Windows Search - Behaving Badly

[Indigo Bodolf]

I've searched high and low for a solution to this problem, but I have yet to find anyone talking about exactly the same annoyance I am facing, so I decided to create a forum account here after many years of just watching LTT videos.

 

So, what's the beef I hear you ask? Well, I was having numerous problems with Windows Search back when this machine was running Windows 8, it wasn't until the first major patch of Windows 10 that those were resolved...for the most part. Eventually I had Windows Search running exactly as it should, I even relocated where the Search Index is, and it still runs fine.

So if Search is running fine, how is there a problem at all? Well... The place where the Index used to be stored, it's now indestructable, every time I delete it either through regular Windows Permission access or even with a third party tool such as FileASSASIN or iObitUnlocker, the folders will delete - but upon the next boot up they are replaced with identically named ones.

 

I have no idea what is causing this, I can only assume some remnant of the settings for the old index remains, perhaps in the registry or some such. Hopefully someone here can enlighten me?

[IgorM]

Windows search never worked consistenly and it can't find what I want a lot of times. Its almost like not working is a feature. Not always it can find a program or even a Windows config app. Maybe on Windows 7 it worked.

[homeap5]

Microsoft will made some improvements in next upgrade (as I heard). So maybe just wait.

[Boomwebsearch]

On 4/30/2019 at 11:05 PM, IgorM said:

Windows search never worked consistenly and it can't find what I want a lot of times.

 

On 4/30/2019 at 10:57 PM, Indigo Bodolf said:

I have no idea what is causing this, I can only assume some remnant of the settings for the old index remains, perhaps in the registry or some such. Hopefully someone here can enlighten me?

A work around for the issue that the OP and others potentially are having would be to disable the windows search indexing services in the list of system services and search using file explorer without indexing which apparently for me works faster and I had to disable it since mine broke and loaded infinitely and showed waiting to receive indexing status error in indexing options. 

On 5/2/2019 at 4:53 AM, homeap5 said:

Microsoft will made some improvements in next upgrade (as I heard). So maybe just wait.

I hope that this will be able to fix the issue although I am wondering if it will fix the index itself or just add an update for the indexing system still leaving the broken search indexes not working.

[Indigo Bodolf]

On 5/6/2019 at 2:02 AM, Boomwebsearch said:

A work around for the issue that the OP and others potentially are having would be to disable the windows search indexing services in the list of system services and search using file explorer without indexing which apparently for me works faster and I had to disable it since mine broke and loaded infinitely and showed waiting to receive indexing status error in indexing options. 

I hope that this will be able to fix the issue although I am wondering if it will fix the index itself or just add an update for the indexing system still leaving the broken search indexes not working.

No, I need indexing enabled, I have it setup so only my 2TB HDD is indexed, as the rest of my storage is fast enough to not bother with the service.

I wish I could afford to replace it with a large SSD, but unfortunately only having a part-time job very much limits my budget for PC components.

I just find this all extremely confusing, because the index folders being created have nothing to do with the search index that Windows is actually using... @.@

[Boomwebsearch]

On 5/10/2019 at 8:53 PM, Indigo Bodolf said:

No, I need indexing enabled, I have it setup so only my 2TB HDD is indexed, as the rest of my storage is fast enough to not bother with the service.

I wish I could afford to replace it with a large SSD, but unfortunately only having a part-time job very much limits my budget for PC components.

I just find this all extremely confusing, because the index folders being created have nothing to do with the search index that Windows is actually using... @.@

The searching index feature is nice on Windows 10 when it is working especially because if you press the windows key and then have the ability to search the entire index for an application, program, file, or document that you are looking to open. My index is still broken as of now and has been that way for months, I am getting used to now having to open the file explorer to find files although it still hurts my workflow to some degree. With the index service turned off it will find files faster (for my case and not guaranteed) in the file explorer. Really hope that Microsoft will fix the search feature bugs in the future, I actually think that one of the last few updates from some-time ago broke the index and therefore I am concerned about going on with adding new updates to my system, and don't have the time to do a backup image just in case at the moment as my workflow does involve adding and modifying files a lot. 

 

On 4/30/2019 at 10:57 PM, Indigo Bodolf said:

Eventually I had Windows Search running exactly as it should, I even relocated where the Search Index is, and it still runs fine.

If you happen to remember how you were able to get the search back to working from a "broken" state then please share as it may help other users with a similar issue, and with trying to diagnose the possible issue causing the "indestructible" file location.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Based on how many times Windows updates usually break my computer systems in some way software-wise, I suggest to all users to make a backup of all your drive's data and OS recovery information such as a system image to go back just in case something goes wrong.

 

Hope that this information was helpful - @Boomwebsearch

[Boomwebsearch]

On 5/10/2019 at 8:53 PM, Indigo Bodolf said:

I just find this all extremely confusing, because the index folders being created have nothing to do with the search index that Windows is actually using... @.@

I agree, Windows has so many different elements and features which all work together in order to work properly, which is kind of a downside if something happens to go corrupt. I hope that Microsoft will fix the operating system with future updates to prevent major productivity loss from a few current files for a certain element. Windows uses a proprietary software system to index the items on your system and not with relation to the hard drive index system for file locations on the drive. Honestly, its likely that the hard drive is fine although Windows has gone corrupt although I am not saying that it is not possible. I would suggest using a registry repair tool like from GlarySoft which I had good experiences with and which I will link to fix invalid registry components and that may solve the issue. 

 

link to aforementioned GlarySoft Registry Repair tool:     https://www.glarysoft.com/registry-repair/

 

 

 

*Please exercise caution if you proceed to repair the registry manually and not with an automated tool like the linked one from GlarySoft which will give you the option to revert any and all changes that it makes, as one mistake done by hand to the wrong setting can cause irreparable OS damage.