Windows 7: Search does not find files that it should, directory is indexed, and *.php included on the extension list

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Windows 7: Search does not find files that it should. I have the directory indexed, and *.php included on the extension list but search does not find files for searches for words that that I know there are files with those words in them.

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Anonymous

If you're frustrated with Search (a.k.a. Desktop Search), you are not alone. Click the Start button and type in Search and click on the command "Change how Windows searches". Now click on the Advanced button and select File types tab. Scroll down and locate your file type (in your case **.php)**and make sure that the radio button "Index Properties and File Contents" is selected for the file type.

Come out of the form by clicking the OK button but do not yet close the form where you clicked the Advanced button.

Next, you may need to modify the indexing locations. If the folder wherein your files are located is not known to the search indexing, then search doesn't even bother to look there (a source of frustration for many users). Perhaps your files are on a different disk or partition unbeknown to the indexing engine. Using the expand icon and select/deselect options, make sure that at least the folders of interest are included to the Indexed Locations. Hope this helps.

samc1

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Anonymous

2013-08-20T06:25:24+00:00

It's a bit off-topic, and I don't have a lot of experience with the oddities of NTFS permissions on attachments and files from other computers, but I think there is a couple of things you can try.

1) For the files you already have, prepare a USB flash drive to move them to. It must be formatted as FAT32, not NTFS. Move some trial files from your PC onto the flash drive; this should strip the NTFS permissions since FAT32 does not support them. Now move the files back onto your machine. NTFS should now give them "normal" permissions, so that they are unblocked and accessible, although if they were initially hidden they may have remained so, so you may still have to remove the "hidden" attribute. If you cannot see them to move them in Windows Explorer, you will have to use MOVE from the command line. If this works, then presumably moving the rest of them out and back will be manageable.

2) To prevent this happening to new files coming in as e-mail attachments or otherwise from non-local sources, you can use the Group Policy Editor to change a policy setting as follows (I think you need to be using Windows 7 Pro or above to have access to this). Run gpedit.msc, and navigate to User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Attachment Manager. Double-click (or Edit policy setting) on "Do not preserve zone information in file attachments", and then select "Enabled", then OK. I don't think you need to reboot but it wouldn't do any harm.

I hope this will do the trick, but if not, it would be good if you could please answer my question about the attributes of the files as shown on the command line (not from the Explorer properties dialog box), as there may be a clue there.

Good luck.
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Anonymous

2013-08-19T10:01:00+00:00
Check your indexing options for the file types involved. .doc files and .docx files use different iFilters:
1. Type indexing into the start search box and select Indexing Optionsfrom the results.
2. Click Advanced, then open the File Types tab.
3. Scroll down to .doc.
Ensure that its box is ticked.

Click on the entry and ensure that Index Properties and File Contents is selected at the bottom of the dialogue.

What is the Filter Description for the file type? 4. Repeat with .docx.

Was anything not as it should be?

Do you have more than one version of Office installed? Which ones?
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Anonymous

2013-08-19T03:23:52+00:00

Good, I'm glad you got it sorted. Just out of interest, and leaving aside the question of the folder attributes, what attributes do you see on the individual files? I.e., if you open a command window in the folder of interest and just type the "attrib" command, or "attrib *.doc", what attributes show up on the problem .doc files?

Regarding folder attributes, they don't do much; you might be interested in this, although it's probably not directly relevant: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549.

Turns out it is not solved. What I am doing is people are sending me their resumes. All of the resumes that come in via e-mail are opened as "protected". I now convert the .doc files to .docx files and save as a new name.

The problem is all the old .doc files. On the recent file, that won't show up in Windows Explorer, I went to the attributes and in the General Tab it says "read only" and there is a Security note and an "unblock" button since it came from another computer. I thought that clicking the "unblock" button would help but it doesn't.

Tried several times to check the "unblock" button and I still can't find it in WE. It appears to be a security issue. Any ideas?

Robert
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Anonymous

2013-08-18T17:45:31+00:00

Good, I'm glad you got it sorted. Just out of interest, and leaving aside the question of the folder attributes, what attributes do you see on the individual files? I.e., if you open a command window in the folder of interest and just type the "attrib" command, or "attrib *.doc", what attributes show up on the problem .doc files?

Regarding folder attributes, they don't do much; you might be interested in this, although it's probably not directly relevant: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549.
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