can't delete files

[Stuart]

Every time I do a search I get "ghostly" files.. I deleted a folder but all
of the files that were in that folder still appear. I try deleting them and
I get a message saying the folder doesn't exist and thus I can't delete
it/them. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Stuart.

How recently did you delete those files?

This is a common complaint, but the answer is usually quite simple:
Indexing works only in the background so that it doesn't interfere too much
with whatever job we may be working on in the foreground. If we are
conscientious about shutting down our computer when we are finished, it may
be several days before it gets enough uninterrupted time to do its work.
Rebuilding the complete index might take hours (or days) for a large hard
drive with lots of big files. So a file that we deleted yesterday might
still be in the index because the service has not yet rebuilt the index, or
that part of the index. Yes, the file has been deleted, but, no, it hasn't
yet been removed from the index.

Give Vista some "alone time" while turned on and it should have your index
rebuilt soon - maybe overnight.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)

 

[NIGHTMARESTALLION]

Hi, Stuart.

How recently did you delete those files?

This is a common complaint, but the answer is usually quite simple:
Indexing works only in the background so that it doesn't interfere too much
with whatever job we may be working on in the foreground. If we are
conscientious about shutting down our computer when we are finished, it may
be several days before it gets enough uninterrupted time to do its work.
Rebuilding the complete index might take hours (or days) for a large hard
drive with lots of big files. So a file that we deleted yesterday might
still be in the index because the service has not yet rebuilt the index, or
that part of the index. Yes, the file has been deleted, but, no, it hasn't
yet been removed from the index.

Give Vista some "alone time" while turned on and it should have your index
rebuilt soon - maybe overnight.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)


I have exactly the same problem except the ghost folder I have was deleted 2 months ago. I'm sure it should have removed the items by now. Is there some way for me to manually remove these files from the index. My computer runs all night so I'm sure it has enough alone time. Can you please give me some advice?

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Stallion.

Wish I could help, but I barely can keep Search working for myself. :>(
About all I can think of is to tell it to Rebuild the Index, which should
not take too long since you leave your computer on all night. Before the
rebuild, you might click "Modify" and check to be sure that the "ghost"
folder is not listed as a location to be indexed. Also, be sure that it is
not indexing the Recycle Bin.

You DO have Vista SP1, don't you? There were some improvements to Search in
there.

Dave Wood from Microsoft checks in here now and then. If you start a new
thread with an interesting Subject, you might get his attention.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)