Add the folders you already have
Connect an external drive, or mount a NAS share in Finder, then add the folder to Nevervault. The Mac needs permission to read that folder. A NAS does not need a separate Nevervault server: indexing runs on the Mac and reads the mounted files over your network.
- Connect or mount the source and confirm Finder can open a few originals.
- Add the folder in Nevervault. Start with one representative shoot if you want to check compatibility before scanning the whole archive.
- Keep the drive connected while the first scan builds previews and the local index.
- Add your other archive folders and search across the indexed sources.
What happens when a drive is unplugged?
Previously indexed photos retain their local previews and search information. You can find a remembered image and identify its source even while the drive is disconnected. Nevervault cannot index new files on an absent drive.
A preview is not the original. Reconnect the drive or remount the NAS before opening or exporting a full-resolution file. Video playback also needs access to the source footage; a searchable video frame is not a full offline copy of the clip.
Gather originals from several drives
Add your selects to a collection, then choose Export Originals. If a source is disconnected, Nevervault lists each source and its original count in a per-drive export window. Connect a drive, click its Export button, and repeat for the next source—all into the same destination. See creating collections and exporting across drives for the full workflow.
What is stored on the Mac?
Nevervault stores previews and its search index locally. It leaves the source folder structure and originals in place. The index uses disk space, so leave room on the Mac for an archive to grow. This index is not a backup of your photographs: keep your existing backup workflow.
Indexing a large NAS archive
The first scan has to read media from the share. Network speed, NAS responsiveness, source formats and archive size all affect how long it takes. A reliable connection is more useful than repeatedly restarting a scan. Search results become more complete as processing finishes.
If a share disappears, first reconnect it in Finder. Confirm the original folder is accessible before retrying failed items. Nevervault skips common NAS housekeeping folders such as Synology's @eaDir and #recycle directories.
Search offline, reconnect to work
Local AI search does not require uploading your photographs to a service. A mounted NAS still requires a working connection to that NAS when Nevervault reads originals. “Local AI” describes where processing happens; it does not make unavailable network files accessible.
For visual query tips, see RAW photo search. For sampled video frames and transcripts, see video search.