Vista's built in search | The Coffeehouse

Typhoon87
Facilitator of our reality

I am wondering if it is possible to add network locations to the Windows Vista v4 indexer.

I know you can do it in Windows XP Desktop search very easily but it does not seem possible in Vista.

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

The UNC/FAT protocol handler (that let you add UNC shares to your index) is not supported anymore after XP. You can, however, do queries across machines when you have WDS 3 or higher installed on both the client and the "server".

Typhoon87
Facilitator of our reality

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 7th, 2008 @ 1:32 PM

Is there any way around this? Will the next update allow this?

I love this feature and have our primary file server indexed at my desk.

I have a Vista user that would benfit greatly from this but I do not think that we be installing the index client on the server he has his files on?

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to Typhoon87

#Oct 7th, 2008 @ 1:42 PM

That would be the recommended strategy. You could install WS4 (that is so much better than WDS 3.x Smiley

) on the server and the client. Then just open an Explorer window on the share and search from the search box.

intelman

There has to be a better solution that installing Windows Desktop Search on the client and on the Server...

I have a Samba share on my slackware box, that I can't index with WDS. I use Yahoo's Desktop search to search that share..

I have nothing against Windows or Windows Server, but I didn't want to pay for the licensing for that storage box, Linux was the answer.

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to intelman

#Oct 7th, 2008 @ 3:20 PM

If both machines run Windows, installing WS4 on both is actually the best possible solution. The indexes are kept close to their sources and only queries and resultsets are sent across the network, instead of having to move files back and forth during indexing and properties retrieval.

Damn, I can't wait until PDC Smiley

BlackTiger
If you stumbled and fell down, it doesn't mean yet, that you're going in the wrong direction.

MS ruined a lot of good things in Vista... WDS is not alone.

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to BlackTiger

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 6:01 AM

You know what'd be cool? If Vista's search (and WS4) could find text inside Office documents and text files. Like Windows XP could.

TommyCarlier
I want my scalps!

In reply to Bas

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 6:10 AM

If you want to do that, you could export your documents to text files, paste everything into 1 file and use SpectateSwamp Search. Easy.

Dr Herbie
Horses for courses

In reply to TommyCarlier

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 6:37 AM

Don't say his name three time looking in a mirror, or he'll appear!

Herbie

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to Bas

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 6:10 AM

Works perfectly fine here. What exactly is the issue you're seeing?

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 9:18 AM

The issue is that I don't get any search results when I search for text that I know is inside certain office documents and text files. And yes, they're indexed.

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to Bas

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 9:37 AM

Ok, what version of Windows, WDS/WS and Office are you using? Where are you trying to search from, the start menu, explorer, Win+F...?

Bas
It finds lightbulbs.

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 9:47 AM

Vista Ultimate SP1, whatever search version comes with that, Office 2007. I'm searching from the start menu.

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to Bas

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 9:49 AM

That should work fine. Do you have a sample document (that doesn't return the results you expect) that I can use here for testing?

intelman

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 7th, 2008 @ 7:59 PM

Well, I do agree that is the best solution, but in my case I can't do that. WDS 4 doesn't work on Slackware...

If someone gives me sufficient money to get a Windows license on that PC, I'd do it Wink

. There has to be a workaround solution for non windows shares.

It isn't that I do not understand your argument, I just hate the current situation...

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to intelman

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 12:38 PM

As far as I know, there is no workaround. That feature (actually, that protocol handler) was removed mostly because of huge and unavoidable performance concerns.

intelman

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 1:24 PM

Understandable. Oh well I guess...

I hate to sorta hijack this thread, but WDS is actually giving me issues now,.

I cannot search anything that is in my Live Mesh folder. Are Live Mesh folders not indexed?

I can't search the .docx files that are there...

It looks added, and my index is complete. What gives?

PaoloM
Hypermediocrity

In reply to intelman

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 1:34 PM

Just as a note, in the latest dialog on advanced attributes... the checkbox "Index this folder for faster searching", just allows the indexer to see that folder. In fact, most of your disk should have that flag checked, but only folders that are actually included in the indexing scope are used.

You first dialog shows that you mesh folder should be indexed. Can you drop a txt in there and find it either by filename or content?

intelman

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 1:52 PM

I cannot find any .txt files that are there, infact, I do not think I can find any files that are there...

intelman

In reply to intelman

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 1:55 PM

So I formatted, and it does the same thing.

Not only that, I cannot search for *.exe files in all my indexed locations. (My C:\Users\Brandon\Downloads folder) I rebuilt the index, checked the settings, I am at a lost.

If I check "include non indexed locatoins" the desired results pop up. Weird.

Yggdrasil
Pour me a cab, 'cause I can't drink no more.

In reply to PaoloM

#Oct 8th, 2008 @ 1:52 PM

I have similar problems on my W2k8 server box (my main computer at home). I have an external USB drive with quite a few gigabytes of music on it, and Windows Search totally ignores them, both in the Start Menu quicksearch and the full search screen. I tried rebuilding the index... nothing. MP3 is marked to use File Properties filter in the File Types tab. Nothing.
Have pretty much given up on it. Good thing I keep a clean directory hierarchy for my music...

intelman

In reply to Yggdrasil

#Oct 16th, 2008 @ 10:05 AM

There has to be a reasonable solution to this.

Yggdrasil
Pour me a cab, 'cause I can't drink no more.

In reply to intelman

#Oct 16th, 2008 @ 10:09 AM

There probably is - some combination of settings that I've configured that messed it up - but honestly, even when it works it's not convenient. My typical usage pattern is going to g:\music\<artist> and going rightclick->play in winamp over an album. Searching does not allow me to do this any quicker.

spivonious

Don't mean to hijack...

I have WDS 4 on XP SP3 and can't seem to find the option to search in non-indexed locations. I don't want my entire drive indexed, but sometimes I want to search the entire drive. Is there anyway to do this without going back to dir /s ?