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Big Sur Re-Indexing On Startup, But Also From Bootable Backup

So I updated from Catalina to Big Sur about 3 weeks ago now (MBP 2019, 2.4GHz, Intel i9, 32GB DDR4). Bootable (not just one, but two) backups were made because technology.....I'm not even sure has really made my life any more enjoyable, but I was thorough and covered all of my bases.

So it turns out that today after getting ready to finally delete the Catalina backups and shuttling drives around, I started up the computer (from the main system/internal drive) and went to Disk Utility via Spotlight, when I saw the "Indexing" bar in blue, progressing along. This seemed odd and cleared up within a couple minutes. I re-started again and it was re-indexing yet again, but still stopped within a couple minutes. I re-started in Safe Mode. The whole computer was slower but re-indexing didn't seem to be happening. Last, I had yet another (so now a third) bootable backup, but this time, it was a bootable backup of Big Sur, created the day I updated the macOS. When I boot off of that drive, Disk Utility is yet again re-indexing, but in this case, for much longer than a couple of minutes (it's still going 15 minutes later as we speak). I had read old threads about indexing possibly indicating drive concerns, so the fact that it is happening on both my internal drive and external SSD both running BigSur puts my mind at rest.

I have read on forcing re-indexing via System Preferences and other various terminal commands but I'm waiting at the moment for indexing to finish on the bootable Big Sur drive, so that I can re-start again and see if it is still attempting to re-index upon restart from the external bootable clone, or if this is a coincidence at the moment (since theoretically the computer may think it's a fresh OS update, as I never worked off of the clone after I cloned the computer with Big Sur).

What do the good people suggest as a first course of action? I wasn't clear on which folder to select in System Preferences/Privacy in order to force a re-index. Would I want to just drag over the home directory with everything?

Thanks.

Posted on Sep 5, 2022 5:29 PM

Top-ranking reply

MacBookGuitarist Author

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Sep 5, 2022 6:53 PM

If I could delete any of the above and edit, I would but in lieu of that, I pronounce this issue inconsequential enough to be solved. Turns out I checked an independent, completely separate second MacBook Pro running Catalina, and THEN my old mostly retired 2015 Mac, which resulted in two critical findings/distinctions in case anyone else ever wonders about theirs in the future, and somehow finds this (maybe it will help someone else).

(1) The actual blue Index bar showing visible progress only occurs upon first launch of a new macOS update. This was clear in booting from the Big Sur clone, and then when I switched back to the internal system drive, it did that again just for a little short bit. All subsequent re-starts never do this, but instead....

(2) Across three different Macs on three different operating systems (Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave), upon loading, if I go to Spotlight right away, for about 60 seconds (give or take), the Indexing bar sort of oscillates (that blue bar that moves with a whiteish highlight right to left back and forth). Three computers, three operating systems, three internal drives with a fourth bootable backup drive, all exhibiting the identical same behavior, so this must simply be inherent in the macOS itself and how things are. To take it one step further over the top, I started the 2015 machine from a bootable backup and confirmed this a fourth time.

I'm no longer concerned and pronounce this issue "solved" of my own obsession and overindulgence in backups with multiple machines to check on. Also, mods, if this has absolutely no relevance anymore whatsoever and you want to delete it, feel free to, but maybe it's worth leaving for anyone else who wonders down the line.

Thanks,

Sean

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Big Sur Re-Indexing On Startup, But Also From Bootable Backup

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