Vista Search Returns Deleted Files

[John Hanley]

A search in Vista often returns files that have been previously deleted &
recycle bin emptied. However, if I choose the option to "Include
non-indexed, hidden, and system files", these 'phantom' files do not show
up. What could be causing this behavior?

 

[John Hanley]

Hi John,

This is a normal behavior of the Indexing Service. Since Indexing is a
background program it only indexes the hard drive a bit here and there
during low or no usage by you. It will eventually update itself and
remove the deleted files from the indexed search results. When you use
the non-indexed, it searches the hard drive in real time and not from a
older indexed list. That is why you do not see them in it. If you want
to forces a update to the Indexing Service, then do the "Rebuild"
section at this link. It should remove them then.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69581-indexing-options.html?ltr=I

Shawn

Thanks for this information. I did manage to do a "Rebuild" and things are
much clearer now. One thing that did confound my understanding was that
there can be an interference between the Indexing Service and the Power
Options. My indexing had been stymied by having my Power Option on Power
Savings Mode. Putting the Power Option on High Performance got the index
started again. I don't know for how long the Indexing had been stymied like
that, and that was probably part of my problem. My searches are now giving
me much more useful results.

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

John Hanley;406104 Wrote:

This is a normal behavior of the Indexing Service. Since Indexing is a
background program it only indexes the hard drive a bit here and there
during low or no usage by you. It will eventually update itself and
remove the deleted files from the indexed search results.

What you are implying, is that at no time can Search be trusted to be
accurate, because it's always going to be "behind the times".

So we have the overhead of indexer chugging away in the background,
just so we can get inaccurate results faster.

Er... what's the point of this, again?

When you use the non-indexed, it searches the hard drive in
real time and not from a older indexed list.

So if you want results you can believe, then don't use the index
material that hogged your resources and space to create.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69581-indexing-options.html?ltr=I

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