Spotlight constantly indexing external SSD

[Populus]

Hi, first of all, no, I’m not running beta software. I’m not enrolled on the Sequoia beta. I’ve read problems with Spotlight in Sequoia but I’m running an older, stable version.

I have this external 4TB Samsung T7 SSD, which I’ve written almost half the capacity, and now every time I plug it in, it starts indexing. Because mine is an old Mac, and this is a HUGE SSD, it takes several hours until it finishes indexing, several hours where the Mac stays close to 100°C, and the SSD is quite hot as well. Every ****ing time I unmount and plug it again, it starts indexing again and again…

So… things that I’ve tried: excluding the drive from Spotlight indexation. It works while it is still plugged in. Once I unmount it, eject it, and plug it again, it starts the 4-5 hour indexing process again. So it doesn’t work to just disable Spotlight on the drive.

I’m thinking about deleting all the hidden files related to Spotlight, but right now I’m moving a file (with thousands of subfiles) which I think is responsible of the long indexing times, and deleting it from that SSD.

After purchasing it, and before start using it, I used Samsung’s software to update the firmware… and I hope this isn’t the problem. I’ve read about people not being able to make their SSDs work after an update. Mine works, but I’m not sure if this firmware update may be messing with the indexation.

If anyone has a clue or idea… it will be welcomed. Meanwhile I’ll keep trying things to solve it. This is a good, and expensive SSD, and I’d like it to work properly. Also with so many files, having Spotlight indexation enabled on it is almost a must.

 

[Bigwaff]

If anyone has a clue or idea

I’m going to guess your external T7 is formatted ExFAT. Spotlight may not be indexing but rather macOS is verifying the file system.

 

[Populus]

I’m going to guess your external T7 is formatted ExFAT. Spotlight may not be indexing but rather macOS is verifying the file system.

I forgot to say!

It is formatted in APFS Encrypted with a password. And I guess if it were just verifying the system, wouldn’t be 4 or 5 hours with super hot temperatures…

Even more, what’s strange is, despite being excluded from Spotlight, after plugging it the next time, it starts again indexing.

I suspect the Spotlight file is corrupted, so as a last resource, I’ll reveal the hidden files and delete the spotlight files. And let it index again without the file that I suspect is the culprit (a 17GB file with thousands of small sub-folders and sub-files)

 

[Populus]

Okay, Samsung Magician Tools software tells me there are firmware updates for all my T5s and T7s so… I guess I’m going the radical way to solve the problem:

1) move the almost 2TB of data to another SSD

2) Format the problematic SSD on APFS without encryption

3) Update the T7 Shield firmware

4) Format again with APFS Encrypted

5) Return half the data, and see how it behaves.

 

[gilby101]

How do you know that Spotlight indexing is causing the high temperature?

What does the output of the command mdutil -sav say?

Even more, what’s strange is, despite being excluded from Spotlight, after plugging it the next time, it starts again indexing.

By "excluded from Spotlight" do you mean excluded from indexing or excluded from results? Put it another way, how did you exclude it?

After purchasing it, and before start using it, I used Samsung’s software to update the firmware… and I hope this isn’t the problem.

It shouldn't really be the problem, but in my view the less you have to do with Samsung software the better. In case something odd has happened to the format, please give us the output of diskutil list and diskutil apfs list (the lines relating to the SSD drive, container and volumes)

 

[Populus]

How do you know that Spotlight indexing is causing the high temperature?

Well, because… the GUI says it’s indexing. Plug the SSD, watch the led blinking non stop and everything heating up, open Spotlight (CMD+Space), and voila, the blue bar indicating the Mac is indexing. Yes, only when I plug that drive.

By "excluded from Spotlight" do you mean excluded from indexing or excluded from results? Put it another way, how did you exclude it?

The way it’s always been done using the GUI (I’m not advanced enough using the terminal): Settings -> Spotlight -> privacy tab to exclude what I don’t want to be indexed by Spotlight (dragging the external SSD to that list), the same method I’ve been using for 14 years.

It shouldn't really be the problem, but in my view the less you have to do with Samsung software the better. In case something odd has happened to the format, please give us the output of diskutil list and diskutil apfs list (the lines relating to the SSD drive, container and volumes)

I know, I know. I don’t like the idea of installing Samsung’s software on my Mac. However, after doing it, the Magician Tools software has shown me new versions of the firmware, for both my T7s and T5s. So… I’m doing it. I’m updating the firmware one more time after formatting them. However, I’ll try those commands tomorrow before doing anything else. Thanks, I’m not well versed using the Terminal.

