ArchiveMind Help¶
ArchiveMind is a private, local-first catalogue and search system for large collections of files across computers, folders, and external drives.
It scans the folders and drives you choose, builds a searchable catalogue of what it finds — names, metadata, extracted text, image previews, duplicate relationships, and more — and keeps that catalogue useful even when the original drive is disconnected. Your files stay exactly where they are: ArchiveMind reads them, it does not move, rename, or upload them.
Currently documented platforms
- Windows (64-bit, x86_64) — private beta available
- macOS on Intel processors — private beta available
- macOS on Apple silicon (M1–M4) — private beta available as a native arm64 build. See macOS (Apple silicon).
Start here¶
New to ArchiveMind? Follow these in order:
- Installation — pick the right build for your computer.
- First launch — what happens when ArchiveMind starts, and how to close it safely.
- Adding a repository — point ArchiveMind at a folder or drive.
- Indexing — what the scan does, and how long it takes.
- Search — find what you were looking for.
Quick links¶
| I want to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Install ArchiveMind | Installation |
| Understand the first launch | First launch |
| Add a folder or drive | Adding a repository |
| Search my catalogue | Search |
| Fix a problem | Troubleshooting |
| Understand what data is stored | Privacy |
| Report a problem | Reporting a problem |
What makes ArchiveMind different¶
- Local-first. Indexing and search run on your own computer. There is no account, no cloud service, no telemetry, and no auto-update.
- Disconnected drives stay searchable. Catalogue an external drive once, and you can keep searching what is on it after you unplug it. ArchiveMind tells you clearly that the originals cannot be opened until the drive is reconnected.
- More than filenames. ArchiveMind catalogues metadata, extracted text, image thumbnails, duplicate relationships, and — where enabled — visual search over your photos.
- Repository and drive awareness. Every result knows which drive or folder it came from and whether that source is currently connected.
- Reveal in Finder / Show in Explorer. Jump from a search result straight to the real file on disk.
- Honest by design. When something is unavailable — a disconnected drive, a preview that needs an optional tool, a format that cannot be played — ArchiveMind says so plainly instead of pretending.