mattMDG

Q: How can I search files on my WD My Passport external hard drive using spotlight?

Hi,

 

I have bought my first ever apple product, a MBP Retina and opened it and updated it to the El Capitan 10.11.6 a few hours ago.

 

I need it exclusively for music (traktor and ableton) and searching songs and samples is essential.

 

First slap in my face was when I read about drop outs and issues with traktor and every update after 10.5 Yosemite and I might have to downgrade to it although I have no idea how.

 

Second slap in the face, and the issue I'm seeking help for, was when I started using spotlight to find songs from my WD My Passport external hard drive, only to find out that index method (privacy etc.) doesn't work and there may be no solution for this issue.

 

Is there anything that I can do to fix this permanently? Any other search tool I can use instead of spotlight that will do the work?

 

I was really excited about this purchase but I am having second thoughts now and I'm starting thinking I've spent a fortune for nothing.

 

Please, if you have any suggestions, explain in detail because I am not familiar with Apple's OS.

 

Thanks in advance!

MacBook Pro with Retina display, Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.6

Posted on Aug 8, 2016 9:56 AM

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Q: How can I search files on my WD My Passport external hard drive using spotlight?

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  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Aug 9, 2016 2:27 AM in response to bman46
    Level 5 (5,890 points)
    Mac App Store
    Aug 9, 2016 2:27 AM in response to bman46

    FWIW, you are partially correct. Spotlight can index FAT32 and ExFAT drives but not NTFS drives (without third-party help). On the other hand, EasyFind can search and find files on all three.

  • by mattMDG,

    mattMDG mattMDG Aug 9, 2016 4:35 AM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 4:35 AM in response to Barney-15E

    Very good point! I've now tried two external hard drives, the WD Passport and a Seagate, both NTFS and I cannot write in them. I tried copying a couple of files from MBP to the hard drives but I can't. Works the other way round though.

     

    From what I understand so far, NTFS is a bit of a pain in the neck for mac. What do we do in such cases to be able to fully use the hard drives?

  • by mattMDG,

    mattMDG mattMDG Aug 9, 2016 4:42 AM in response to bman46
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 4:42 AM in response to bman46

    Thanks bman46. From what I understand that seems to be the only solution. I guess I should be paying more attention at the specs when purchasing an external hard drive and its compatibility with different software and OS.

  • by mattMDG,

    mattMDG mattMDG Aug 9, 2016 4:45 AM in response to Ueli Schrader
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 4:45 AM in response to Ueli Schrader

    Format seems to be the only way this can be fixed. I will have to transfer everything from my external hard drive and format it afterwards and hopefully it will be good as new!

  • by Barney-15E,

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Aug 9, 2016 5:13 AM in response to mattMDG
    Level 8 (49,742 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 5:13 AM in response to mattMDG

    A hard drive is a hard drive (for the most part). The problem is they format the drives instead of just selling them unformatted. You just format the drive for what you intend to use it for. There is no requirement to leave it as-is.

    If Windows, then leave it NTFS.

    If Mac, then OS X Extended (Journaled).

    If both, there is no great solution, but ExFAT works well enough.

    You can get a third-party system hack to write to NTFS, but they usually stop working whenever the OS is updated or upgraded and you have to wait for an update of their software.

  • by mattMDG,

    mattMDG mattMDG Aug 9, 2016 5:22 AM in response to dialabrain
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 5:22 AM in response to dialabrain

    You are right dialabrain. I got EasyFind to work with both drives but I'd rather use spotlight for that purpose. In windows I am using the Everything search engine and I am very satisfied with it so I am looking for something equivalent in OS X. Spotlight seems to be it therefore I will eventually format the hard drives to ExFAT.

     

    Thanks

  • by mattMDG,

    mattMDG mattMDG Aug 9, 2016 5:24 AM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 9, 2016 5:24 AM in response to Barney-15E

    Had I known this when I bought them, I would have done so first thing!

  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Aug 9, 2016 6:34 AM in response to mattMDG
    Level 5 (5,890 points)
    Mac App Store
    Aug 9, 2016 6:34 AM in response to mattMDG

    FWIW, Paragon NTFS works and there is a free trial. http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/

    Barney is correct saying it  may have to be updated on occasion. If you don't have any Windows machines there is no point for it of course.

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