By the way, after testing the other 3 SSDs, including the other T7, I haven’t been able to reproduce this behavior on them. This only happens with the 4TB one.

 

[gilby101]

Thanks, I’m not well versed using the Terminal.

Time to learn something new

Seriously, diagnosing and fixing Spotlight issues is likely to require some terminal commands. But, fingers crossed, erasing the drive with an APFS container will fix things for you. Perhaps, add the files back in small chunks (to begin with).

Just checking, but when you erase the drive in Disk Utility are really erasing the drive (or just volumes). You only see the drive if you enabled, in Disk Utility's menus, View > Show All Devices. That then shows the full hierarchy of Drive, Partition (APFS Container) and AFPS volume(s). You can then select the drive and erase. This is why I suggested diskutil list to show us that you really have.

 

[Populus]

Just checking, but when you erase the drive in Disk Utility are really erasing the drive (or just volumes). You only see the drive if you enabled, in Disk Utility's menus, View > Show All Devices.

Yeah yeah, I’m aware of that. This was a Disk Utility change that came with Big Sur IIRC, and I learned it after a couple of frustrated attempts to erase and format a drive. But thanks for the reminder!

 

[narojo]

I have encountered this issue and I am currently on Sonoma. It was very frustrating because it was preventing me from ejecting my [5tb hdd lulz] external drive safely when I needed to pack up my laptop and leave. I would get alerts that the drive is currently in use, and I learned Spotlight was the culprit. Spotlight also prevented the drive from being recognized by Mac OS after it was unsafely ejected. Here is how I was able to resolve the issue:

First if you are unable to disconnect the drive, or if the drive was disconnected unsafely without ejecting it, these Terminal commands might help finish whatever process is in the way:

diskutil unmountDisk dev/diskname
diskutil eject dev/diskname

Secondly, to exclude your external SSD from Spotlight, you can go to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight. There is a "Spotlight Privacy..." Button, and you can add the drive here.

This is my opportunity to critique Apple. Yall should not be indexing drives by default like this. It should be an opt-in feature. I have a long list of grievances!

 

[Populus]

Secondly, to exclude your external SSD from Spotlight, you can go to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight. There is a "Spotlight Privacy..." Button, and you can add the drive here.

Yes, I know how to do it. However, for some reason, it refused to save this sitting on this drive. That’s why I thought the spotlight file on the drive (hidden) might have gotten corrupted.

But thanks for the Terminal command to unmount or when it refuses to. It’s a rather frequent situation.

 

[meetree]

I had the exact same issue with my Samsung T7 2 TB a couple of years ago. It was APFS Encrypted, excluded from Spotlight indexing, etc.

I stopped using it with my Macbook Air M1.

One year later, I needed an external drive again, so I reformatted it (APFS Encrypted) and copied almost the same data. This time, it did not reindex constantly. One thing—I reinstalled macOS from scratch without keeping any ~/Library content beforehand.

I'm sorry—I don't have a solution for you, but I wanted to say that your case is not unique.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

I know, I know. I don’t like the idea of installing Samsung’s software on my Mac. However, after doing it, the Magician Tools software has shown me new versions of the firmware, for both my T7s and T5s.

Is the Samsung software a native app for Apple Silicon?

Do you know if Samsung offers direct downloads for firmware upgrades - I didn’t see any on their support site For the T5 and T7 drives. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place?

I know this doesn’t answer any of your issues. Definitely not trying to hijack the thread, it’s just that I have a T5 and T7 that I haven’t used yet…
I’m leary on installing the Magician software.

 

[Fishrrman]

I solved the problem of "unwanted spotlight indexing"...

...by TURNING OFF spotlight.
Forever.

 

[Populus]

Is the Samsung software a native app for Apple Silicon?

Do you know if Samsung offers direct downloads for firmware upgrades - I didn’t see any on their support site For the T5 and T7 drives. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place?

I know this doesn’t answer any of your issues. Definitely not trying to hijack the thread, it’s just that I have a T5 and T7 that I haven’t used yet…
I’m leary on installing the Magician software.

