Search Function in XP Locates Files but Locks, Not Responding

[Tom461]

When searching for a doc file, say *holiday*.doc, Search finds the file but
then freezes into "Not responding". This has happened repeatedly, including
after a reboot. Indexing was already turned off. I added Acronis backup
several weeks ago, and there is a fairly new WD 1 TB external hard drive for
backups. There is no backup program running in the background when this
happens. The system seems to be fine otherwise. There are 6 GB of free space
on a small, 23 GB hard drive; this is a Thinkpad from 2005, used mostly for
Office applications, plugged in as a desktop really. I wish the search
function had an option for searching only the C drive and not all hard
drives, but I don't know if that option would solve anything. I use AVG Free
Antivirus and Malwarebytes. I used to use Windows Onecare.

 

[John Wunderlich]

When searching for a doc file, say *holiday*.doc, Search finds the
file but then freezes into "Not responding". This has happened
repeatedly, including after a reboot. Indexing was already turned
off. I added Acronis backup several weeks ago, and there is a
fairly new WD 1 TB external hard drive for backups. There is no
backup program running in the background when this happens. The
system seems to be fine otherwise. There are 6 GB of free space
on a small, 23 GB hard drive; this is a Thinkpad from 2005, used
mostly for Office applications, plugged in as a desktop really. I
wish the search function had an option for searching only the C
drive and not all hard drives, but I don't know if that option
would solve anything. I use AVG Free Antivirus and Malwarebytes. I
used to use Windows Onecare.

Perhaps there is a corrupted directory that is looked at after it finds
your file and hangs the search function. Try to do a 'checkdsk' on
your drive:

"How to perform disk error checking in Windows XP"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265>

You _can_ search only the C drive. Double-click on the "C" drive to
open it, then hit the F3 key. The search you do will then only occur
on the C drive.

HTH,
John

 

[Tom461]

Thank you. I will perform a check disk. But I have since realized that the
Search function freezes up whenever I hit the Stop search key and, as far as
I know, not otherwise. Any thoughts on this refined statement of the original
problem?

 

[HeyBub]

When searching for a doc file, say *holiday*.doc, Search finds the
file but then freezes into "Not responding". This has happened
repeatedly, including after a reboot. Indexing was already turned
off. I added Acronis backup several weeks ago, and there is a fairly
new WD 1 TB external hard drive for backups. There is no backup
program running in the background when this happens. The system seems
to be fine otherwise. There are 6 GB of free space on a small, 23 GB
hard drive; this is a Thinkpad from 2005, used mostly for Office
applications, plugged in as a desktop really. I wish the search
function had an option for searching only the C drive and not all
hard drives, but I don't know if that option would solve anything. I
use AVG Free Antivirus and Malwarebytes. I used to use Windows
Onecare.

As a circumvention, ditch the Windows search function and use Agent Ransack:
free, fast, and more versatile.

 

[John Wunderlich]

Thank you. I will perform a check disk. But I have since realized
that the Search function freezes up whenever I hit the Stop search
key and, as far as I know, not otherwise. Any thoughts on this
refined statement of the original problem?

My only thought is that the search function looks inside compressed
folders / zip files and if you hit the stop button in the middle of one
of those, it may wait until it finishes before it actually stops and
returns control. Give it 5 minutes or so and see if it ever returns
control.

-- John

 

[alanglloyd]

You _are_ searching for an MS Word document, not some other word
processor which uses the .doc extension.

Windows uses a particular app for searches within formatted files,
which must be appropriate to the format of the file. The association
of search app file & extension is done in the HKEYCLASSESROOT\.ext
\PersistentHandler in the registry.

If the search app finds another format in the file it may well lock
up.

Alan Lloyd