Vista Tutorial - Indexing Options

**Brink** · **OPTION ONE:**

How to Use the Indexing Options in Vista

Information

This will show you how to open the Indexing Options to include or exclude a file to be indexed, change the saved Index data location, rebuild the Index, and restore the default Index settings.

NOTE

The Search Index needs to be enabled for these settings to be active. By default it is enabled. For how, see: How to Enable or Disable Search Index in Vista

RELATED LINKS:

OPTION ONE:
How to Include or Exclude Folders , Locations , and File Types to the Index

1. Open the Control Panel. (Classic View)
2. Click on the Indexing Options icon.
3. Click the Modify button. (See screenshot below)

4. Click on Show all locations if it is not grayed out. (See screenshot below)
5. Click the little arrow next to the check box for the drive letter to drop down all the folders for that hard drive.

6. Check or Uncheck the folders on your hard drive or other devices listed that you want included in the index.
NOTE: The more you add, the longer the search will take.

7. Click OK when done. (See screenshot below step 5)
8. Click on the Advanced button. (See screenshot below step 3)
9. Click on the File Types tab. (See screenshot below)

10. Check or Uncheck the file types you want included in the index.
NOTE: The more you add, the longer the search will take.

11. Choose the option you want for "How Should this file be indexed?".
12. Click OK when done.
13. Click Close on Indexing Options window. (See screenshot below step 3)

OPTION TWO:
How to Change the Saved Index Data Location

1. Click on the Indexing Options icon. (In the Control Panel Classic View)
2. Click on the Advanced button. (See screenshot in OPTION ONE below step 3)
3. Go to the Index Location section. (See screenshot below step 5)
4. Either type in the full path of the new location, or click Select New button and navigate to the new location.
5. Click OK to apply.

OPTION THREE:
How To Rebuild the Index

1. Click on the Rebuild button. (See screenshot above)
NOTE: Rebuilding the Index will get rid of search results that still show files you deleted by making a new index list. Think of it has the ultimate Update button.

OPTION FOUR:
How To Restore or Reset the Index Default Settings

NOTE

This will reset all of Indexing settings and search results data back to the default clean state.

1. Click on the Restore Defaults button. (See screenshot above OPTION THREE)
2. Click OK.
3. Your computer will restart.
4. Wait until it has completed.

That's it,
Shawn

emphyrio · 07-23-2007

My Indexing Service is not working. The options are grayed out

Also my Windows Search service does not start. When I try to start it, I get these errors in the event log:

1. "The Windows Search Service cannot open the Jet property store.
Details:
The content index server cannot update or access information because of a database error. Stop and restart the search service. If the problem persists, reset and recrawl the content index. In some cases it may be necessary to delete and recreate the content index. (0x8004117f)"

2. "The Windows Search Service has failed to created the new system catalog. Internal error <4,0x8004117f>."

I'm totally lost as how to solve this problem. I spent hours on the web trying to find a solution, with no luck sofar. Anyone here who has a clue how to solve this one?

Emphyrio.

**Brink** · 07-23-2007

Hi emphyrio,

Welcome to the forum.

Try checking the Windows Search Service to make sure that it is set to Start and Automatic. Use this link as a guide for how to do that if needed.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/59910-services.html?ltr=S

If it is set to that, then click the Restore Defaults button from step 6 above.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

emphyrio · 07-23-2007

Hi Shawn,

Windows Search Service to set to Start and Automatic, but it just won't start. Also starting manually does not work. I keep getting the same errors in the event logs.

**Brink** · 07-23-2007

emphyrio,

Does your regular search work?

Try disabling Indexing and restart the computer, and then enable it again to see if that may help. Use this as a guide, but skip the "To be thorough" section.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69564-indexing-service-search.html?ltr=I

Did you change or install anything right before this started?

Shawn

**Brink** · 08-17-2007

	Quote:	emphyrio
	My Indexing Service is not working. The options are grayed out Also my Windows Search service does not start. When I try to start it, I get these errors in the event log: 1. "The Windows Search Service cannot open the Jet property store. Details: The content index server cannot update or access information because of a database error. Stop and restart the search service. If the problem persists, reset and recrawl the content index. In some cases it may be necessary to delete and recreate the content index. (0x8004117f)" 2. "The Windows Search Service has failed to created the new system catalog. Internal error <4,0x8004117f>." I'm totally lost as how to solve this problem. I spent hours on the web trying to find a solution, with no luck sofar. Anyone here who has a clue how to solve this one? Emphyrio.

Ok Emphyrio,

I finally found a solution to this. You can see how here:
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/85803-index-windows-search-service.html

Shawn

geez · 06-10-2008

Does anyone know why Vista won't search a DVD? Obviously this is something incrediby easy, so easy that it's not even an issue. And yet...
Indexing service is on, Index is on for hard drives. A search for "index.html" in a DVD folder returns a "file not found" type message - even though the folder is full of them.
Search options for non-indexed locations is to search for files only, not within files.
Is it just me?

**Brink** · 06-10-2008

Hi Geez,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

The Index will not search through external devices. You should be able to do a non-indexed search though through Advanced Search.

Advanced Search

Hope this helps,
Shawn