Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and back
on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and found
this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording video
to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to logging on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has happened to at least
one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they have
any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password!
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for anything
from that.
Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and back
on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and found
this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording video
to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to logging on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has happened to at least
one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they have
any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password!
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for anything
from that.
On 8/5/26 11:29 AM, Tom Elam wrote:
Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and
back on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and
found this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording
video to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to logging
on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has happened to
at least one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/
view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they have
any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password!
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for anything
from that.
Well, well...
A very long Apple forum reply with these instructions among others seems
to have worked:
1 - killall Spotlight
2 - killall corespotlightd
Ran these as Terminal SUDO commands and shutdown/rebooted. Cycled
through restart, shutdown, lock screen and sleep logons via both Touch
ID and password. Spotlight is now working normally. Very similar to
killing a Windows process in Task Manager and rebooting, but that is a
GUI process. Interesting, but not the least bit obvious.
Should I create another video?
On 2026-08-05 08:29, Tom Elam wrote:
Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and
back on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and
found this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording
video to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to logging
on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has happened to
at least one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/
view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they have
any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password!
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for anything
from that.
So you found a post from more than three YEARS ago, and you think it
likely still applies after 3 major macOS versions?
What I think is that you found a problem and are now pretending you've experienced it.
On 8/5/26 2:04 PM, Alan wrote:
On 2026-08-05 08:29, Tom Elam wrote:
Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and
back on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and
found this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording
video to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to logging
on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has happened to
at least one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/
view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they
have any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password!
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for
anything from that.
So you found a post from more than three YEARS ago, and you think it
likely still applies after 3 major macOS versions?
What I think is that you found a problem and are now pretending you've
experienced it.
This 3 year old post worked for me. When I turn off Touch ID for OS
logon the Spotlight problem goes away - the video shows that. The
following may explain why.
I got this from my Apple forum post:
"Given your EtreCheck report, I am more suspicious of a corrupted per-
user cache or database than of Spotlight indexing."
"Your report shows repeated activity involving knowledgeconstructiond, suggestd, and IntelligencePlatformComputeService, all of which are
closely tied to Spotlight, Siri Suggestions, and Apple's intelligence services. Those diagnostics are more consistent with a user-specific
problem than a damaged Spotlight index."
I created a temporary second account and it does not have a Spotlight
issue with a Touch ID logon after sleep. So, likely something in my user account. I'll try duplicating my account using Migration Assistant and
see if the problem goes away in the copy.
So, likely something in my user account. I'll try duplicating my
account using Migration Assistant and see if the problem goes away
in the copy.
On 2026-08-06 06:37, Tom Elam wrote:
On 8/5/26 2:04 PM, Alan wrote:
On 2026-08-05 08:29, Tom Elam wrote:
Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and
back on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and
found this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording
video to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to
logging on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has
happened to at least one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/
view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they
have any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password!
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for
anything from that.
So you found a post from more than three YEARS ago, and you think it
likely still applies after 3 major macOS versions?
What I think is that you found a problem and are now pretending
you've experienced it.
This 3 year old post worked for me. When I turn off Touch ID for OS
logon the Spotlight problem goes away - the video shows that. The
following may explain why.
If it ever happened...
I got this from my Apple forum post:
"Given your EtreCheck report, I am more suspicious of a corrupted per-
user cache or database than of Spotlight indexing."
"Your report shows repeated activity involving knowledgeconstructiond,
suggestd, and IntelligencePlatformComputeService, all of which are
closely tied to Spotlight, Siri Suggestions, and Apple's intelligence
services. Those diagnostics are more consistent with a user-specific
problem than a damaged Spotlight index."
I created a temporary second account and it does not have a Spotlight
issue with a Touch ID logon after sleep. So, likely something in my
user account. I'll try duplicating my account using Migration
Assistant and see if the problem goes away in the copy.
If you ever did that.
On Thu, 6 Aug 2026 09:37:03 -0400, Tom Elam wrote:
So, likely something in my user account. I'll try duplicating my
account using Migration Assistant and see if the problem goes away
in the copy.
On actual (non-trademark) Unix systems, like Linux, user preferences
are kept in separate files, unique to each particular app/subsystem
the user might be running.
Back in the 20th century, these preference files (called rCLdotfilesrCY because their names began with a dot) cluttered up the top level of
your home directory. And still do, to some extent. But the modern
trend is to group them in a small number of top-level directories,
like rCL~/.local/rCY and rCL~/.config/rCY, with separate subdirectories within
there for each app/subsystem, to reduce the clutter.
What IrCOm trying to say is, on such a 21st-century-Unix system, if one particular app is misbehaving, you can try resetting/deleting/renaming
just the prefs for that app, rather than having to recreate your
entire user account.
On 8/6/26 8:27 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:
What IrCOm trying to say is, on such a 21st-century-Unix system, if
one particular app is misbehaving, you can try
resetting/deleting/renaming just the prefs for that app, rather
than having to recreate your entire user account.
Spotlight is not an app as such. It's baked into Finder and the OS.
How do I know that? Search Apps for Spotlight and you get nada. Open Spotlight from Spotlight and Finder comes up.
On Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:53:34 -0400, Tom Elam wrote:
On 8/6/26 8:27 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:
What IrCOm trying to say is, on such a 21st-century-Unix system, if
one particular app is misbehaving, you can try
resetting/deleting/renaming just the prefs for that app, rather
than having to recreate your entire user account.
