rebuild search index

  • Thread starter Thread starter KRK
  • Start date Start date
K

KRK

Hello,

I am thinking of rebuilding the search index. I have noticed that the search
function does not find files I know are there.

I think I know how to do it, and I gather it will take a long time.

Does anyone have any advice , suggestions, warnings before I start ?

Thanks

KK
 
Hello,

I am thinking of rebuilding the search index. I have noticed that the search
function does not find files I know are there.

I think I know how to do it, and I gather it will take a long time.

Does anyone have any advice , suggestions, warnings before I start ?

Thanks

KK
Click to expand...

It's not an indexing problem per se, it's a design issue. The Vista
search facility is terrible. The worst feature is that MS decided in
advance is that certain locations and file types should not even be
searched.

Install Agent Ransack. Then you can shut off the VIsta search indexer
to save a little performance too. Best of all, AR finds files reliably
with no built in exclusions.

http://www.mythicsoft.com/page.aspx?type=agentransack&page=home
 
Hi, KK.

I agree with Bob: It's a design issue. :>(

Indexing Options tells me I have "3,757,135 items indexed" and "Indexing
complete". But when I search for "KK" or "gather" (one word in your post),
I get only a single hit for each - and neither hit has anything to do with
your newsgroup post.

To make it work the way it should for us, Microsoft (or somebody) would have
to write an "IFilter" that lets the Search service index our .eml and .nws
files. And Microsoft hasn't bothered to do that. :>(

When I look in Indexing Options | Advanced | File Types, for the .eml
extension it tells me, "Registered IFilter is not found". Ditto for .nws.
And when I ask it to index .pub files - for the Rotary newsletters I
prepared with Microsoft Publisher - it warns me that it will take a long
time to rebuild my Index. I've let it start the rebuild; it's up to 12,309
items so far. As I recall, the last several times I tried this, it STILL
couldn't find text in my .pub files when it finished rebuilding. And it
still doesn't find anything in emails or newsgroup posts.

With my 3-year-old AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ CPU, 4 GB PC-6400 RAM, and 3 SATA
II HDDs, Win7 Ultimate x64 can rebuild the index overnight, or in about 3
days of normal use, working in the background while I work in the
foreground.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64)
 
It's not an indexing problem per se, it's a design issue. The Vista
search facility is terrible. The worst feature is that MS decided in
advance is that certain locations and file types should not even be
searched.

Install Agent Ransack. Then you can shut off the VIsta search indexer
to save a little performance too. Best of all, AR finds files reliably
with no built in exclusions.

http://www.mythicsoft.com/page.aspx?type=agentransack&page=home
Click to expand...

Just what I need, thx. You can tell Windows to search all/any locations
though so are you sure it always excludes certain locations?
 
Indexing Options tells me I have "3,757,135 items indexed" and "Indexing
complete". But when I search for "KK" or "gather" (one word in your post),
I get only a single hit for each - and neither hit has anything to do with
your newsgroup post.

To make it work the way it should for us, Microsoft (or somebody) would have
to write an "IFilter" that lets the Search service index our .eml and .nws
files. And Microsoft hasn't bothered to do that. :>(

When I look in Indexing Options | Advanced | File Types, for the .eml
extension it tells me, "Registered IFilter is not found". Ditto for .nws.
Click to expand...

Hello R. C.,

This dialog should show simply "MIME" for both file types. I don't know
why yours does not. On my PC running Vista Home Basic, both EML and NWS
files are indexed and content searches on them work fine. I did nothing
special to allow this. Searching WLM files also works as expected on all
other Vista systems that I have seen.

I wonder if you had beta versions of WLM installed at some point. If so,
they may be the culprit.

Doug M. in NJ
 
KRK said:
Hello,

I am thinking of rebuilding the search index. I have noticed that the
search function does not find files I know are there.

I think I know how to do it, and I gather it will take a long time.

Does anyone have any advice , suggestions, warnings before I start ?
Click to expand...

You should go to Control Panel/Indexing Options and find out what
folders are being indexed. If the folder is not in the list, then no
files in the folder are being indexed.

In order to find any file on a drive and the file has not been indexed,
then you must use the Advanced Search (Windows key+F-key) that brings up
the Advanced Search window.

You can then check mark on 'include non-indexed, hidden and system
files', which will make 'search' search all locations,otherwise, the
search is only going to search indexed locations.
 
Dave said:
RC,

You can get WDS to search the .eml & .nws pretty easily. They are just
text files.
See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/969165

But by default, the search indexer excludes /AppData, under which the WLM
data usually resides.
You can either have this folder indexed, or move your message store to a
different location, which is indexed.
Click to expand...
*********************************************************************
How can I have this folder Indexed ?
 
Control Panel > Indexing Options > Modify > Show all locations > Change
selected locations

Despite the negative groupthink, WDS works well for me.
 
Hi, Dave.

No joy! :>(

That KB article is dated last August, just about the time I installed Win7
RTM. I've tried that fix more than once - even have the .reg file saved (as
a .txt file) for reference and possible future use. (Among the other
confusing comments in that KB is the reference to "Windows Live Mail Version
3".)

My /AppData folder IS included in the search. But that shouldn't matter,
should it? While much WLM data is stored there, the actual .eml and .nws
message files are stored in the Message Store - which I've relocated on
dedicated Drive H:., and included in the Search.
You can get WDS to search the .eml & .nws pretty easily.
Click to expand...

Is WDS (Windows Desktop Search) the same as the Search built into Win7? The
one I get when I press the Start button and type in a search term? Or am I
confusing different search tools? How do I access WDS in Win7?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64)
 
Hi, Doug.

Thanks for the suggestions - but none of them work for me.
I wonder if you had beta versions of WLM installed at some point.
Click to expand...

First, Win7 is NOT Vista, and the built-in Search service is not the same.
I beta-tested both Vista and Win7; the Search function in both of them went
through several changes during the betas. I also started using WLM during
its beta, about 4 years ago, just as MS renamed it and dropped the word
"desktop" from its name. But all WLM betas disappeared from my computer
long ago and I've been running WLM 14.0.8089.0726 since before I reformatted
to install Win7 RTM.
This dialog should show simply "MIME" for both file types.
Click to expand...

I see the "MIME Filter" for the .mht and .mhtml extensions. But that filter
is simply not available for .eml and .nws. When I select "Index Properties
and File Contents", I get "Registered IFilter is not found".

Also see my Reply to Dave.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64)
 
Hmmm,
I've used that reg file several times during and after the Win 7 RTM. It's
always worked for me.
After merging it into the registry you should see the MIME Filter assigned
to .eml, .nws & .rss in the Indexing Options.
I only search for news (.nws) messages that I've previously posted from with
in WLM, and it works fine.
I've tried including /AppData in the index, and it works, but that's a lot
of items. Currently, I have my messagestore on another drive, and that
works fine.

From what I understand, Win 7 has 2 search routines. WDS works for indexed
locations. For other locations, such as the root folder, grep is used
(which searches all folders and takes longer).


--
Dave N.
MS-MVP (Mail)
Windows 7 Ultimate
http://download.live.com/wlmail
 
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