Vista Search doesn't find files by filename

  • Thread starter Thread starter Puppy Breath
  • Start date Start date
P

Puppy Breath

Curiouser and curiouser. It sounds like you've checked all the usual
suspects. But just to make sure:

1. Right-click the start button and choose Properties.

2. Click Customize next to Start Menu.

3. Make sure all the Search… checkboxes are selected. I usually choose
"Search this user's files" as that keeps the search index for Start menu
searches relatively small.

4. Click OK.

5. Click the Start button type inde and click Indexing Options.

6. Make sure Users is listed in the indexed locations.

7. Go ahead and click Modify and Show All Locations, elevate, and make sure
all the locations you think should be indexed are indexed.

8. Click OK.

9. Click Advanced.

10. Click File Types.

11. Make sure doc (and docx if you're using Word 2007) are checked and
indexing Properties and File Contents. Likewise for any other file types you
use regularly and would want in your index.

12. Click OK.

Offhand I can't think of anything else you could do. If you didn't change
anything you probably see Indexing Complete in the Indexing Options. Go
ahead and close that. Just to check, I would create a Word document with
some unusual word or phrase in it like:

Frankly verbose

Save the file with some other file name (doris.doc or doris.docx). Wait a
couple seconds, click Start, search for the word or phrase (franly, verbose,
or both). The doris file should show up.

Then if it shows up there go ahead and search for doris. The file should
show up there too.

Then search for *.doc (or *.docx if you're using Word 2007). Or d*.doc or
d*.docx if you have a ton of word docs. That should work too.

I just did all that with Word 2007 and every search produced instant
accurate keystroke-by-keystroke results. I didn't even wait a couple seconds
after saving the doc. Anyone else have any idea what's going on here?
 
I can't find files by filename. I know the names, I type word(s) that are in
the name, and Search doesn't find them. The files are in indexed locations
(the Documents folder). I can also try searching by extension, for example
*.jpg, *.mp3, *.doc. I have thousands of these file types in Documents.
Search doesn't find them. I've re-indexed. I've looked at the KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/932989/en-us and I don't think
any of those things apply.

I'm looking at a file in Windows Explorer right now for example: The Beatles
- I Want To Hold Your Hand.mp3 It's in Documents\Music. I can enter
"beatles," "Beatles," or "hand" for example, into the Start Menu search or a
Windows Explorer search, and nothing is found. I just opened a new Windows
Explorer, navigated to \Documents\Music\Oldies\The Beatles and typed
"beatles" into the search box. The result is "No items match your search"
when in fact the word "beatles" is in every file name in this folder.

Search is great at finding words in my e-mails. In fact when I try random
searches all I usually get back are e-mail results under the Communications
category. Almost never does it list any files under the Files category. For
example I just tried a search from the Start menu for the word "word". It
found the program Word; it found a bunch of e-mails containing "word"; it
found a single text file, and that's it.

I have Vista installed on another PC here -- on that one, Seach works fine,
finding files by filename as it should.
 
I'm replying to my own post. More info.

I've tried deleting the location (Documents folder) from Search Options,
waiting for all the items to be "un-indexed," rebooting, adding them again,
waiting for "Indexing complete" (takes a while to index 36,000 items).
Problem still not fixed.

It seems to not have anything to do with indexing anyway. If I search
including "non-indexed, hidden, and system files (might be slow)", yes indeed
it is slow, but it doesn't find anything anyway. This includes if I'm
staring right at the file in another Windows Explorer window, and type its
name into the Search exactly.

With very few exceptions, Search only finds text-match results in e-mails. I
have no ability in Vista on this PC to search by file name, at all. Help!
 
Thanks, P.B. Here's what I found.

- All the Search checkboxes are checked. "Search this user's files" was
selected, but I changed it to "Search entire index" just to try it.

- Users is shown in the list in my Indexing Options dialog. I clicked
modify, _didn't see anything about "Show All Locations" (an Indexed Locations
dialog appeared directly)_, didn't get asked about elevation (maybe because
I'm an administrator, and UAC is turned off), and yes, I looked at all the
folders (and drilled all the way down to the lowest level subfolders) to
confirm all folders already had their checkboxes checked.

