Spotlight Privacy and Slow Spotlight Issues on M2 & Ventura with External Drives

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Level 3

629 points

Spotlight Privacy and Slow Spotlight Issues on M2 & Ventura with External Drives

I've recently switched over from a Mid 2014 MBP to an M2 Mac Mini Pro. I'm almost sure that, with the SAME external drives attached and SAME Privacy settings for Spotlight that Spotlight is finding apps wayyyy to slow on the main drive.

1) I wouldn't mind putting some external drives in Spotlight Privacy, except that the results on the drives are then ALSO omitted from general Finder searches ALSO! It seems Ventura gives you all or nothing???

2) Is Spotlight something that speeds up over time? (It's been a while since I've had a new machine...can't remember)?

Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023)

Posted on May 30, 2023 9:29 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

124,246 points

May 31, 2023 4:10 PM in response to Adam F

What I was referring to on "all or nothing" is if you put a drive in Spotlight's Privacy, results excluded by Spotlight quick search (CMD-Spacebar) are ALSO excluded from CMD-F Search "This Mac." It seems that you can't have Spotlight Search exclude, but Finder search include. I had results in a Finder search disappear after adding a drive to Spotlight Privacy.

They are the same thing. There is no difference but the interface.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

124,246 points

May 31, 2023 2:59 PM in response to Adam F

If they are spinning, i.e., mechanical, hard disk drives, and they have gone to sleep, and it will take some time for them to spin up and be ready. That will slow down open and save dialogues also.

i’m not sure what you mean by the all or nothing comment, so I’ll just guess. If you only want to search a particular folder, maybe not on the external drives, you can set up finder, preferences to search the current folder, and enter the search term in the Finder window.

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Answer 3

Adam F Author

Level 3

629 points

May 31, 2023 3:49 PM in response to Barney-15E

Thank you for the input, @Barney-15E!

I do have drives (mechanical) set to stay awake. Before posting, I made sure Spotlight wasn't indexing. However, today I noticed that Spotlight is finding my Apps instantly. I don't know what the sluggish behavior was caused by, but the issue is resolved...somehow. Something must have been active that I didn't see in the Spotlight icon or in Activity Monitor (MDS processes were at 0%).

What I was referring to on "all or nothing" is if you put a drive in Spotlight's Privacy, results excluded by Spotlight quick search (CMD-Spacebar) are ALSO excluded from CMD-F Search "This Mac." It seems that you can't have Spotlight Search exclude, but Finder search include. I had results in a Finder search disappear after adding a drive to Spotlight Privacy.

Thanx again!

Adam

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Spotlight Privacy and Slow Spotlight Issues on M2 & Ventura with External Drives

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