Vista Search Doesn't Work at All

[Jim]

Vista search doesn't seem to work at all on my computer. Indexing Options
(from the Control Panel) says that 34,894 items are indexed and Indexing
Options lists Microsoft Office Outlook, Offline Files, and Start Menu and
Users in the Included Locations and the Exclude column shows "Default"
Opposite Users in the Included locations. If I go to Advanced in Indexing
Options and check various common file types like .doc and .xls they are
marked (the box is checked) for index file names and contents. However, if I
go to a folder that has a bunch of .xls file and type in the search box the
start of a file name that I can plainly see in the list of files in that
folder, the full list of files in that folder collapses to a list of one
extraneous file that isn't at all what I'm looking for. I have just re-built
the index and still have the sam problem. Needless to say search for file
content doesn't work either - since I can't even search for file names.

By the way, if I click on Start > Control Panel -- click on Programs --
under Programs and features -- click on “Turn Windows features on or off" --
the box next to “Indexing Service†is unchecked. That doesn't make sense to
me because the Indexing Options has indexed things, -but maybe I need to
check that box ?????

Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[Mr. Arnold]

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Just go to Advanced Search and check-mark on Include non-indexed, hidden,
and system files. The search will find anything you're looking for.

 

[Qu0ll]

Just go to Advanced Search and check-mark on Include non-indexed, hidden,
and system files. The search will find anything you're looking for.

What do you mean by "Advanced Search"? I have an Advanced button in
Indexing Options but there is no check box in that section for the items you
referred to. How do I get to this option?

--
And loving it,

-Qu0ll (Rare, not extinct)
_________________________________________________
(e-mail address removed)
[Replace the "SixFour" with numbers to email me]

 

[Bender]

The Indexing Service you mention says...
"File indexing service that shipped in versions prior to Windows Vista.
Provided as an optional feature for backwards compatibility only."

 

[Mr. Arnold]

What do you mean by "Advanced Search"? I have an Advanced button in
Indexing Options but there is no check box in that section for the items
you referred to. How do I get to this option?

The way I get there is use Windows-key and F-key combination on the keyboard
to open the Search screen where I find the Advanced Search on the top
right-hand side of the screen.

If you go to the Search box at the top of the Explore screen, do the search
there, and it doesn't find what you're looking for, the result screen of
the search will allow you to go to Advanced Search. It will be on the screen
even if you do find what you're looking for, which will be at the bottom of
the search results.

After you use the Advanced Search, you will see a Search Tools/Options where
you can do more things to control the search.

 

[Jim]

Thanks, Mr. Arnold. That does work.

I'm curious though why the Search box at the top of of a folder does not
work at all. It cant' find anything, and the one file that it does find is
wrong. If I go to a different computer with Vista and start typing a file
name in the Search box at the top of a folder, the list of file names
collapses with each character typed - narrowing down to only those that meet
the full typed entry. On my computer the entire list goes blank and then one
file is added, which is about in the middle of the list of files, and not one
that meets the search criteria. Something is defninitely broken.

Jim

 

[Mr. Arnold]

Thanks, Mr. Arnold. That does work.

I'm curious though why the Search box at the top of of a folder does not
work at all. It cant' find anything, and the one file that it does find
is
wrong. If I go to a different computer with Vista and start typing a file
name in the Search box at the top of a folder, the list of file names
collapses with each character typed - narrowing down to only those that
meet
the full typed entry. On my computer the entire list goes blank and then
one
file is added, which is about in the middle of the list of files, and not
one
that meets the search criteria. Something is defninitely broken.

I suggest that you use Google or Dogpile.com and find the articles on
Vista's search. One has to go through the learning process with the Search.
There are plenty of articles covering Vista's search.

http://windows.about.com/od/searchingsorting/ss/vista_search.htm

It's like with anything that one doesn't understand. If one doesn't
understand what something is doing, then one thinks it's broke, if one
doesn't get the expected results he or she thought they should.

I thought Vista Search was broke too when I started using it. I had to step
back and find information on the Vista search. What I found is that I was
behind the wheel, but I didn't know how to drive the Search.

 

[Jim]

OK, here is some more info. It appears that Vista relies on a flag set at
the file level to determine whether that file is indexed. See
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb266513(VS.85).aspx where it says,
"Windows Vista continues to expose a per-folder/per-file property to enable
indexing, the "For fast searching, allowing Indexing Service to index this
folder" option in the Property dialog. Setting this flag (called the FANCI
bit) controls indexing with Windows Search rather than of Indexing Service."
(PS - as I understand it, from another contributor to this thread, the
Indexing Service is the pre-Vista version of indexing and searching.)

I don't understand all of that, but if I right click on a file that does not
show up on a Vista search where it "should appear" in a search (but doesn't)
and click on Properties (General Tab) > Advanced, the box "Index this file
for faster searching" is not checked!! If I check the box, tap OK, then BE
SURE THAT I TAP "Apply" on the general tab (which again is the properties box
for the file that can't be found) and tap OK - the next time I enter a search
term in the Search box for the folder in which that file resides, that
previously un-findable file is now found!!!

Now the big mystery is why so many of my files do not have that attribute
checked, and how to do a "replace all" for everything in a folder - rather
than go through and manually fix every file.

Jim