Mac OS X can use a variety of attributes to determine which application should open a file. Furthermore, applications in Mac OS X can declare in their property lists whether they can edit files of a particular type, or simply function as viewers of files of a particular type. Hence the term orphaned file in Mac OS X could be interpreted in more than one way. For the purposes of identifying orphaned files in Mac OS X, File Buddy considers a file to be orphaned if Mac OS X thinks there are no applications available that can open the file.

Such files could simply be missing the correct creator, file type, or file extension, as Mac OS X can use any or all of these in determining an application to open a file.

Files identified as possible orphans are sent to a variation of the file list window. The window is identical to a standard file list window with the exception of an extra button located next to the help button on the right side of the window. Use the menu displayed when this button is clicked to flag a creator or specific file to be excluded from future scans, and change creators to any on the Info window's creator menu, or another one of your choosing.