Cataloging drives and folders
The right first-run choice depends on whether you want breadth or a deliberate archive boundary.
The default keeps today’s whole-Mac behavior. The focused option turns Search this Mac off and takes you directly to choosing drives and folders for Catalog. Nothing is scanned merely because it is listed: protected folders and removable volumes still use macOS’s own permission prompts and explicit Catalog choices.
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.
Yes. Search this Mac is a setting, and catalog entries can be added or forgotten later.
No. Catalog entries remain searchable even when their sources are disconnected.
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