ohio_grad_06
Well-Known Member
- Reaction score
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Ok, so got a weird issue. I have a user who's got quite a bit of documents, but search function is messed up.
For example, I can press the windows key and search from Start menu and it seems ok.
I go to Documents, and I have say a word or excel file that I know is present, type the name or partial name of something I know to be there, and try to search, it comes up with no results. This is wild. Never seen this before. We've tried going into control panel and into indexing options, and rebuild the index, no dice.
I went back there, unchecked everything being indexed, and re-added the things being indexed back to the index, and told indexing options to try to move the index to another folder, still no search results. Next step is going to be to do sfc /scannow command, maybe use tweaking.com all in one repair and possible quick check for infections though the system seems to run ok.
Tried to perform these steps but got errors partway through when trying to delete the old index files/folders as indicated.
"Try to perform the following steps:
Check if you have NoSearch keys under the following Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Backup and delete them.
Step2:
Perform the following steps to rebuild the index and check the issue.
1. Click on the Start Button, type "cmd" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box. Right-click CMD listed above and click "Run as administrator".
2. At the command prompt, copy the following command to stop the Search Service:
net stop wsearch
3. Click on the Start Button, type "regedit" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box and press Enter.
(Click "Continue" if User Account Control prompts for permission)
4. Navigate to the following registry key by expanding the "+" beside the registry tree in the left pane:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search]
5. Right click on "Windows Search", click "Export"; please name the file as "RegBackup" (without quotation marks) and then save it to the C:\ drive as a backup.
Note: In case we need to undo the modification, we can double click this RegBackup.reg file to restore the registry key.
7. Right-click on “Windows Search” and choose Permissions. On the Security tab, verify that Administrator is the owner and has full control of the key.
8. Within the "Windows Search" registry key, find the SetupCompletedSuccessfully value on the right pane. Double-click SetupCompletedSuccessfully and change its value to 0.
9. Delete the following registry keys:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Applications\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\CatalogNames\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Databases\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gather\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gathering Manager\Applications\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\UsnNotifier\windows
If the key cannot be deleted, please perform the following steps to take ownership first
a. Right-click the key and click "Permission"
b. Click the "Advanced" button.
c. On the "Owner" tab, verify your account is the current owner. If not, click "Other users or groups" to add your account. Then select your account, check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" and click OK on the windows.
10. Click on the Start Button, type "cmd" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box. Right-click CMD listed above and click "Run as administrator".
11. At the command prompt, copy the following command to delete the default index location folder:
rd %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows /S /Q
12. Start the Search Service again by typing the following:
net start wsearch
After approximately one minute, check the SetupCompletedSuccessfully registry value and it should now be set to 1 and the Search service should rebuild the index database.
Also check the following key values:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
In this key there are two values (both hex dword)
Start_SearchFiles
Start_SearchPrograms
Don't search --------------------> 0
Search with public folders -----> 2
Search without public folders --> 1"
Anyone seen this before or have any helpful insight? Other sites suggest using a 3rd party tool. Could do that, but the built in one is what the user is used to, and should work.
For example, I can press the windows key and search from Start menu and it seems ok.
I go to Documents, and I have say a word or excel file that I know is present, type the name or partial name of something I know to be there, and try to search, it comes up with no results. This is wild. Never seen this before. We've tried going into control panel and into indexing options, and rebuild the index, no dice.
I went back there, unchecked everything being indexed, and re-added the things being indexed back to the index, and told indexing options to try to move the index to another folder, still no search results. Next step is going to be to do sfc /scannow command, maybe use tweaking.com all in one repair and possible quick check for infections though the system seems to run ok.
Tried to perform these steps but got errors partway through when trying to delete the old index files/folders as indicated.
"Try to perform the following steps:
Check if you have NoSearch keys under the following Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Backup and delete them.
Step2:
Perform the following steps to rebuild the index and check the issue.
1. Click on the Start Button, type "cmd" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box. Right-click CMD listed above and click "Run as administrator".
2. At the command prompt, copy the following command to stop the Search Service:
net stop wsearch
3. Click on the Start Button, type "regedit" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box and press Enter.
(Click "Continue" if User Account Control prompts for permission)
4. Navigate to the following registry key by expanding the "+" beside the registry tree in the left pane:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search]
5. Right click on "Windows Search", click "Export"; please name the file as "RegBackup" (without quotation marks) and then save it to the C:\ drive as a backup.
Note: In case we need to undo the modification, we can double click this RegBackup.reg file to restore the registry key.
7. Right-click on “Windows Search” and choose Permissions. On the Security tab, verify that Administrator is the owner and has full control of the key.
8. Within the "Windows Search" registry key, find the SetupCompletedSuccessfully value on the right pane. Double-click SetupCompletedSuccessfully and change its value to 0.
9. Delete the following registry keys:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Applications\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\CatalogNames\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Databases\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gather\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Gathering Manager\Applications\windows
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\UsnNotifier\windows
If the key cannot be deleted, please perform the following steps to take ownership first
a. Right-click the key and click "Permission"
b. Click the "Advanced" button.
c. On the "Owner" tab, verify your account is the current owner. If not, click "Other users or groups" to add your account. Then select your account, check "Replace owner on subcontainers and objects" and click OK on the windows.
10. Click on the Start Button, type "cmd" (without quotation marks) in the Start Search box. Right-click CMD listed above and click "Run as administrator".
11. At the command prompt, copy the following command to delete the default index location folder:
rd %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Search\Data\Applications\Windows /S /Q
12. Start the Search Service again by typing the following:
net start wsearch
After approximately one minute, check the SetupCompletedSuccessfully registry value and it should now be set to 1 and the Search service should rebuild the index database.
Also check the following key values:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
In this key there are two values (both hex dword)
Start_SearchFiles
Start_SearchPrograms
Don't search --------------------> 0
Search with public folders -----> 2
Search without public folders --> 1"
Anyone seen this before or have any helpful insight? Other sites suggest using a 3rd party tool. Could do that, but the built in one is what the user is used to, and should work.
