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?