Windows Search bug?

[Scott]

This seems like a bug. But I cannot find it documented
anywhere.

I start a file search at the root of my drive. I know the
file(s) I am looking for *do* exist. But they are not
found.

I think the issue is: I have folders named Desktop
scattered throughout my disk. It seems to me that Windows
is not following the real directory structure (where the
Desktop folders are not within the "Documents and
Settings" folder), but rather gets sidetracked by being
redirected to the Desktop folder in my profile.

If this is documented, please point me at it. A patch
would be even better!

Thanks.

 

[Dave Patrick]

This article may help.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...hell_basics/shell_basics_extending/custom.asp

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
Microsoft Certified Professional [Windows 2000]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| This seems like a bug. But I cannot find it documented
| anywhere.
|
| I start a file search at the root of my drive. I know the
| file(s) I am looking for *do* exist. But they are not
| found.
|
| I think the issue is: I have folders named Desktop
| scattered throughout my disk. It seems to me that Windows
| is not following the real directory structure (where the
| Desktop folders are not within the "Documents and
| Settings" folder), but rather gets sidetracked by being
| redirected to the Desktop folder in my profile.
|
| If this is documented, please point me at it. A patch
| would be even better!
|
| Thanks.
|

 

[Torgeir Bakken (MVP)]

This seems like a bug. But I cannot find it documented
anywhere.

I start a file search at the root of my drive. I know the
file(s) I am looking for *do* exist. But they are not
found.

I think the issue is: I have folders named Desktop
scattered throughout my disk. It seems to me that Windows
is not following the real directory structure (where the
Desktop folders are not within the "Documents and
Settings" folder), but rather gets sidetracked by being
redirected to the Desktop folder in my profile.

If this is documented, please point me at it. A patch
would be even better!

Hi

See if the free search utility Agent Ransack works better for you,
I use it instead of the builtin search (especially on WinXP, where
Microsoft has almost destroyed the builtin search if you ask me).

Download it from here:
http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/default.aspx


--
torgeir
Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of the 1328 page
Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/scriptcenter/default.mspx

 

[Scott]

Interesting. I'm guessing that your theory is that all
those folders named Desktop on my system are carrying some
sort of hidden context that makes Windows think they
really *are* my Desktop.

Good theory, since many of those folders *were* once my
desktop; only now, they've been copied elswhere and
shouldn't be my real Desktop folder anymore. I want them
to be ordinary folders now.

But the MSDN article you pointed me to seems not to apply
in my situation; I can't find any desktop.ini file.
(P.S. Some of these folders were created as long ago as
when I was running Windows 95; did desktop.ini even exist
back then???)

Maybe there's some *other* hidden "Desktop context" I
don't know about...?

Thanks!

 

[*Vanguard*]

"Scott" said in news:[email protected]:

This seems like a bug. But I cannot find it documented
anywhere.

I start a file search at the root of my drive. I know the
file(s) I am looking for *do* exist. But they are not
found.

I think the issue is: I have folders named Desktop
scattered throughout my disk. It seems to me that Windows
is not following the real directory structure (where the
Desktop folders are not within the "Documents and
Settings" folder), but rather gets sidetracked by being
redirected to the Desktop folder in my profile.

If this is documented, please point me at it. A patch
would be even better!

Thanks.

One, make sure to include hidden and system files in the search. There
are option in the search to include those file attributes.

Two, yes, the search function in Windows XP is flawed. It may not find
a file that does exist. If the search finds the file then you know it
exists and where. If the search does not find the file, you won't know
if the file does not exist or if the search simply couldn't find the
existent file. If it's found, you know. If it's not found, you don't
know.

See my post of "Need a replacement for Search" in
microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (http://snipurl.com/search_defect).
I encountered the problem in Windows XP but never had it under Windows
2000 where you got hit.

 

[Dave Patrick]

It's not clear what the problem is here. But if you upgraded to Windows 2000
versus a clean install then this, more times than not, seems to be a major
source of OS instability.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
Microsoft Certified Professional [Windows 2000]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
| Interesting. I'm guessing that your theory is that all
| those folders named Desktop on my system are carrying some
| sort of hidden context that makes Windows think they
| really *are* my Desktop.
|
| Good theory, since many of those folders *were* once my
| desktop; only now, they've been copied elswhere and
| shouldn't be my real Desktop folder anymore. I want them
| to be ordinary folders now.
|
| But the MSDN article you pointed me to seems not to apply
| in my situation; I can't find any desktop.ini file.
| (P.S. Some of these folders were created as long ago as
| when I was running Windows 95; did desktop.ini even exist
| back then???)
|
| Maybe there's some *other* hidden "Desktop context" I
| don't know about...?
|
| Thanks!

 

[George Hester]

Stop Indexing Service from starting at boot and redo your search. Start | Settings | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services | right-click Indexing Service | Properties | Startup change to manual. Reboot and try the search again.