- The file extensions of interest are selected to be indexed, and they're
"Index Properties and File Contents."

- Yes, nothing changed so I still see Indexing Complete in the options dialog.

- I created the Word (2003) test file just as you suggested. Save, close,
wait a few minutes... Searched from the Start menu:

"Frankly" - just a bunch of e-mails, presumably with that word in them

"verbose" - no items match your search - Hmm.. must have never used that
word in an e-mail.

"doris" - a bunch of e-mails, AND the file doris.doc ! I hadn't expected it
to find this file, because it won't find any of the older Word docs in this
same folder if I type their file names.

So, if the pattern follows, I guess I'll be able to find any new files I
create from here on out, but none of the 36,000 files I transferred over from
my XP machine (using Easy Transfer). :(

And anyway, it couldn't find this new document searching on "Frankly" or
"verbose".
 
Thanks, P.B. Here's what I found.

- All the Search checkboxes are checked. "Search this user's files" was
selected, but I changed it to "Search entire index" just to try it.

- Users is shown in the list in my Indexing Options dialog. I clicked
modify, _didn't see anything about "Show All Locations" (an Indexed Locations
dialog appeared directly)_, didn't get asked about elevation (maybe because
I'm an administrator, and UAC is turned off), and yes, I looked at all the
folders (and drilled all the way down to the lowest level subfolders) to
confirm all folders already had their checkboxes checked.

- The file extensions of interest are selected to be indexed, and they're
"Index Properties and File Contents."

- Yes, nothing changed so I still see Indexing Complete in the options dialog.

- I created the Word (2003) test file just as you suggested. Save, close,
wait a few minutes... Searched from the Start menu:

"Frankly" - just a bunch of e-mails, presumably with that word in them

"verbose" - no items match your search - Hmm.. must have never used that
word in an e-mail.

"doris" - a bunch of e-mails, AND the file doris.doc ! I hadn't expected it
to find this file, because it won't find any of the older Word docs in this
same folder if I type their file names.

So, if the pattern follows, I guess I'll be able to find any new files I
create from here on out, but none of the 36,000 files I transferred over from
my XP machine (using Easy Transfer). :(

And anyway, it couldn't find this new document searching on "Frankly" or
"verbose".
Click to expand...

Indexing is set to true on your drives right ? (Right click drive,
properties - at the bottom of the pane )

You could try to rebuild the index. (Control panel / indexing /
advanced)

Try enabling UAC and rebuild.

Have you made any other major changes or 'hacks' other than disabling
UAC ?


Regards
 
Just another thought...

I assume you created these files under xp right ?

Have you taken ownership of the files ?
I don't think you get results from locations / files you don't 'own'.

Since you run as admin with UAC off, it gets kind off muddy :)

Try taking ownership of some files, wait a couple of min's. and
search.

Regards
 
Well, I created the files under XP, Win98SE, Win98, Win95, Win 3.1, MS-DOS.
I've been creating and keeping files for a long time. :) I spot checked a
few files that don't show up in Search, and I am already listed as the owner.
I couldn't find any files (looking only in the Documents folder) that I
don't own. But they still don't show up in Search.
 
wow sorry you are experiencing this. I had a search problem
with vista too that I thankfully solved. there is a setting
called go back to defaults on the index options page. when I
did this it rebuilt the index and seemed to just start
fresh. maybe you could try. good luck.



message
 
Yes, "index this drive" is turned on, on both my drives.

I had already tried deleting and recreating the index, but I turned UAC on
and rebuilt it as you suggested.

Haven't made any major changes that I know of. (Of course, I wouldn't have
thought UAC was major, but I can't think of anything. But it must be
something.)

Anyway, the problem persists. The new Word doc I created yesterday as a
test still shows up in Search, but is one of the very few files to do so when
I search for files by typing in the file names. Oddly, another "new" file (a
PDF that I downloaded a couple days ago) that showed up yesterday when
searched for by exact file name, no longer shows up today. Along with my
36,000 or so other files that don't show up...
 
