[andreadeca]

Hi there!

anybody know a way to FORCE a complete re-index of Spotlight?

Here is my problem:

last friday i did un upgrade or my machine, and spotlight indexed everything nicely, including my iPhoto pictures (based on the Keywords I assigned to my pictures).

Then during the weekend I did a complete reinstall ("erase and install"), but when I rebuilt my iPhoto library spotlight did NOT reindex the pictures.
I think the problem is that I did not really rebuild the library, i just backed up the "pictures" folder and copied it over the new one once I had reinstalled the machine.
iPhoto sees all my picture just great, but Spotlight ignores them completely.

Any ideas?

thanks,
andrea

[Swift]

Well, the big demo has been to show the results of a Spotlight search while you're downloading, and then, when the download is completed, seconds later the new file is in the search dynamically. I think it just "ohto-matically," to use a Jobsism, catches up to you. If you peek at Spotlight sometime soon, it will be indexing the library.

[andreadeca]

Found a (very ugly) workaround, based on other info posted on this site: you need some sort of "modification" to an image (changing comments, removing and re-adding the keywords, for example): the modification fforses a reindex of the picture, and it is then seen by spotlight.

However i am not convinved of this solution, it is more of a hack (and you can easily leave out information). Personally I would rather have a re-index feature.

andrea

[lowcoder]

Well, I experienced a similar problem and found a way to force reindexing. Even if it worked for me and seems quite safe, try it at your own risk:
In terminal.app, type:

Code:
sudo mdutil -E /

and type your administrator password. Note that "/" is the mount point of your OS X system partition so this applies to force reindexing your system partition. From the "man" page of mudtil:

Code:
-E  This flag will cause each local store for the volumes indicated to be
         erased.  The stores will be rebuilt if appropriate.

[toneloco28]

Easiest method I've found to re-index is to enter your drive into the privacy tab of the Spotlight Preferences. Then remove your drive out of privacy, and Spotlight should start indexing shortly thereafter. If Spotlight still doesn't pick up your iPhoto pictures, you can just add a "dummy" keyword to all your pictures, and they will get indexed. It doesn't affect your existing comments. keywords, etc, so after Spotlight has found them you can now remove the "dummy" keyword. I tried this method myself after having some iPhoto troubles on my second machine. This info was gleaned from various forums around the web.

Edited to Add: Note that the re-indexing of Spotlight didn't solve my iPhoto troubles. I had to use the keyword method to incorporate Spotlight integration. I told of the re-index feature b/c it is the easiest, and most foolproof method I've come across.

[andreadeca]

ok here is an update:
i tried the following:
1) created an automator script that wrote "Iphoto library" as a Spotlight comment to all the pictures in my pictures folder. it set the comment (i checked) but spotlight still does not see th pictures.

2) tried re-indexing with the command that lowcoder gave: it reindexed (cool one, lowcoder!!) but STILL, no pictures in spotlight.
I use iPhoto 5.0.2, correctly updated and such.

hmmm.

i will try your "dummy keyword" hack. I figure it will work. Still, spotlight should NOT be acting like this. I am confident they'll bug fix in 10.4.1

thanks, all!

andrea

[andreadeca]

Ok, final entry.

I got it to work by:
1. adding and then removing dummy keyword
AND (number 1 was not enough)
2. removing and readding my drive to spotlight (it then reindexed and worked)

Odd. This is definately a bug of some sort IMHO.

thanks to all for the help