Search Companion does not search where I tell it to search

[Andy Bonanno]

I've discovered a problem with my Search Companion. I found it while
looking for files I knew existed. I tell it to search my entire computer
and it only searches less than a dozen sub-directories on my C drive but
works perfectly on drives D, E, and F.

The sub-directories it searches on C are Documents and Settings plus its
sub-directories, I386, Recycle Bin, System Volume Information, VCOM,
Natspeak, PowerPanelPlus, Temp, and WUTemp. After finishing these, it will
go on and work correctly on the rest of the drives (as far as I can tell).
I've looked on Kelly's Korner and can't find anything relevant to this
situation or I'm missing it. Any help? Incidentally, the above list was
derived by looking for all files and folders with the letter 'a'.

 

[Keith Miller]

Most likely because search is using Indexing and the files are in folders excluded from indexing. In the left pane of the search window , click "change preferences" then click "without indexing service".

Alternatively, you can try to make the index more inclusive. Under Computer Management -> Services -> Indexing Service -> System -> Directories, you can include more and delete exclusions.

Keith

 

[Surfer]

Yeah; some "features" in XP are rather annoying. But I understand why it is
done that way.

Search has been dumbed down for people who are generally afraid of their
PCs, the types that are afraid to click anything lest "they format their
drives by mistake". Something that isn't obvious to most users is the
ability to tweak the Search feature.

Start > Search

What I do is change the preferences so that it works like Search did in
Windows 2000. This is how I do it.

1) Above the ... smiling dog ... I click: "Turn off animated character". The
dog leaves the scene and it all gets better from here. (I think the dog is
related to Clippit.) The white box jumps to the top left of the screen.
2) Click "Change Preferences".
3) Click "Change files and folders search behavior"
4) Click "Advanced - includes..."
5) Click "OK"
6) Click "All files and folders"
7) Click "More advanced options"
8) Check "Search hidden files and folders"

Give it a whirl. Make sure "Look in" is set to C: drive and test out the hot
new performance of your search function.

Surfer

 

[Rock]

I've discovered a problem with my Search Companion. I found it while
looking for files I knew existed. I tell it to search my entire computer
and it only searches less than a dozen sub-directories on my C drive but
works perfectly on drives D, E, and F.

The sub-directories it searches on C are Documents and Settings plus its
sub-directories, I386, Recycle Bin, System Volume Information, VCOM,
Natspeak, PowerPanelPlus, Temp, and WUTemp. After finishing these, it will
go on and work correctly on the rest of the drives (as far as I can tell).
I've looked on Kelly's Korner and can't find anything relevant to this
situation or I'm missing it. Any help? Incidentally, the above list was
derived by looking for all files and folders with the letter 'a'.

Try using the free search tool, Agent Ransack. It works well.

http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/

 

[Andy Bonanno]

Thank you Keith and Surfer for your input. However, indexing is turned off
and I've already changed my preferences to those mentioned (except I like
the dog). In double-checking though, I noticed that somehow the "Search
System Folders" was unchecked. Checking it appears to have solved the
problem. Apparently, if you want to scan anything in the Program Files
folder, it's considered a system folder but System Volume Information and
the Recycle Bin are not. Sounds like a bug, but oh well. It looks like its
working again.