Well, I created the files under XP, Win98SE, Win98, Win95, Win 3.1, MS-DOS.
I've been creating and keeping files for a long time. :) I spot checked a
few files that don't show up in Search, and I am already listed as the owner.
I couldn't find any files (looking only in the Documents folder) that I
don't own. But they still don't show up in Search.
Click to expand...



Well, that sucks.
Sorry, but i don't think i have any other ideas :(

It works great on my system. I too 'imported' tons of files of a USB
drive from XP.... But that don't help you, i know.

Regards
 
Well, I solved my problem. Unfortunately the solution was Format C: and
reinstall Vista and everything else from scratch. Now Search appears to be
working correctly -- I haven't been able to come up with a file it can't find.

It's interesting to note that Indexing formerly indexed 36,000 items. Now,
with the same data set, the same checkboxes checked in what-to-index and
what-file-types-to-index (just the defaults here), there are now 77,000 items
indexed.

A clue: I said earlier that Search on my other Vista PC (my wife's,
actually) was working fine. Well, it's not. Search finds =most= files by
filename on her PC, but not all. With a bit of effort I can find some files
that are missed. What's in common between these two PCs is that I set them
both up, and I used Easy Transfer to transfer everything (files and all
settings) from the old PCs to the new. When I reinstalled on my PC I
transferred my documents manually, and didn't worry about any settings --
I'll set those up manually too. Maybe there's some bug in Easy Transfer --
if so, it's not "easy" at all!
 
On Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:23:05 -0700, Radiophile
Haven't made any major changes that I know of. (Of course, I wouldn't have
thought UAC was major, but I can't think of anything. But it must be
something.)
Click to expand...

UAC's major, in that it changes a number of deeper ways of handling
compatibility-challenged software. But I wouldn't expect that to
affect this, as this is new native Vista code.
Anyway, the problem persists. The new Word doc I created yesterday as a
test still shows up in Search, but is one of the very few files to do so when
I search for files by typing in the file names. Oddly, another "new" file (a
PDF that I downloaded a couple days ago) that showed up yesterday when
searched for by exact file name, no longer shows up today. Along with my
36,000 or so other files that don't show up...
Click to expand...

What I'd also do is look at the raw file system to verify that things
are where you think they are, and named as you'd expect them to be.

Vista does so much name space "editorialization" that this is becoming
necessary. I'm using 2xExplorer for LFNs and Lap Link 3 (LL3.exe) for
DOS for 8.3 names, but you could just as easily use Servant Salamander
etc. for LFNs and Norton Commander etc. for 8.3

Just be careful with LFN-unaware tools; "look don't touch" :-)


--------------- ---- --- -- - - - -
Click to expand...
Saws are too hard to use.
Be easier to use!
 
I've read this thread with interest because I have the same problem;
actually I can get it to search within documents but only after I've done an
'ordinary' search followed by an 'advanced' search, when the option to
search within documents appear but that's a process that takes time.
I've tried all the advice offered here, rebuilding indexes etc, without a
result. The only thing I found that doesn't tally is that under indexing
options/modify the 'show all locations' button is greyed out. XP search
might have been clunky but at least it worked for me.
 
Hi all, I've been having this problem too - Search (either on the Start menu
or Advanced Search) couldn't find any Word or PDF files in the Documents
folder. Mildly frustrating, it has to be said.

Puppy Breath's advice was helpful - I created the 'Doris' document
(consisting of the words 'frankly verbose') and followed the other steps.
Search did eventually identify the Doris document and a few other Word files,
but not all of them - and it failed to identify the document if I searched
using the word 'verbose'.

It was also able find a few PDF files but not all of the ones I expected to
see. I rebuilt the index but that didn't help.

The good news is that I solved the problem using mj's advice - going back to
defaults on the index options page and then restarting the computer. Now the
Search function seems to work perfectly.

So, thank you mj!
 
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