Windows 10: Can Windows File Explorer's search index include external network shares dynamically?

I manage a small office network and often need to search files across multiple shared drives. Is there a way to make Windows File Explorer automatically include external network shares in its search index, dynamically updating as shares are added or removed? Are there any registry tweaks, Group Policy settings, or third-party tools recommended by Microsoft that could assist with this?

:)

 

Index search in File Explorer

Hello,

on my keyboard there is a search button (magnifying glass).

In Windows 7 this key opened up Windows Explorer and in the righthand upper corner I could enter my search and the complete index was searched.

Now it opens up some flyout.

The problems is that :

- with a lot of hits, you don't get a good overview of all the results

- in windows 7 all hits were organised in columns with lots of info and the possibility to order the results.

I want to do a search in Windows 10/ File explorer, like I did in Windows 7.

But how to search the index in Windows 10/ File explorer?

If I search this pc everything is searched, indexed and not indexed content, even my external drive is searched. And it is slow 'working on it' is the message I get.

I can search only my harddrive but the problem is the same: indexed and not indexed content is searched. Slow. 'working on it'

The index says: "indexing complete".

thanks.

 

Index search in File Explorer

Hello,

I suggest you to try the below step to see if it resolves the issue.



If the index can't find a file that you know exists in an indexed location, you might need to rebuild the index. Rebuilding the index can take several hours, and searches might be incomplete until the index is fully rebuilt.

1. Open Indexing Options by clicking the
Start button and then clicking Control Panel. In the
search box, type indexing options, and then click
Indexing Options.

2. Click Advanced. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3. In the Advanced Options dialog box, click the
Index Settings tab, and then click Rebuild. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Reference:

Windows help and learning.

Windows help and learning.

Hope this helps to resolve the issue. Please revert for any clarification on this or any Windows issue. We will be glad to help you.

 

Windows Search service: Not using the index on network drives searches

Sounds a tricky problem, and not one I've seen reported- and certainly not in this detail. Suggest as a simple experiment you again monitor the number of items indexed (on the server, if that's where the files are), but now pick one of the xls files you have listed that was not found. Delete it - does the number indexed decrement? Copy it back - does the number indexed increment? If so you know it's being indexed. The issue then is what happens with the actual search- and so, as you suggest, perhaps a matter of access rights. If the above is successful, again (FWIW) try finding that file. Are the xls files not being found in the exact same folder as the one that is found? To eliminate network/sharing issues etc, try copying one of the files not found onto your PC. Then try searching for it. If it is found, there's a chance you might learn something about some difference between settings or permissions or ownership for the two instances of that file. It sounds as if you've compared the permissions and ownership for the found and not found files. However I note the one that IS found is a 'copie' - suggesting that's a copy made for test purposes perhaps- begging the question of what's different between that and the others.