Can you turn off the stupid file indexing and just search the folder I am in?

Elysa · Jul 10, 2008

Like many people I find the new file search limiting, inconsistent and counfounding. I keep hoping the light bulb will go on and I will 'get it', but so far....no.

Now, just when I thought I could not hate it more, file search has stopped working completely for one of my big document folders and will not find any file at all. :mad:

I tried adding the folder to indexing, this is an option, 'Click to add to Index', on the search menu, but big surprise it hung my system. Buy hey, it would not be a normal day on Vista with out at least 5 hard reboots....

I also tried to Modify Index Locations. Nothing Happens.

In any case, there are things I really do like about Vista and am trying to hang in there... but problems like this make it hard. So, does anyone have any idea why I have one folder that when I open it and search for a file, Vista does not find a file that is clearly visible in the window?

Dzomlija · Jul 10, 2008

Elysa said:
Like many people I find the new file search limiting, inconsistent and counfounding. I keep hoping the light bulb will go on and I will 'get it', but so far....no.

Now, just when I thought I could not hate it more, file search has stopped working completely for one of my big document folders and will not find any file at all.

I tried adding the folder to indexing, this is an option, 'Click to add to Index', on the search menu, but big surprise it hung my system. Buy hey, it would not be a normal day on Vista with out at least 5 hard reboots....

I also tried to Modify Index Locations. Nothing Happens.

In any case, there are things I really do like about Vista and am trying to hang in there... but problems like this make it hard. So, does anyone have any idea why I have one folder that when I open it and search for a file, Vista does not find a file that is clearly visible in the window?

What you need to do is give the indexer chance to finish it's job after adding a folder or modifying the index locations! Modifying the index locations doesn't make their contents magically appear in the index. It can take anything from a few minutes to several hours for the index to update itself, depending on the number of files involved.

I can't give an accurate guess on how long it takes, but on my own machine, with 8 hard disks in the index, whenever I make significant changes to the filesystem that would cause the index to become out of date, I reset the indexer and leave it overnight, and usually have around 290,000 files or so in the index when I get back in the morning.

Also, you will get better performance (faster searches, quicker index updating, etc) if you update Vista Search to version 4.0, available for download at Microsoft - Windows Search 4.0.

Also, have a look at this tutorial. It may help "the litle light bulb" go on for you - http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/158288-advanced-searches.html

Brink · Jul 10, 2008

Hello Elysa,

In addition to Peter's post:

If you still want to disable the Search Index, then this tutorial will show you how to.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/69564-index-enable-disable.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Can you turn off the stupid file indexing and just search the folder I am in?

Elysa

New Member

My Computer

System One

Dzomlija

Resistance is Futile

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Brink

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