How to search files on
external drives and NAS on a Mac
Your files are spread across a few external drives, USB sticks and a NAS, and you only remember a word from the name. Here are three ways to find them, what each costs you, and whether you can still find them once a drive is unplugged.
The short answer: for an occasional search, Finder search or the find command in Terminal is enough. If you search across several drives and a NAS all the time — and want to know which drive a file is on even when that drive is not plugged in — you need a tool that keeps its own list of file names. That is how Locseek Pro works.
System search depends on each drive's own index
Mac system search (Spotlight, which Finder's search field also uses) keeps an index per volume: every external drive and every network share has its own indexing status. Any of these leads to "I know it's there, but search can't find it":
- indexing on that drive is turned off, or it was just connected and the index is still building;
- on a network share (SMB and the like), it depends on whether the server supports that kind of index;
- The system may not be able to use a drive’s index while that drive is disconnected. Locseek keeps already-indexed names searchable.
To check a particular drive, look at its indexing status in Terminal (replace the path with your drive's name):
Each has a strength, and a cost
① Finder search
Open the drive, type the name in the search field at the top right, and set the scope to that drive.
Good for: an occasional search on a drive that is plugged in and indexed normally.
Cost: subject to the indexing status above; nothing once the drive is unplugged.
② find in Terminal
Skips the index and walks the whole drive:
Good for: occasional use if you are comfortable in Terminal.
Cost: it rescans from scratch every time, so big drives and slow NAS mean long waits; nothing once the drive is unplugged.
③ A dedicated name index
Record the file names on each drive once, then answer every search from that list instead of scanning the disk.
Good for: frequent searches, many drives, many files.
Cost: each drive needs one full scan up front, and you need a dedicated tool such as Locseek.
Instant while plugged in — and you still know which drive when it is not
- Add the drive or NAS as an index locationSettings → Index → Index locations: add an external drive, USB stick, NAS or network share and authorize it once in the system panel (Locseek Pro).
- Search it like your MacResults appear as you type, with files from several drives, the NAS and this Mac in one list; click a location in the sidebar to look at just one drive.
- Unplugged, but the names stayFile names already indexed stay searchable, dimmed and marked "Not connected" — you see at a glance which drive to plug in. Prefer not to see them? Turn that off in Settings → Search.
- Plug it back in and it catches upIndexing resumes on its own and picks up what changed while it was away. To confirm right now, click "Check Connection": if the drive is back it simply recovers, otherwise you are told plainly.
- Only names, paths, sizes and timestamps are recorded — file contents are never opened, read or uploaded, and nothing goes online.
- If macOS occasionally misses change notifications for one drive, only that drive is re-checked; your other locations are not rescanned.
- Once found, rename, move, copy, compress or tag right there (move, copy, compress and tags are Pro), all undoable with ⌘Z. Network locations have no Trash, so "Move to Trash" is not offered for files there.
A good fit if
- footage, photos or project archives are spread across several external drives
- you have a NAS at home or at work and often dig files out of it
- you remember part of a file name and want to know in seconds which drive it is on
Not a fit if
- you need to search the text inside files — Locseek only knows names; use system search for that
- you only search once in a while — Finder or
findwill do - you are on Windows — Locseek is Mac only
External drives and NAS
Why can't my Mac find files on an external drive or NAS?
System search relies on each volume's own Spotlight index. An external drive's index may be turned off or still building, and on a network share it depends on whether the server supports it. Run mdutil -s followed by the volume path in Terminal to see a volume's indexing status.
Can I still find files on an external drive after unplugging it?
Not with system search or find, which both need the disk mounted. Locseek Pro keeps the file names it has indexed: after you unplug the drive they stay searchable by name, marked "Not connected", and changes are caught up when it is back.
Does Locseek read the contents of files on my NAS?
No. Locseek indexes only names, paths, sizes and timestamps. It never opens, reads or uploads file contents and never goes online. See local, private search.
Does indexing external drives and NAS cost money?
It is part of Locseek Pro. The free tier indexes any combination of Desktop, Documents and Downloads; Pro adds the whole startup disk, any folder, external drives, USB sticks, NAS and network shares, yearly or as a one-time purchase with identical features. See pricing.
Try the speed with the free tier first
The free tier is free forever — feel it on Desktop, Documents and Downloads, then upgrade to Pro when you want your external drives and NAS in the same index.