Finds Outlook entries and emails but no document files even though I
specified documents. Apparently will not index my exterior drive?
Whoever designed the new search options should be taken out in the
parking lot and beat senseless with a wet noodle. They made the
default action the exact opposite of what most would expect.
Two things you need to do.
1. Bring up Explorer. Click on Organize. Folder and Search options.
Under Search, make sure always search file names and contents is
checked.
2. In the Advance Search Window make sure you select either Everywhere
or (better) the computer icon. This is the only way to guarantee
in fact EVERYTHING on your system gets looked at. Now also be sure
to check non indexed locations.
Go get a cup of coffee or take a walk or nap. If you have a sizeable
system the search can take a half an hour, even longer. Do NOT even if
you think it is finished interrupt the process. It likely isn't done,
and the status bar at the top will travel left to right many, many
times. A new window should get shown once it finally finishes.
Optionally you can specific what disk to search if you know where to
look which should speed things up a lot.
If you have the room a trick I use is move EVERYTHING you frequently
search or need to locate quickly to some non system drive, make a new
folder call it data or something simple, then build any sub folder
structure you need under this new folder.
Now tell Vista to search THIS folder by doing this:
Open Advanced Search. Click the little down pointing arrow where it
says location near the top. At the bottom it should say choose search
location. A new Explorer like window opens. Locate the folder you just
made. Make sure it gets a check mark and also appears in the bottom
half of the window. Now that location should automatically get
searched. If you also remembered to set preferences to search within
documents, you should get the results you desire.
