Windows Search Won't Start

[Guest]

I can't get Search running. Attempting to manually start the service yields
this Search error message:

"Windows could not start the Windows Search on Local Computer. For more
information, review the System Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft
service, contact the service vendor, and refer to service-specific error code
-2147218141."

Any ideas?

--Nevet

 

[Guest]

Hello Shawn, Thanks for your reply.

Windows Search is already set to Automatic, but does not start when starting
Windows.

RPC and DCOM Server Process Launcher are running (and also set to
Automatic).

Windows Indexing is *not* running. In Control Panel, Indexing Options:
"Indexing is not running." The list of indexed locations is empty, "Modify"
and "Advanced" buttons are grayed out, leaving "Close" as the only option.

I'm also unable to index or search in Outlook 2007. ("A problem was
encountered while trying to change which data files to index." I've repaired
my PST files using SCANPST.EXE but that didn't help.) Is this connected to
the Vista issue?

Any other suggestions?

--Nevet

 

[Guest]

Shawn, I can't get there; the "Advanced" and "Modify" buttons on the Indexing
Options dialog are grayed out. (I can send you a screen shot if that might
help provide clues.)

--Nevet

 

[Guest]

Thanks again for your patience and suggestions, Shawn. Where is "Index
Location" specified? If you mean "Included Locations" (Control Panel >
Indexing Options), it's an empty list.

SFC looks useful. I ran "sfc /verifyonly" and it found a bunch of errors,
so I then ran "sfc /scannow," which created a 45MB log file with all the
details. This fixed a different problem I had (broken Windows Defender) but
not the Indexing and Search services.

--Nevet

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Nevet

That error message that you described in your original message indicates
that the folders associated with the Vista Search component are either
missing or that the search service cannot find them.

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data folder. There should also be about a
dozen sub-folders under the Data folder. Are these folders present in that
location?

Since you cannot access the Indexing Options, you need to check the location
that is defined for these folders using the Registry.

Go to Start and type: regedit
In the results, right click regedit.exe and select the Run As Administrator
option.

In the registry, navigate to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search

With the Windows Search folder highlighted, look for the DataDirectory
value in the right side pane. The value should show the location path as:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data

Let us know if this is what you are seeing.

 

[Guest]

Ronnie, Thanks much! This is looking promising....

There are two folders under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data, labeled
“Applications†and “Tempâ€. Both are empty. (I have Windows Explorer set to
show hidden files & folders and protected OS files.)

In RegEdit, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search shows
DataDirectory as "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\", which appears
correct.
("SetupCompletedSuccessfully" shows a value of 0, is that related to my
issue? Can it be manually reset?)

Thanks, --Nevet

 

[Dave Wood [MS]]

Hmm, you're definitely not moved the search index to another location via
the Indexing Options Control Panel?

And there definitely isn't a directory
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Config with files schema.txt and
gathrprm.txt in it?

I don't know how these files got removed but the search service won't run
unless those files are present in this location. You should be able to
restore them by following the instructions from Eric Wolz on this forum
thread:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PageIndex=1&SiteID=1&PageID=1&PostID=1346303

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Ronnie, Thanks much! This is looking promising....
Nevet

There are two folders under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data, labeled
“Applications†and “Tempâ€. Both are empty. (I have Windows Explorer set
to
show hidden files & folders and protected OS files.)

There should be more folders and files in that location.

In RegEdit, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Search shows
DataDirectory as "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\", which appears
correct.

Yes, this is the correct, default location for these folders.

("SetupCompletedSuccessfully" shows a value of 0, is that related to my
issue? Can it be manually reset?)

Don't change this value. With a value of "0" this should have the effect of
resetting the index which is what you want.

Follow Dave's instructions. Create a new folder called "Config" in the
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data folder and then go to the link that Dave
posted and copy those 2 files to this new folder.

Reboot when you are finished.
--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

 

[Guest]

Hurray! Thanks much to Dave, Ronnie & Shawn, Indexing and Search are working
again on my PC. (Even Outlook Search is now operational, it seems to have
relied on the same indexing.)

Much appreciated,
--Nevet

 

[Dave Wood [MS]]

Great!

Yes, Outlook 2007 does use the same index Vista index as the OS search.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Excellent!

Glad this fixed the problem. Thanks to everyone involved.

 

[Guest]

Chuck, were you able to fix yours?

I am having a very similar problem which I would *love* to find a "fix" for.
Here are the details so far.

Similarities to previously mentioned "Windows Search" service problems:

Same error message when trying to manually start the Windows Search service
(error code - 2147218141)

Related services (RPC and DCOM S.P.L.) running, no problems (that I can tell).

In the Control Panel, in Indexing Options, mine also displays "Indexing not
running". "Modify" and "Advanced" buttons are also grayed out.

SFC /scannow had no effect

The folder: "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data " is present and has 3
folders in it. They are: "Applications", "Config", and "Temp".

The folder: "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Config" is present and
contains two files: gathrprm.txt and schema.txt.

Registry values same as Nevet described in his second 8-1 post - all seem
correct.

Here is something that I thought seemed peculiar, in the registry at:
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
Search\Gather\Windows\SystemIndex\Sites\{s-1-5-21-2809944867-2680333499-3313531811-1107}\Paths\15"
when I click on the "15", I get an error message saying, "15 cannot be
opened. An error is preventing this key from being opened. Details: The
system cannot find the file specified." Along that same registry path, under
the "Sites" key, there are four peer keys; the one I mentioned and three more
with similar names.

Does the latter info shed any light as to what's going on with my PC? I am
open to and would greatly appreciate any suggestions (short of totally
reinstalling) anyone may have.

Thanks,
Brad

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