How to search offline storage with indexing apps for macOS Monterey
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Keeping track of files stored on multiple, unconnected hard drives can be a chore, but indexing and database programs can be helpful even when the hard drive is not connected to a computer.
These tools come in handy when preparing to move data to a NAS device, setting up drives in a custom RAID configuration, or just remembering what was stored on hard drive number four at home.
NAS or Network Attached Storage provides shared storage that can be accessed by multiple users. Because the device is connected to a network, its content can be accessed from anywhere, acting as a private cloud. We recommend NAS as a way to manage and share data with friends and family, and there are many devices that work great with Apple devices.
But they can be expensive. A more common storage method that isn’t on a storage-constrained internal SSD is just a stack of flash drives or hard drives.
For example, Spotlight, the built-in search engine for Mac, indexes the file system to make files and folders searchable. However, this assumes that the storage is online and available to the searching Mac.
With third-party applications, it’s easy to keep track of which drives are storing files, whether they’re hosted on a NAS or kept as separate hard drives. These apps bring Spotlight-like functionality to hard drives other than Mac’s hard drive.
Disk Catalog Maker
DiskCatalogMaker catalogs media storage devices and can archive content. Disks connected to a Mac can have their icons dragged and dropped into DiskCatalogMaker to start browsing.
It offers a batch scan mode to scan multiple hard drives in an intuitive interface similar to Finder. Search by name or other file attributes, search catalogs with Spotlight, and use Boolean AND/OR search expressions to quickly search directories.
Disk Catalog Maker
DiskCatalogMaker can catalog folders on a network volume and import catalog data from other programs. It’s available on the Mac App Store for $69.99 with Family Sharing. Single-user licenses are available from the company’s website for $38.99.
Disk Manager
Disk Manager imports hard drive contents into a database so they can be browsed and searched offline as well. It backs up disk file information and can find duplicate files to save disk space. In addition, it supports protected logins with a password.
Like DiskCatalogMaker, Disk Manager accepts extensive Boolean search queries to add or exclude files, folders, and disks. It is available on the Mac App Store for $4.99.
Virtual Volumes view.
Virtual Volumes View catalogs hard drives, CDs, DVDs and other storage media for offline searches. It combines files and folders into a virtual file system and also displays metadata of audio files. The app can share the catalog on a network server with Windows, Linux and macOS computers.
Disk Manager
Virtual Volumes View stores data in a relational database that can handle millions of rows, but the company promises that even with large catalogs, VVV is fast. It shows the contents of disks in three views:
- physical view – This shows the contents of each disk. Folders and files are structured in a traditional directory.
- virtual view – Data is organized as a virtual file system. Folders can be created and physical volumes and folders mapped to a virtual folder. Files can be assigned to more than one virtual folder, and virtual folders can contain files stored on different disks.
- search view – The catalog can be searched for files that meet various criteria.
Virtual Volumes View assures customers that its app is fully contained within its installation folder and does not interfere with the operating system. It can be downloaded for free and the source code can also be downloaded and viewed.
Viewing virtual volumes on Linux