Vista Search Returns Deleted Files

A search in Vista often returns files that have been previously deleted &
recycle bin emptied. However, if I choose the option to "Include
non-indexed, hidden, and system files", these 'phantom' files do not show
up. What could be causing this behavior?

Hi John,

This is a normal behavior of the Indexing Service. Since Indexing is a background program it only indexes the hard drive a bit here and there during low or no usage by you. It will eventually update itself and remove the deleted files from the indexed search results. When you use the non-indexed, it searches the hard drive in real time and not from a older indexed list. That is why you do not see them in it. If you want to force an update to the Indexing Service, then do the "Rebuild" section at this link. It should remove them then.

Indexing Options

Shawn

"brink" <brink.2uo1a1@no-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
news:brink.2uo1a1@no-mx.forums.net...
>
> John Hanley;406104 Wrote:
>> A search in Vista often returns files that have been previously deleted
>> &
>> recycle bin emptied. However, if I choose the option to "Include
>> non-indexed, hidden, and system files", these 'phantom' files do not
>> show
>> up. What could be causing this behavior?
>
> Hi John,
>
> This is a normal behavior of the Indexing Service. Since Indexing is a
> background program it only indexes the hard drive a bit here and there
> during low or no usage by you. It will eventually update itself and
> remove the deleted files from the indexed search results. When you use
> the non-indexed, it searches the hard drive in real time and not from a
> older indexed list. That is why you do not see them in it. If you want
> to forces a update to the Indexing Service, then do the "Rebuild"
> section at this link. It should remove them then.
>
> Indexing Options
>
> Shawn

Thanks for this information. I did manage to do a "Rebuild" and things are
much clearer now. One thing that did confound my understanding was that
there can be an interference between the Indexing Service and the Power
Options. My indexing had been stymied by having my Power Option on Power
Savings Mode. Putting the Power Option on High Performance got the index
started again. I don't know for how long the Indexing had been stymied like
that, and that was probably part of my problem. My searches are now giving
me much more useful results.

Your welcome John,

Yes, the "Power Savings Mode" would reduce the amount of time the Indexing service would have to run and would be part of the problem you had.

Glad to hear it is giving you the results you need now.

Shawn

On Wed, 1 Aug 2007 20:54:44 -0500, brink
>John Hanley;406104 Wrote:

>> A search in Vista often returns files that have been previously deleted
>> & recycle bin emptied. However, if I choose the option to "Include
>> non-indexed, hidden, and system files", these 'phantom' files do not
>> show up. What could be causing this behavior?

>This is a normal behavior of the Indexing Service. Since Indexing is a
>background program it only indexes the hard drive a bit here and there
>during low or no usage by you. It will eventually update itself and
>remove the deleted files from the indexed search results.

What you are implying, is that at no time can Search be trusted to be
accurate, because it's always going to be "behind the times".

So we have the overhead of indexer chugging away in the background,
just so we can get inaccurate results faster.

Er... what's the point of this, again?

> When you use the non-indexed, it searches the hard drive in
>real time and not from a older indexed list.

So if you want results you can believe, then don't use the index
material that hogged your resources and space to create.

>Indexing Options


>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -
The most accurate diagnostic instrument
in medicine is the Retrospectoscope
>------------ ----- ---- --- -- - - - -

Hi cquirke,

If you make a lot of changes often to the files you set for Indexing, then yes the Indexing Service will be less reliable. To help increase the accuracy you would need to increase the performance level for it to High in Power Options and or use the "Search non-index" option for the files you change a lot. It can still be a good tool for quick searches on files that do not change that often.

Shawn

Hmm.
1) Search finds a file I deleted three months ago.
2) "Open File Location" fails because the file and the dir are not
there.
3) Mozy backup is currently trying to backup the file!

What possible API call could they be using to think they should be
backing up this file????


--
mpersico
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