense.