Windows 7 - Windows 7 Search Not Working anymore

So, I've been trouble free on Windows 7 for a long time. Today, while searching for a document containing the word "audit" I realized that my Windows 7 search is not returning correct results.

I open up the Documents library link, and I see all of my files. I see files with the name audit in them. I go to the top and put audit into the search field and it comes back with 2 files...and misses handfuls of other files that contain the word. I then search for .xlsx (as this is a spreadsheet) and I cannot find that either. I can find other .xlsx files, but not a good handful of them.

I've cleared the index and rebuilt it, but that didn't resolve the issue. My results are the same as they always were.

Suggestions from anybody on what to look at next?

Any search or index service errors in your event log?

Nothing in the logs until the point that I cleared the index and rebuilt it. A few entries about some iehistory stuff that it couldn't access...but that was about it.

The service is running and the index rebuilt and added 40,000+ items in about an hour or so.

I'm currently running sfc /scannow

Edit: The sfc /scannow completed, but didn't resolve the issue. I rebooted just to be sure.

When i put "audit" in the upper right box and then click on "Search Entire Computer" at the bottom it does find the files. But it doesn't seem to find them in the index when i don't search entire machine.

I'm also having a similar problem that exists even after a format and reinstall.

Searches made through the search box in the top right corner of any explorer window turn up zero results.

It seems to be working if I am searching from the root of C drive, but it doesn't work when I search in my documents, music, etc..

I can type in the name of a file/folder that I see in front of me and it won't show it in the search results.


EDIT: I use an NTFS symbolic link to redirect my home folder under C:\Users. While Windows Explorer correctly shows my home folder under C:\Users, the search indexer doesn't show my home folder under Users.

I'm not sure if you've tried this already but here is a possible solution...
Go to Control Panel, Indexing Options. Then click the modify button on the bottom. On the list that appears, ensure that the C: drive is checked.

There is also a program called Locate32 if you wish to try it out.

Apparently McAfee Security also interferes with Windows Search. By removing it, it fixed the problem for some people.

Hope one of these solutions help you out!!!

You might also want to check out this: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...-8900fc313add/

or this:
http://support.microsoft.com/mats/windows_search/en-us

Until you resolve your problem I recommend
FileLocator Lite - Free File Searching Utility
This is my default search program plus "Search Everything" for certain admin tasks.

Looks like Windows Search won't search through a directory junction or symbolic link:
Make windows search follow a directory junction or a symbolic link - Microsoft Answers

Go figure. One of the many reasons to dislike Windows 7.


I have my user profile folder on D:\
I have created a symbolic link which points C:\Users\ProfileName to D:\Users\ProfileName which means any request for C:\Users\ProfileName is seamlessly directed to the D drive.

If I open explorer to the root of D drive, search works fine, but if I try and search from "My Documents" or whatever, D:\Users\ProfileName won't be searched.

It's not a bug, it's a feature...