Windows Live Mail 11 64-bit search?

[Starskull]

Hit there!

Does anyone know if Windows Live Mail 2011 includes the 64-bit search that the previous version lacked?

WLMail 2011 lists Windows 7 as a system requirement so I am hoping the answer is yes, seems like it should be. But it seems like the search isn't picking up content from the body of the message. Again. (sigh)

I've been using WLMail on my desktop for a while. When I got this PC with Windows 7 64-bit I discovered the WLMail search problem (not indexing the body of the e-mail) and did the registry fix, which solved it.

A few days ago I noticed that the fix had stopped working (not sure when it started cuz I don't use it every day). This morning I installed WLMail 2011 and re-indexed the search index, hoping that would resolve it. But I just ran a test and an e-mail it pulled up from one search (with a word in it's header) didn't show up when I searched for a word in the body of that same e-mail.

Anyone have thoughts on this? Thanks!

 

[DeaconFrost]

I can search in WLM for terms that appear in the body of the messages, and I'm running WLM 2001 on Windows 7 x64. But maybe I'm not understanding what you want, considering I could do that with previous versions of WLM.

Are are you talking about Windows searches pulling info out of WLM accounts, just like it works with Outlook?

 

[Starskull]

I haven't used Outlook in over 10 years so I can't compare that way. But it was a common problem that WLMail version 3 didn't search the body of messages with Windows 7 64-bit. Microsoft had a registry fix posted here Using Windows Search to search for Windows Live Mail e-mail will return incomplete results on Windows 7 64-bit Operating Systems

That worked for me for the last 6+ months but now (sigh) it doesn't work anymore. It only searches the headers, not the complete body text of the e-mail. And I need to search the full text for my job on occasion, so this is a huge problem for me. Since it was a known issue, you would think it got fixed in the new version... you would think

 

[DeaconFrost]

You're using WLM for a business e-mail client? That's a first. Anyway, I had been using the previous version of WLM, and then upgraded the day WLM 2011 was released (as final), and I've always been able to search (WLM search...not Windows search) to find text in the body of the the messages. I'll be happy to try using the Windows search to see if it functions the same, but the in-WLM search box works fine for text in the body of the message, and my account in WLM is my personal one, using IMAP.

 

[Starskull]

I'm in the entertainment industry, we all bring our own computers with us to each job so I am my own software/tech support provider! It is the basic WLMail search I'm trying to use - could your having "Ultimate" have anything to do with it? And did you skip the last version of WLMail, so you didn't have to deal with that registry re-write they had us do? Thanks for your responses!

 

[Starskull]

I am hoping I found the problem - I noticed that users/app data was excluded from the indexing (they were the only items in the "exclude" column). I searched and found the file path for my e-mails, and sure enough - they are in an app data folder. I just figured out how to un-exclude those folders and am re-indexing now. Fingers crossed.

 

[Starskull]

Sadly that didn't work. Still having the issue. Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[roncerr]

The registry fix was for "Windows Search". A workaround would be to first think about where your desired result may be located. If you want the email result, use the search feature built into WLM, otherwise use Windows Search. Want both...use both.

 

[DeaconFrost]

It is the basic WLMail search I'm trying to use - could your having "Ultimate" have anything to do with it? And did you skip the last version of WLMail, so you didn't have to deal with that registry re-write they had us do? Thanks for your responses!

No, because my other two computers are running Pro, and the built-in WLM search works just fine for finding text contained within the body of the e-mails. I also didn't skip any versions in the past, and it has worked for me in each version.

You didn't state what kind of e-mail account you are using, but I wouldn't think that matters...it just works for whatever is contained within WLM. Indexing only affects Windows searches...not WLM.

I'm still confused as to which search you are having trouble with. As stated, the WLM search as always worked.

 

[Starskull]

Thanks for the responses.

I've only ever searched for e-mails within WLMail itself - in the "search for a message" box they have in the program.

It didn't work when I got this laptop, I did that registry fix thing, then it worked. Now it doesn't work again, and it still didn't work after updating to WLMail 11.