I’ll tell you what I know:

First, my Mac mini is an old 2014 Intel model, so I have no idea if it’s a universal installer for both x86 and ARM64, or it’s just an Intel binary that your Apple Silicon Mac will execute using Rosetta 2. Although the emulation layer is sublime so I don’t think it would be a problem.

Now, regarding Samsung software, up until a year ago, this Samsung Magician Tools software wasn’t available for Mac (if my memory isn’t failing me), the firmware update was made through a simple program that comes on the SSD itself when it is new, that was also available on Samsung web. A program named “Samsung Drive tools” or something like that. That’s why the first time I updated the firmware of this T5 and T7 drives, I did so using that program, also from Samsung.

Yesterday, trying to find that program, which interestingly enough, was exclusive for the model (the T5 software didn’t update the firmware on the T7s and viceversa), wasn’t available anymore on Samsung’s website. Instead, it prompted me to install the Samsung Magician Tools, which apparently is now available for macOS. So I decided to give it a try, because I was planning to format the Mac anyways so I don’t care about Samsung installing things on it.

First thing you’ll notice: sadly, like a lot of software, it will require you the system password (IIRC), an extra permission on Settings -> Privacy to install it, and finally it will run during the Mac start. You can disable this tho, not by going to Settings -> Users & Groups -> Boot items like it should, because it won’t appear there, but rather going into the program itself and unchecking the “initiate during system boot”. As I say, sadly, it’s this way with more and more software this days.

This Samsung Magician Tools seems like quite a complete suite, offering you info about the temperature, the health of the drive, TB written, S.M.A.R.T. status, etc.

So, I’ve decided to update the firmware on all my T5 and T7 SSDs, not before backing their content up, and formatting them to APFS (without encryption). Honestly, I’m not sure at this point if I should format them into FAT before updating the firmware. From what I’ve read, it doesn’t matter, because it is a different memory chip, so…

 

[DCIFRTHS]

I’ll tell you what I know:

First, my Mac mini is an old 2014 Intel model, so I have no idea if it’s a universal installer for both x86 and ARM64, or it’s just an Intel binary that your Apple Silicon Mac will execute using Rosetta 2. Although the emulation layer is sublime so I don’t think it would be a problem.

Now, regarding Samsung software, up until a year ago, this Samsung Magician Tools software wasn’t available for Mac (if my memory isn’t failing me), the firmware update was made through a simple program that comes on the SSD itself when it is new, that was also available on Samsung web. A program named “Samsung Drive tools” or something like that. That’s why the first time I updated the firmware of this T5 and T7 drives, I did so using that program, also from Samsung.

Yesterday, trying to find that program, which interestingly enough, was exclusive for the model (the T5 software didn’t update the firmware on the T7s and viceversa), wasn’t available anymore on Samsung’s website. Instead, it prompted me to install the Samsung Magician Tools, which apparently is now available for macOS. So I decided to give it a try, because I was planning to format the Mac anyways so I don’t care about Samsung installing things on it.

First thing you’ll notice: sadly, like a lot of software, it will require you the system password (IIRC), an extra permission on Settings -> Privacy to install it, and finally it will run during the Mac start. You can disable this tho, not by going to Settings -> Users & Groups -> Boot items like it should, because it won’t appear there, but rather going into the program itself and unchecking the “initiate during system boot”. As I say, sadly, it’s this way with more and more software this days.

This Samsung Magician Tools seems like quite a complete suite, offering you info about the temperature, the health of the drive, TB written, S.M.A.R.T. status, etc.

So, I’ve decided to update the firmware on all my T5 and T7 SSDs, not before backing their content up, and formatting them to APFS (without encryption). Honestly, I’m not sure at this point if I should format them into FAT before updating the firmware. From what I’ve read, it doesn’t matter, because it is a different memory chip, so…

Sounds like I would be more comfortable updating the drives on a windows machine, then formatting them on my Mac. While I would like the features of the Magician software, I am concerned about it being intrusive.

Unless there's some kind of bug in the software, I would imagine that the drives' file system shouldn't impact updating firmware. As you mentioned, it makes sense that the firmware would be on the controller chip or dedicated to the controller as opposed to the storage memory chip(s) - although stranger things have been know to cause issues...

Thanks for your input, and post back after you format. Hope it works out well.

