Cataloging drives and folders
If the drive is in a drawer, a live search cannot read it. A catalog remembers the structure instead.
Spotlight’s index is not a durable archive of every external volume. When a drive is unmounted, its normal results disappear or become incomplete. Catalog stores a separate record for a drive you selected, so names, folders, sizes, and dates remain searchable after unmount. The offline label is intentional: it tells you the result is known, not currently openable.
Open Catalog… from Everywhere’s menu bar item and add the drive or folder that matters. Let the first catalogue finish, then search by filename and browse the recorded folder tree. When the source is disconnected, the catalogue remains available and results are labelled offline so you know why opening the file requires reconnecting the drive.
Keep the original drive unchanged, use a clear catalogue name, and rescan after a large round of changes. Catalogues are for the places you choose; they do not silently turn a whole-Mac search into a second scan.
Not until the source drive is connected again. Reveal in Catalog and Copy Path remain useful while it is offline.
No. Catalog v1 searches recorded file metadata such as names, paths, sizes, and dates, not the contents of a disconnected file.
Everywhere keeps track of every file on your Mac — including the folders Spotlight hides and drives you have unplugged. Free for a day, then $19 once.
Version 2.20.2 · macOS 13+ · 4.7 MB · notarised