So are you saying that the WLMail search doesn't use an index at all, or that it uses a different index than windows search?

I've installed Eudora OSE and have been using that when I need to search, but would rather not deal with dropping WLMail and moving everything over if I can get search to work. Plus I'm still sending from WLMail so can't search sent messages.

Any thoughts are much appreciated!

 

[roncerr]

I asked this question in the newsgroup. This was the reply:

"The 64-bit filter that was not installed with Wave 3 versions of WLMail is installed with the Wave 4 version, i.e. WLMail 2011. Search works as expected on my 64-bit Win7 Pro."

(news://news.annexcafe.com/annexcafe.general.windowslivemail)

 

[DeaconFrost]

I've only ever searched for e-mails within WLMail itself - in the "search for a message" box they have in the program.

Yes...every vesion of WLM has worked for me since Vista's release, when I started using x64 OSes as my primary systems...no registry fixes needed. I can also confirm again, that WLM 2011 works fine across three separate x64 systems...as it always has.

But, you are still ignoring my main question. I have only ever used IMAP accounts and a Live account with WLM...never POP3. My only thoughts are, either something was corrupted with your WLM install, or maybe your account types aren't compatible with the search? That's a wild guess, but like I've said...I have never had an issue using the search for finding text in the body of a message.

 

[Starskull]

Thanks again for even thinking about this for me!

From your previous note I decided to look around and see if there were other ways to search in WLMail. If I right-click a mailbox and use the "find" tool, putting my search text in the "body" line, it brings up the test e-mail I knew had that search term. Hurray!

If, however, I put the search term in the "search for a message" bar up top then it does not show up. I couldn't find a way to tell the "search for a message" bar to search in the body of the text and clearly it won't do it by itself.

I have to wonder if the "search" bar up top is using the Windows search and if so, why it's not able to pull from the message body if that has been fixed in the upgrade.

Obviously I have a way to do it now, but it's irritating that the "search" bar is taking up space when it only works for headers.

And when I do a full windows search from the Windows 7 start button, the test-email message DOES comes up from my Eudora OSE taht I just installed, but not from the WLMail copy of that same message.

I still have to wonder if the old registry fix is now messing things up, though that's beyond my programming understanding so I could be completely wrong on that. At this point I'm leaning towards forgetting about figuring it out and just using EudoraOSE if that continues to work without a hitch.

And my Mac-loving co-workers are teasing me endlessly about the whole thing ;-(

 

[DeaconFrost]

If, however, I put the search term in the "search for a message" bar up top then it does not show up. I couldn't find a way to tell the "search for a message" bar to search in the body of the text and clearly it won't do it by itself.

There isn't any type of confiuguration to do for that...it just works. I have an e-mail with a person's name in the body...and I can search for that person's name at it comes up eacn and everytime. Their name is not in the headers or subject of the e-mail...only in the body. There's never been a registry fix needed...at least not for me. It just works. Have you gone through Microsoft's TechNet forums for this problem? Something isn't right...because it just works...no fixes needed.

I don't expect my WLM messages to be available by Windows Search, because they aren't stored locally on my computer. I am using IMAP, so my messages reside on my host's server.

As for your Mac friends...all you need to do is point at them and laugh, about how they overpaid for a less secure OS, identical hardware, and a smaller software library to choose from. They did get a free "holier-than-thou" attitude though. If they say Macs "just work", point them to Apple's support forums.

 

[roncerr]

...And my Mac-loving co-workers are teasing me endlessly about the whole thing ;-(

Based on my limited encounters with Mac users, it sure looks like a cult. Rather than try to justify using the same thing as 95% of the world's computer users, I've learned to say "you have a point" or "I'm just more familiar with Windows."

 

[roncerr]

There isn't any type of confiuguration to do for that...it just works. I have an e-mail with a person's name in the body...and I can search for that person's name at it comes up each and every time. Their name is not in the headers or subject of the e-mail...only in the body...

...I don't expect my WLM messages to be available by Windows Search, because they aren't stored locally on my computer. I am using IMAP, so my messages reside on my host's server...