Spotlight is not an app as such. It's baked into Finder and the OS.
How do I know that? Search Apps for Spotlight and you get nada. Open
Spotlight from Spotlight and Finder comes up.
Bizarre. And not rCLthe UNIX wayrCY.
But still, per-user prefs should be kept in the per-user area
somewhere. If Spotlight is some kind of Finder plugin, or even just
another face that the Finder app wears depending on how you invoke it,
then that should be reflected in some part of the FinderrCOs per-user preferences.
On Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:53:34 -0400, Tom Elam wrote:
On 8/6/26 8:27 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:
What IrCOm trying to say is, on such a 21st-century-Unix system, if
one particular app is misbehaving, you can try
resetting/deleting/renaming just the prefs for that app, rather
than having to recreate your entire user account.
Spotlight is not an app as such. It's baked into Finder and the OS.
How do I know that? Search Apps for Spotlight and you get nada. Open
Spotlight from Spotlight and Finder comes up.
Bizarre. And not rCLthe UNIX wayrCY.
But still, per-user prefs should be kept in the per-user area
somewhere. If Spotlight is some kind of Finder plugin, or even just
another face that the Finder app wears depending on how you invoke it,
then that should be reflected in some part of the FinderrCOs per-user preferences.
On 8/6/26 8:27 PM, Lawrence DrCOOliveiro wrote:
On Thu, 6 Aug 2026 09:37:03 -0400, Tom Elam wrote:
So, likely something in my user account. I'll try duplicating my
account using Migration Assistant and see if the problem goes away
in the copy.
On actual (non-trademark) Unix systems, like Linux, user preferences
are kept in separate files, unique to each particular app/subsystem
the user might be running.
Back in the 20th century, these preference files (called rCLdotfilesrCY
because their names began with a dot) cluttered up the top level of
your home directory. And still do, to some extent. But the modern
trend is to group them in a small number of top-level directories,
like rCL~/.local/rCY and rCL~/.config/rCY, with separate subdirectories within
there for each app/subsystem, to reduce the clutter.
What IrCOm trying to say is, on such a 21st-century-Unix system, if one
particular app is misbehaving, you can try resetting/deleting/renaming
just the prefs for that app, rather than having to recreate your
entire user account.
Spotlight is not an app as such. It's baked into Finder and the OS. How
do I know that? Search Apps for Spotlight and you get nada. Open
Spotlight from Spotlight and Finder comes up.
On 8/6/26 11:40 AM, Alan wrote:
On 2026-08-06 06:37, Tom Elam wrote:
On 8/5/26 2:04 PM, Alan wrote:
On 2026-08-05 08:29, Tom Elam wrote:
Followup to last post on Spotlight issue.0
Well, after re-indexing Spotlight it worked until I logged off and
back on using Touch ID. Searched "Spotlight broken after sleep" and >>>>> found this gem on an Apple forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254673402?sortBy=rank
With this reply by the post author:
"Disabling Touch ID on my iMac solved the problem. Have to type my
password to login after sleep but small price to pay for working
spotlight."
So I tried that suggestion. It works, so I made a screen recording
video to show there is a Spotlight issue somehow connected to
logging on with Touch ID. Apparently not a common issue, but has
happened to at least one other person.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1djyfiNv5h-n943TevtjV2fwA_rhJgqKy/
view? usp=sharing
Any ideas? I may be headed to the local Genius Bar to see if they
have any clue. In the meantime I'll be logging on with the password! >>>>>
I also posted this issue in the Apple forums. Not hopeful for
anything from that.
So you found a post from more than three YEARS ago, and you think it
likely still applies after 3 major macOS versions?
What I think is that you found a problem and are now pretending
you've experienced it.
This 3 year old post worked for me. When I turn off Touch ID for OS
logon the Spotlight problem goes away - the video shows that. The
following may explain why.
If it ever happened...
I got this from my Apple forum post:
"Given your EtreCheck report, I am more suspicious of a corrupted
per- user cache or database than of Spotlight indexing."
"Your report shows repeated activity involving
knowledgeconstructiond, suggestd, and
IntelligencePlatformComputeService, all of which are closely tied to
Spotlight, Siri Suggestions, and Apple's intelligence services. Those
diagnostics are more consistent with a user-specific problem than a
damaged Spotlight index."
I created a temporary second account and it does not have a Spotlight
issue with a Touch ID logon after sleep. So, likely something in my
user account. I'll try duplicating my account using Migration
Assistant and see if the problem goes away in the copy.
If you ever did that.
I sent you a link to a video showing the issue. I did create a second account, tested, then deleted the account.
On Aug 16, 2026 at 3:36:20rC>PM MST, "Lawrence D-|Oliveiro" wrote <115te14$hgk7$6@dont-email.me>:
Spotlight is not an app as such. It's baked into Finder and the
OS. How do I know that? Search Apps for Spotlight and you get
nada. Open Spotlight from Spotlight and Finder comes up.
Bizarre. And not rCLthe UNIX wayrCY.
It is integral to the system and is not meant to be swapped in and
out for other things. It is tied to multiple services: mds,
mdworker, corespotlightd... and a Spotlight.app in CoreServices.
| Sysop: | Amessyroom |
|---|---|
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