Search not working

[Geoff Lane]

My workstation is Windows XP Pro SP2 with auto-update enabled.

I'm searching for certain ASP and VBScript files on my development server
(Windows 2000 Server SP4). These files contain a certain keyword, which
is the name of an SQL Server table that these scripts use. I'm about to
alter the table and I'm trying to identify likely side-effects.

The files reside on the Windows 2000 server and are also accessed as a
network share from my workstation. Here's what I've done on both the
server console and my workstation. I've done this both with the indexing
service enabled and disabled (so that's four searches in all):

1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the root of the directory tree
that I want to search.
2. On the Windows Explorer toolbar, click Search.
3. Type the keyword into the "Containing text" box.
4. Select Advanced options and ensure that the subfolders, system
folders, and hidden folders and files checkboxes are selected.
5. Click Search Now.

Each time, XP search claims, "Search is complete. There are no results to
display". Repeating the searches specifying files of type *.asp and *.vbs
also fails.

I know that at least two files exist that contain the keyword, and thus
suspect that XP Search is hideously broken.

After a search on the 'net and acting on information from another forum,
I've reinstalled the search assistant (/windows/inf/srchasst.inf).
Everywhere that I can, I've set indexing server to index file types with
unknown extensions. However, I can't create a catalog on my workstation
to index the directory tree (a network share on the server) that I want
to search.

Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong, or otherwise help?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi Geoff

Try the following link to Kelly's web site:

"Why doesn't Search work?"
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm

A little bit further north than Cornwall, but still in the UK )

--


Will Denny
MS MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Brian A.]

What happens if you search using *.asp;*.vbs in the File or Folders text
input box?

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

 

[Geoff Lane]

Try the following link to Kelly's web site:

"Why doesn't Search work?"
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm

Thanks - that's where I got the info on reinstalling the search assistant.
I don't get the error message, "A File That Is Required to Run Search
Companion Cannot Be Found", but reinstalled SA just to be sure.

Taking things a stage or two further:
- Adding Search for All File Types (line 136 in his XP tweaks)
didn't resolve the issue.
- both .asp and .vbs already had a persistent handler, so
his xp_persisthandler.vbs didn't help.
- editing the PersistentHandler key default value for .asp to
{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}, then logging off and
back on didn't work, so I reinstated the old value.

I wonder if there's a way to replace XP Search with the NT4 equivalent,
which did actually work (even if it ran with the speed of a striking slug!)

 

[Geoff Lane]

What happens if you search using *.asp;*.vbs in the File or Folders
text
input box?

With nothing in the "Containing text" box, it takes a minute or so to run
and seems to return every .asp and .vbs file in the directory and
subdirectories. With the name of the SQL Server table in the "Containing
text" box, it instantly responds, "Search is complete. There are no results
to display."

 

[Malke]

Thanks - that's where I got the info on reinstalling the search
assistant. I don't get the error message, "A File That Is Required to
Run Search Companion Cannot Be Found", but reinstalled SA just to be
sure.

Taking things a stage or two further:
- Adding Search for All File Types (line 136 in his XP tweaks)
didn't resolve the issue.
- both .asp and .vbs already had a persistent handler, so
his xp_persisthandler.vbs didn't help.
- editing the PersistentHandler key default value for .asp to
{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}, then logging off and
back on didn't work, so I reinstated the old value.

I wonder if there's a way to replace XP Search with the NT4
equivalent, which did actually work (even if it ran with the speed of
a striking slug!)

Don't bother replacing Search with NT's version; use Agent Ransack which
is free and superior. I use it on all my XP boxen.

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

Malke

 

[Geoff Lane]

Don't bother replacing Search with NT's version; use Agent Ransack which
is free and superior. I use it on all my XP boxen.

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

Wow! That did the trick - RegExp as well!

Many thanks,

 

[Malke]

Wow! That did the trick - RegExp as well!

Many thanks,

You're welcome.

Malke