Is there any alternative way to search an external hard drive following Apple's decision to remove external hard drive search functionality from OS 10.11?

I also have this issue but on a mounted volume instead of external hard drive - the problem being is that when in a finder window you type in a search, then select the volume or folder name that appears at the side of 'This Mac', it finds 0 items. I have tried numerous search requests for folder names I can visibly see in the list when accessing the volume, yet enter that exact name in the Search box and it finds nothing? maybe it is index related and the mac needs time to index the volume before a search can take place?

"Why" questions assume that users here.....just like you....have inside information from Apple about product and marketing decisions. No one here has any kind of information like that.

"Why" questions can only be answered by Apple. Get in touch with Apple and ask them "Why?" if you are really interested in an answer.

I can search my external hard drive through Finder in El Capitan. I plug it in, open a Finder window, click on my external hard drive in the left-hand column, then go up to the search bar in the upper-right and type something. Click on the image for the full size.

As you can see, "CONTENTS EXPLODE UNDER PRESSURE!" is the name of my external hard drive, and rather than searching "This Mac," which would be the hard drive inside my computer, I'm searching the external drive. So the functionality has not been removed.

Try EasyFind

I must say that my Finder works correctly in searching my external this way also. I just find EF a better search tool, especially for invisibles and other system software.

Hemutian wrote:

In Finder I'm given the option to click on my external hard drive in the upper left corner, just like in Pinkstones' screenshot.

However, when I do so and proceed to search, it always brings me back to the main Finder screen,

Don't click on the main HD, click on the external you want to search. What happens now?

this functionality has been removed

No, it hasn't. Why do you think it has?

First try EasyFind and see if it works there. If not try re-indexing your external.

Seagate tech support told me that Apple removed this functionality in El Capitan

The person you were speaking to made that up to get rid of you. It's completely false.

Please post a screenshot that shows what you're doing. Be careful not to include any private information.

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