Spotlight decided to index my external hard drive that I use for backups without asking my permission.
This made it impossible for me to safely eject the external hard drive without potentially corrupting the file system.
I have successfully stopped spotlight from indexing it again in the future by adding the external disk to the "DO NOT INDEX" list in "System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy".
So now Spotlight no longer interferes with my ability to eject my external hard drive.
However, I am showing a lot of files as still being opened on the external hard drive:
? >sudo lsof | grep /Volumes/Backup/
Password:
mds 59 root 27r DIR 1,7 2856 107 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404
mds 59 root 30u REG 1,7 0 152 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/journalExclusion
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 3277 117 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexGroups
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 8 119 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexTermIds
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 8 123 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexCompactDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 8 116 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexIds
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 8 121 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexPositionTable
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 2056 122 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 64 124 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/0.indexArrays
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 32768 4215456 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexCompactDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 419431 128 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.0.indexGroups
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 131584 4215455 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 419431 4215448 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexGroups
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 838861 1460612 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.1.indexGroups
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 2955200 127 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.0.indexIds
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 7593836 2418144 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.0.indexDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 7993368 1460611 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.1.indexIds
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 4194304 4215447 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexIds
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 10989320 4617084 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.1.indexDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 68946622 2418145 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.0.indexCompactDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 280164544 2418146 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.0.indexArrays
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 66644118 4617085 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.1.indexCompactDirectory
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 283469632 4617086 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.1.indexArrays
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 33554432 4215451 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexTermIds
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 33554432 4215453 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexPositionTable
mds_store 183 root txt REG 1,7 67108864 4215457 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexArrays
mds_store 183 root 6r DIR 1,7 2856 107 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404
mds_store 183 root 16r DIR 1,7 2856 107 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404
mds_store 183 root 59u REG 1,7 28 114 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/indexState
mds_store 183 root 63u REG 1,7 67108864 4215457 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/live.2.indexArrays
mds_store 183 root 64u REG 1,7 76926976 138 /Volumes/Backup/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/CE09E80F-C475-425F-B3AC-62F6D4C01404/.store.db
I am worried about this because Spotlight previously corrupted the file system on my external hard drive and I lost a years worth of backups.
So it would really set my mind at ease if there was a way to clean up these open files and perhaps ensure the integrity of the file system on my external disk.
Is this possible?
Best Answer
These files are open because Spotlight is indexing your Time Machine backup. Sadly this is now a requirement in El Capitan, which one presumes you are running:
I find that this Spotlight indexing slows down the ability to stop an in-progress backup and eject the external disk.