Windows 8 search is not working properly.

WindowsUser

New Member
Messages
9
I'm having trouble with Windows search.

Neither the start screen nor the search feature within Explorer will return any results if the files I want to look for are on my secondary HDD. This is a bit of a problem as all of my documents, pictures, videos, downloads etc are on this secondary drive.

I can even go into the documents library and search using Explorer, and it still won't find anything that I search for.

Any suggestions? Everything is indexed and the indexing is complete.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
I'm having trouble with Windows search.

Neither the start screen nor the search feature within Explorer will return any results if the files I want to look for are on my secondary HDD. This is a bit of a problem as all of my documents, pictures, videos, downloads etc are on this secondary drive.

I can even go into the documents library and search using Explorer, and it still won't find anything that I search for.

Any suggestions? Everything is indexed and the indexing is complete.

Hello there!

Go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Troubleshooting\System and Security and select "Search and Indexing" let it fix it for you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Thanks for the quick reply. It didn't find any problems.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
Last edited by a moderator:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    CPU
    Intel i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX 650
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
    Hard Drives
    Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
    Case
    Antec SOLO II
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
    Mouse
    Logitech MX
Yea, they're already in my libraries.

I've given up getting Windows to search it, it just refuses for whatever reason.

I downloaded a program called Everything, and I'll be trying that for a period.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Yes, its all indexed.

It just seems that Windows search won't work on a drive that Windows isn't installed on. A bit stupid if you ask me, but this was confirmed by one of MS's technical agents.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
No, that's not true as it works on my second and third drives.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    CPU
    Intel i7 3770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Z77X-UD4 TH
    Memory
    16GB DDR3 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia GTX 650
    Sound Card
    Onboard Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Auria 27" IPS + 2x Samsung 23"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440 + 2x 2048x1152
    Hard Drives
    Corsair m4 256GB, 2 WD 2TB drives
    Case
    Antec SOLO II
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
    Mouse
    Logitech MX
WindowsUser,

It's finds items on my other non Windows 8 drives as well.

You might also rebuild the index to make sure it's updated.


Do you have your search settings set like below?

10535d1351982733-search-windows-8-folder_options.jpg
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Yes, I have the search settings as above.

Everything is indexed, the index has been rebuilt several times. I've moved it to a different drive, I've repaired the service.

It just refuses to work. I'm a bit confused as to why an MS Tech told me it wouldn't work, but OK.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
Did you do an upgrade install or clean install to Windows 8?

If upgrade, then you might consider what Shyam posted earlier to refresh Windows 8. It seems a lot of folks are having issues after doing an upgrade install for various reasons.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
No, it was done from a clean state.

It either just won't work, or my issue stems from the files in my libraries having been in libraries in previous installs. In which case one would think it's a permissions issue, but after having ensured all permissions settings are correct, the issue remains.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
Odd. It seems like you have pretty much everything set properly for the index and search settings.

Did you also check to make sure that all the file types (extensions) were added to the index as well?


Index - Add or Remove File Types - Windows 7 Forums


As a test to see if it's just an issue in your account, create a new administrator account, sign in to it, and see how search works in it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Created a new admin account - didn't work still.

All file types are included in search. I think a reinstall is the only possible way to fix it, although I'm not convinced that will work.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
Please let us know how it goes with it. You might check search right after the clean install is finished, and after each time you install anything to see if it may reveal a cause.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
I'm just going to use an alternate program for finding files. It must be something extremely obscure that's stopping it from working.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro
    CPU
    i7 2600K
    Motherboard
    ASROCKS Extreme 4M
    Memory
    8GB DDR 3 1333Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 670 GTX
I am having the exact same issue and have done all of the suggested steps. Keen to know if there is a fix for this issue any time soon.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
    CPU
    Core i5 3.4GHz
    Memory
    8GB
I am having the exact same issue and have done all of the suggested steps. Keen to know if there is a fix for this issue any time soon.

Won't fix any w8 \ w7 search problems (search deficiencies + horrible interface being built into the OS lol), but this will dig up whatever you need to find, always, in any hidden corner. It's an excellent tool:

Agent Ransack - Free File Searching Utility

The standard win search is fine to find the calculator + the latest pictures of the cat, but I cannot trust it for anything else.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W8.1, W7
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP \ Toshiba \ Lenovo \ Dell E7440
    Browser
    FF
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