Windows 7: Indexing network share locations

StuBarrett · 26 Nov 2009

Deejay, the mechanism uses window's UNC format.

Check out this: How to connect to network resources in Windows XP without mapping a drive or a port

Good luck, I just wish that something could be done to allow Windows 7 to support search at least as well as XP does :-(

edform · 27 Nov 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by StuBarrett

limneos,

while the mklink technique does appear to work, the folder contents appears to not be indexed so that it can be found using Windows 7 search.

The library does show the content on the network folder but I can't find any of that content using Windows 7 search.

Has search actually been tried, or did the "we linked a network folder into a library" is all that was tested?

I have terabytes of content on my RAID boxes that I need to search. This was possible using XP and Windows Search 4.0. Heck, I would just like a version of WS4 that would run on my Windows 7-64 box!

Stu

You're right that the content of folders tricked into libraries using the mlink technique is not indexed. I get round this by using a third party indexing program anyway. I suppose the indexing system Microsoft has built into Windows 7 may be an improvement on previous versions which have been all but useless, but I want to use Windows 7 desktops outside of the Microsoft server regime and the built in indexing system is never going to index foreign servers anyway.

I've used several indexing systems over the last few years and the best three are X1 search, Isys Search and Copernic - X1 is probably the best of the lot. None of these tools is free, but they all work beautifully and don't care where or how the files are stored.

Ed Form

faxedhead · 06 Dec 2009

A much easier way to add un-indexed network locations to Windows 7 libraries is to use this free tool:

Win7 Library Tool Zorn Software

baten · 24 Dec 2009

I had the same problem - the answer is to add the network location in Media Center as a library and it will be indexed. It still doesn't show in the Control Panel Indexed locations but it allows networked loactions to be used for Task Bar Pictures/Music/Documents etc

vinzzz · 04 Jan 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by baten

I had the same problem - the answer is to add the network location in Media Center as a library and it will be indexed. It still doesn't show in the Control Panel Indexed locations but it allows networked loactions to be used for Task Bar Pictures/Music/Documents etc

Could you explain how you did this? Are you able to open up Windows Explorer and search for meta data (lets say a picture label) that is on a network share?

Evil Turnip · 09 Feb 2010

Hi,

Has anyone tried that Zorn Software Util ..cos I have one question...

So if I add my network drives to the library and re build the index my windows search should (when index is complete) find any document I search for on my network drives in my domain..

The folders on these drives which I have added to my lib aint that big ... so Im hoping this works if so its a cracking util and been able to search network drives would be very very handy...

Cheers
ET

It doesnt work so now installed Search 4.0 on the server to see if that will help !

craigman86 · 10 May 2010

== This is how to search network files and index network files without having to store a copy on your own dam computer. ==

So after a long hard search i have found the answer to my own problem. (putting up with this for 3 months)

This patch allows you to add network files to the index without having to make them "always available offline".

It will add a tab in the Indexing Options menu called "Add UNC Location" this is where you add the path of the network folder.

UNCFATPHInstaller.msi

Download details: Windows Desktop Search: Add-in for Files on Microsoft Networks

always available offline is not a real solution for network storage, you can't make 2TB available offline if you have a 200GB hard drive

vinzzz · 11 May 2010

Does this really work? Cause this solutions is mentioned all over the internet. It only add's the ability to add those shares. But are they really indexed? Can you confirm that?

StuBarrett · 11 May 2010

Bummer it appears that this approach is not for Windows 7 nor 64bit

Tulsaboyw · 01 Nov 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by limneos

Hello Ktulu05

To index a network folder or drive, you must right-click on it first and select "Always Available offline".

Then it can be indexed, and added to libraries as well.

Simply right-click a folder, click "always available offline" and after sync finishes (or meanwhile) you can add it to the Libraries, no need to tamper with indexing options.

Hope it helps

Hmm...then again, you might not want to synchronize the whole contents of your network files , otherwise you could just copy them locally

Another workaround is to simply index the network files...To do that, I found there's a patch that M$ has released for Windows Vista that does this and works for Windows 7 too.

However, I even found another easier how-to:

To add a non-indexed UNC as a library to Windows 7 Beta:

Quote:

1. Create a folder on your hard drive for shares. i.e. c:\share
2. Create another folder in the above share. i.e. c:\share\music
2. Link the Library to this folder.
3. Delete the folder.
4. Use the mklink in an elevated command prompt to make a symbolic link. Name the link the same as the folder you created above.
i.e - mklink /d c:\share\music \\server\music
5. Done. Now you have non-indexed UNC path as a library.

Hope it helps even better

doing the mklink as described... I get litterally a C:share folder that is not what I would want.

I still want a real share on the network... anything else makes libraries a waste of time..

Hopefully will read more on this site and find the answer.

Windows 7: Indexing network share locations

Indexing network share locations problems?