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

Anonymous
2009-11-27T05:51:54+00:00

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.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2009-11-27T14:10:58+00:00

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

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

162 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2010-10-12T21:17:00+00:00

    Don't know if this has been proposed, as there are too many rants to wade through for me to want to read the entire thread. 

    Assuming this is not a registry setting issue:

    Click on the start button, type the word "search" without quotes. 

    Select from that list "change search options for files and folders". 

    At the top of the dialog box "What to search". 

    Choose the second radio button "Always search file names and contents (this might take several minutes.) 

    This solves the issue even if you haven't indexed, and it solves the issue for search network drives, which I believe cannot be indexed. 

    Your response is as much a "rant" as any. This is arrogance on your part since you haven't taken the time to "wade through the entire thread".

    Your "solution" does not solve the problem.

    The latest suggestion is that it may , at least in part, be a third party software issue.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2010-10-12T17:00:16+00:00

    Don't know if this has been proposed, as there are too many rants to wade through for me to want to read the entire thread. 

    Assuming this is not a registry setting issue:

    Click on the start button, type the word "search" without quotes. 

    Select from that list "change search options for files and folders". 

    At the top of the dialog box "What to search". 

    Choose the second radio button "Always search file names and contents (this might take several minutes.) 

    This solves the issue even if you haven't indexed, and it solves the issue for search network drives, which I believe cannot be indexed.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2010-10-09T03:55:42+00:00

    DiJester,

    Glad to hear you tried the regedit reset. It sure did work for me. I'm sorry I ignored it for a couple of weeks before trying it.

    This is just the key that tells the OS it has to start a new index completely from scratch. The search continues to work for my Win 7 machine. When it's working it is indeed a good search tool.

    Funny that some readers in this thread continue to post "how do I fix this" and "I'm not going to edit the registry by changing a single digit, someone do this for me!"

    Anyway Di, thanks for posting your success.

    Db

    DiJester wrote on October 7, 2010

    "Wow, I tried a hundred things I've found in various forums, and this finally worked.

    It wasn't just that I couldn't find text within files, I couldn't even find files by searching for the file name.  I followed the instructions above about changing the regedit "setupcompletedsuccessfully" entry to 0, restarted, and voila, I can find files again.  I don't know what the status of my index is right now, and I didn't follow the subsequent steps about rebuilding it, I'm just happy I can find friggin files at all now."

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2010-10-08T23:12:05+00:00

    "Frustrated" is an understatement. Apparently, the idea of searching for any file with "xyz.txt" in the name and having the word "pdq" in the body completely escaped the team that worked on Windows 7 desktop search. They've BROKEN an perfectly good tool with no apparent knowledge of even doing so.

    They say "index locations you want to search".... Doesn't really cut it on an enterprise NFS.

    So try to go find partial matches for "ABC" in a folder with a few hundred text files. No way to distinguish whether you want a FILENAME with ABC or a file with ABC in it's contents!

    Absolute GARBAGE!!!  Amazing, they spent so much time adding a whole damn SCRIPTING interface allowing you to filter on the "bitdepth" of an image file, but didn't provide a way to filter on content!!??

    If anyone has figured out how to use this steaming pile, PLEASE let me know the trick!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments