Windows 10: Problem with search\indexing in Winodows 11:

I am using Windows 11 Home on an LG gram notebook.The problem: The indexing results keep disappearing. Once I rebuild the index or restart the search in services.msc, I get the right indexing results. However, after some time, I don't see any results; instead, I only see suggestions for URLs on the internet. I have tried many suggestions on how to resolve the indexing problem on the community board and elsewhere. None worked. This is a somewhat "new" phenomenon: search\indexing is resolved momentarily but then disappears for some reason. Any help would be highly appreciated!

:)

 

Windows 10 indexing / search

Hi Erik,

System conflict is one of the possible reasons why the index built will not function properly. We suggest running the Search and Indexing troubleshooter by following these steps to resolve your issue:

• Open Control Panel.
• In the search box, type troubleshooting.
• Click on Troubleshooting.
• Click on View all.
• Select Search and Indexing and select the proper scenario that you are experiencing on indexing and click
  Next for the troubleshooting to begin.

Update us with the outcome so we can provide you further assistance.

 

Windows 11 Windows Search not searching or Indexing PDFs

Brand new Dell XPS laptop with Windows 11. It will not search text within PDF files. From looking on the internet seems like there are lots of problems Windows Search in Windows 11 which did not exist in Windows 10. Including not searching/indexing contents of PDF files, which is critical for me.

Has ANYONE been able to search within PDF files on Windows 11?

Please don't suggest re-indexing, have done 6 or 7 times. And, yes indexing settings are set to index contents of PDF files.

 

Windows 11 Search Index Pauses and never completes.

Hi



Welcome to Microsoft community.



The issue you're encountering with Windows 11 search indexing pausing and never completing is indeed frustrating, especially when it affects several users within your environment. While this problem has sporadically appeared in previous versions of Windows, it's concerning to hear it's persisting in Windows 11, despite your efforts to rectify it, including disabling antivirus software and changing the index location.

Given the steps you've already taken, here are some additional troubleshooting steps and considerations that might help resolve the indexing issue:

Ensure all devices are fully updated. Sometimes, Microsoft releases patches for known issues through Windows Updates.

Ensure that the PCs are not set to a power-saving mode, which might limit background processes like indexing.

• Go to Settings > System > Power & sleep and adjust the settings for the PCs to be more performance-oriented.
  

Disk errors can cause problems with file indexing. Running a check disk can identify and potentially fix these issues.

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator and type chkdsk /f /r then press Enter. The system may need to restart to complete the scan.
  

Microsoft provides a troubleshooter that can reset Windows Search completely:

• Download and run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter from Microsoft's official website. Follow the prompts to diagnose and resolve any issues found.
  

It sounds like you've already tried rebuilding the index, but ensure to follow these steps to completely reset it:

• Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows.
  
• Click on Advanced indexing options > Advanced > Rebuild under Troubleshooting. Note that rebuilding the index can take a long time, especially if there are many files to process.
  

If these PCs are part of a domain, ensure that there aren't any Group Policy settings inadvertently affecting the indexing service.

• Run gpedit.msc and navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. Verify that policies like "Allow Cortana" and "Allow search and Cortana to use location" are configured correctly.
  

Improper file permissions can hinder the indexer's ability to scan certain locations. Ensure that the SYSTEM account has proper permissions to all directories included in the index.

Ensure that the Windows Search service is set to start automatically and is running:

• Press Win + R , type services.msc and press Enter.
  
• Find Windows Search in the list, right-click it, select Properties, set Startup type to Automatic, and ensure the service is running.
  

Event Viewer may provide more insight into what's causing the indexing to pause. Look under Windows Logs > Application for any warnings or errors related to search or indexing.

As a test, create a new user profile on one of the affected machines. If indexing works correctly on the new profile, the issue might be specific to the user profiles, which could necessitate more specific troubleshooting or profile recreation.

Please feel free to let me know how it goes.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist