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Can't search Discussions!

Searching Apple Discussions may at first be confusing because of the multiple options. Below you'll see a clipping I made of the right sidebar that I've annotated for purpose of this tip.

*

As you'll see, there is a gray panel with the word search in it on top. That is NOT the place to search Apple Discussions, that is the place to search the entire Apple website, and will yield many results that are not within Discussions.

Next you'll see the More Options link, which I point to. This goes to a search window that lets you pick the forums and categories within Discussions (the topic headings that start from http://discussions.apple.com/ ) that you want to search within. If your current heading doesn't say:

Apple Discussions



Apple.com > Support > Discussions

on the upper left, and has something to the right of Discussions, your active forum is not the entire Discussions board. The right most item in the chain of categories and forums is the active forum, and where the bottom search field in the image above is going to only search within that active forum. This may be the reason you aren't getting the search results you are expecting.

- * Links to images on my website may give me compensation
Hi a brody,

For me, the path, "Apple.com > Support > Discussions" at the top of the "more options" search page does not change no matter how deep into the Forums I'm in. It stays "Apple.com > Support > Discussions"

It is the menu, "Restrict by Category or Forum:" that shows which Category or Forum I will be searching in. In fact, a lot of times I want to focus on a particular Forum so I like to start there first to get more focused results.

Hint, the list of Forums is long. If you want to Focus your search to a particular Forum, navigate to that Forum before you click, "more options" and the search will default to that Forum without having to select it. If you want to search the entire Apple Discussions make sure it says, "All Categories".


Another item that may catch people up is the "Restrict by Date Range:" which defaults to 90 days. They may want to change that to "All" if they aren't finding the answer.

Take care,
Nubz
Searching Apple Discussions may at first be confusing because of the multiple options. Below you'll see a clipping I made of the right sidebar that I've annotated for purpose of this tip.



*



As you'll see, there is a gray panel with the word search in it on top. That is NOT the place to search Apple Discussions, that is the place to search the entire Apple website, and will yield many results that are not within Discussions.



Next you'll see the More Options link, which I point to. This goes to a search window that lets you pick the forums and categories within Discussions (the topic headings that start from http://discussions.apple.com/ ) that you want to search within. If your current heading says something to the right of Apple.com > Support > Discussions below the

Apple Discussions



on the upper left, your active forum is not the entire Discussions board. The right most item in the chain of categories and forums is the active forum, and where the bottom search field in the image above is going to only search within that active forum. The text separated by the greater than symbol above is clickable to navigate to the forum and category headings. This may be the reason you aren't getting the search results you are expecting.




Additionally, our hosts have suggested:

Hint, the list of Forums is long. If you want to Focus your search to a particular Forum, navigate to that Forum before you click, "more options" and the search will default to that Forum without having to select it. If you want to search the entire Apple Discussions make sure it says, "All Categories".


As well as the fact that under More Options, it defaults the search to 90 days. You can expand your date range to look further back in time for more results.


  • * Links to images on my website may give me compensation


a brody wrote:
Searching Apple Discussions may at first be confusing because of the multiple options. Below you'll see a clipping I made of the right sidebar that I've annotated for purpose of this tip.



*



As you'll see, there is a gray panel with the word search in it on top. That is NOT the place to search Apple Discussions, that is the place to search the entire Apple website, and will yield many results that are not within Discussions.



Next you'll see the More Options link, which I point to. This goes to a search window that lets you pick the forums and categories within Discussions (the topic headings that start from http://discussions.apple.com/ ) that you want to search within.

Kind of a long sentence. I would suggest removing the link in the middle.
{color:purple}This goes to a search window that lets you pick the Category or Forum you want to search within.{color}

If your current heading says something to the right of Apple.com > Support > Discussions below the

Apple Discussions



on the upper left, your active forum is not the entire Discussions board. {color:red} This applies to browsing the Forums, not to the "more options" search window. {color} The right most item in the chain of categories and forums is the active forum, and where the bottom search field in the image above is going to only search within that active forum. {color:red} mine never changes from "Apple.com > Support > Discussions". {color} The text separated by the greater than symbol above is clickable to navigate to the forum and category headings. {color:red} clicking the path takes me out of the search window {color} This may be the reason you aren't getting the search results you are expecting.


Under

Apple Discussions


I see
Apple.com > Support > Discussions
and that path doesn't change for me in the search screen no matter which Forum I am searching in.
Selecting the desired Forum is done with the Restrict by Category or Forum: popup menu. Even selecting a different Forum doesn't change the path listed at the top. And there is no path I can move around in (click on) like when I'm just browsing the Forums.

Are you seeing something different?




Additionally, our hosts have suggested:

Hint, the list of Forums is long. If you want to Focus your search to a particular Forum, navigate to that Forum before you click, "more options" and the search will default to that Forum without having to select it. If you want to search the entire Apple Discussions make sure it says, "All Categories".

I was actually hoping you would integrate the hint into your tip. No need to give us credit.

As well as the fact that under More Options, it defaults the search to 90 days. You can expand your date range to look further back in time for more results.

Please let me know if you are seeing something different in the "more options" search window.
Thanks,
Nubz
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