That doesn't sound quite right. In order to search your IMAP inbox (including message bodies) you first have to download the messages by "opening" them. Now the messages reside in your mail client and also on the server. But if you close the client and reopen it, you have to wait for your entire history of headers to download again and since they won't have the message bodies you can't search them until you re-open (ie download) each one again. Am I missing something here?

Personally I use a combination of POP3 and IMAP. POP3 on the "storage" computer and IMAP on all computers just for viewing the newest emails and making a few "delete from server" actions for things I know I won't want to save via the "storage" computer.

 

[DeaconFrost]

That doesn't sound quite right. In order to search your IMAP inbox (including message bodies) you first have to download the messages by "opening" them. Now the messages reside in your mail client and also on the server. But if you close the client and reopen it, you have to wait for your entire history of headers to download again and since they won't have the message bodies you can't search them until you re-open (ie download) each one again. Am I missing something here?

I've always had the messages cached locally, as in it only downloads headers the first time, and on new messages...and that's it. WLM verifies my folders once I open it, since I do access the account and make changes from three computers, but all of this is done by default...no configuration by me.

I don't believe WLM stores the e-mails (cached) in a format that Windows Search can access, as I have never been able to get Windows Search to bring up anything from my WLM accounts...whereas I can do searches for attachments and info in my Exchange account (accessed through Outlook) using Windows Search, even if Outlook isn't actively running. I always assumed that was because Windows Search can parse through an .ost file.

 

[roncerr]

I don't believe WLM stores the e-mails (cached) in a format that Windows Search can access, as I have never been able to get Windows Search to bring up anything from my WLM accounts...

As a test, I searched for a phrase in the message body of a downloaded email from a pop3 account which one would normally view in WLM. I used the start orb>search box with WLM closed. It found the email and when clicked on, opened WLM to view it. I'm using 32-bit but according to my previous post (from the newsgroup) the 64-bit version of 2011 should now work also. I suspect the reason this works is that downloaded pop3 emails are saved in the "Windows Live Mail" Folder within Windows Explorer and that folder is indexed by default. IMAP may cache emails but not permanently and not in a location that is included by default for Windows search.

 

[Starskull]

SOLVED!

I got help at the windows live solution center. !Firedog [Noel] helped me out.

In case anyone else is having the same problem I'll put all the info here...

STEP ONE of my solution - I folowed these instructions:
>>Other things to check are whether your store folder is being indexed and whether mail message files are being indexed with properties and content. In WLMail, locate your store folder by opening the Options sheet (Ctrl-Shift-O), opening the Advanced tab, clicking Maintenance and then Store folder. Write down the path.

Open Indexing Options in Control Panel (just type indexing options in the start search box). Click the Modify button, navigate to your store folder and ensure its box is ticked.

Click the Advanced button and open the File types tab. Check that the box beside extensions eml, nws and rss are ticked and that the filter description reads Windows Live MIME filter. Click on each extension in turn and check that Index properties and file contents is selected at the foot of the dialogue for each one. <<

I DID NOT have the MIME filter, and "index properties and file contents" was NOT CHECKED. So I checked "index properties and file contents" and it switched to a text filter, and after re-indexing that worked for me (hurray!) but Noel had this to say...

STEP TWO for the complete solution:

>>OK. It looks like the iFilter DLL didn't get registered with your installation. You might find that a repair will fix it: type wlarp into the start search box and press Enter. When the applet opens, choose Repair... When it's finished, reboot and then check the indexing options again. Does the Windows Live MIME filter show up now?

The plain text filter will do fine for many messages, but it won't allow you to search in Windows Explorer on To, From, Date or Subject because these depend on the MIME filter to extract them from the (plain text) file. I suspect that HTML messages with no plain text part (i.e. only encoded HTML) would not get properly indexed, either. So you really ought to try to get the MIME filter working.<<

The repair did, indeed, fix it so that they all have the MIME filter now. Yet another re-index and I will be all set!

Thanks again for everyone's help... I'm back in action and ready to roll!

--Lisa*

 

[DeaconFrost]

Very good news. It was definitely confusing to me that it wasn't working for you as it did for us "out of the box".