 

[narojo]

Yes, I know how to do it. However, for some reason, it refused to save this sitting on this drive. That’s why I thought the spotlight file on the drive (hidden) might have gotten corrupted.

But thanks for the Terminal command to unmount or when it refuses to. It’s a rather frequent situation.

Does the setting reappear when the drive is connected? I know my setting for this disappears after my HDD is ejected (which is WD btw). My settings would disappear on Ventura, and this was fixed in Sonoma. Based on the QoS of recent updates, I am hesitant to update to Sequoia.

Another user mentioned exfat - my drive is formatted exfat. I almost reformatted it over this issue, and that would require days of file transfer

 

[gilby101]

Another user mentioned exfat - my drive is formatted exfat. I almost reformatted it over this issue, and that would require days of file transfer

Better to reformat when convenient for you than to wait until disaster and you need to recover from backup. exFAT really is a bad (unreliable) format for a Mac SSD.

 

[gilby101]

I’ve decided to update the firmware on all my T5 and T7 SSDs

What issues do the updated firmwares resolve? I have never seen the need to update firmware on my T7 and T5s.

 

[Populus]

What issues do the updated firmwares resolve? I have never seen the need to update firmware on my T7 and T5s.

I don’t know, they don’t disclose it, but just in case.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

I don’t know, they don’t disclose it, but just in case.

I feel the same way. I also wish Samsung was more transparent. Who do they think they are? Apple?

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Does the setting reappear when the drive is connected? I know my setting for this disappears after my HDD is ejected (which is WD btw). My settings would disappear on Ventura, and this was fixed in Sonoma. Based on the QoS of recent updates, I am hesitant to update to Sequoia.

Another user mentioned exfat - my drive is formatted exfat. I almost reformatted it over this issue, and that would require days of file transfer

Do you have spinning drive or solid state?

 

[fibercut]

Do you have spinning drive or solid state?

INHO traction platter drives should ONLY HFS+ formatted because I have read the last year how APFS on trading platter drives degrade them much faster! So just with traction drive use HFS+ format on these older platter drives to keep them longer!

 

[narojo]

Do you have spinning drive or solid state?

My external drive is a WD brand HDD (hard disc drive; magnetic) formated exFAT. On Sonoma, my settings for Spotlight have persistent state now, and I haven't needed to use the Terminal commands in a while. I think I had reinstalled my firmware and updated, too, for good measure - I don't use WD software, though.

 

[rgm1956]

Hi, first of all, no, I’m not running beta software. I’m not enrolled on the Sequoia beta. I’ve read problems with Spotlight in Sequoia but I’m running an older, stable version.

I have this external 4TB Samsung T7 SSD, which I’ve written almost half the capacity, and now every time I plug it in, it starts indexing. Because mine is an old Mac, and this is a HUGE SSD, it takes several hours until it finishes indexing, several hours where the Mac stays close to 100°C, and the SSD is quite hot as well. Every ****ing time I unmount and plug it again, it starts indexing again and again…

So… things that I’ve tried: excluding the drive from Spotlight indexation. It works while it is still plugged in. Once I unmount it, eject it, and plug it again, it starts the 4-5 hour indexing process again. So it doesn’t work to just disable Spotlight on the drive.

I’m thinking about deleting all the hidden files related to Spotlight, but right now I’m moving a file (with thousands of subfiles) which I think is responsible of the long indexing times, and deleting it from that SSD.

After purchasing it, and before start using it, I used Samsung’s software to update the firmware… and I hope this isn’t the problem. I’ve read about people not being able to make their SSDs work after an update. Mine works, but I’m not sure if this firmware update may be messing with the indexation.

If anyone has a clue or idea… it will be welcomed. Meanwhile I’ll keep trying things to solve it. This is a good, and expensive SSD, and I’d like it to work properly. Also with so many files, having Spotlight indexation enabled on it is almost a must.

it's no surprise that macOS (regardless of version the last several years) has issues with external drives (in many ways). And yes, my system constantly indexes as well, especiallylly when trying to run CleanMyMac X.

I don't believe the problem is your hardware or any 3rd party software. In my experiences it's (now) almost always very poorly designed Apple software. Perhaps the only fix is to demand that Apple stop focusing on cheap, very buggy yet highly-profitable consumer-grade software and return to writing quality software (like Aperture was) as it did before T.C. took over Apple. It's as simple as that!