Windows 10: Is it possible at all for Microsoft to actually fix the broken file indexing?

You would think with billions of dollars and years of people complaining about Windows indexing and searching a little bit of effort could be put into making a system where you can actually find files and search for things without digging through forums. I've dealt with this 5 years ago and here in 2022 dealing with the EXACT same problem. Somebody gives me three hard drives that are 4tb each and I need to find specific files. Should be easy right? Not with a Microsoft OS. I plug them in I get no option to or anything to even ask me if I wish to index them for searching. You go and type in t

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Is it possible at all for Microsoft to actually fix the broken file indexing?

You would think with billions of dollars and years of people complaining about Windows indexing and searching a little bit of effort could be put into making a system where you can actually find files and search for things without digging through forums. I've dealt with this 5 years ago and here in 2022 dealing with the EXACT same problem. Somebody gives me three hard drives that are 4tb each and I need to find specific files. Should be easy right? Not with a Microsoft OS. I plug them in I get no option to or anything to even ask me if I wish to index them for searching. You go and type in the search what you want and after 10 minutes realize the drives are not indexed and 4tb each I don't have the time.

So the pain has already started. Google (notice not using Bing) and find that I have to go Indexing Options and add the drives. Annoying that in 2022 we are having to look this up but OK, not that bad. Select the drives and then it starts indexing. For all of 30 seconds. Then it says Indexing Paused. So what gives? If people are going in to set a drive to be indexed it would be pretty good assumption they don't want it indexed tomorrow or a week from now... but I'm sitting there not touching the mouse or keyboard and it just says paused. No resume button. No way to get started.

Now the pain is real. I have to get the files for a legal case and I'm under pressure. So I start searching the Internet and there is page after page after page of people complaining. People BEGGIING for Microsoft to fix this. Instead you get technical people giving all sorts of advice with restarting services, changing registry setting, battery options while it is plugged in. I just want to search for my files, not become a Microsoft Certified Desktop Engineer. Restart the services they say. Ok it starts indexing and then says it is slow because of user activity... I'm not even touching the keyboard or mouse nothing at all. I just need my files to be indexed but instead this broken OS decides that finding files is not a priority for an OS... instead just sit on pause. So dig and do more research. And the thing is because so many people are having trouble and nothing is ever done to make the user experience better the solutions are all over the map. What should be one of the most simple core features of an OS is a freaking nightmare. What is worse, until it is done indexing the search returns incorrect results. No warning at the time. Just like the files are not there. So you think they are not... but it is really that not is just the index system tough to keep running at all... it is SLOW. So slow.

So finally after several hours I find out I can do a registery setting change that will force the indexing to keep going when you are doing things. What I can't possibly understand is after Windows 7, 8 , 9, 10, and now 11 that Microsoft can't come up with a user friendly non-techinical way to make searching for files easier and reliable. So many little cosmetic changes and things that I never asked for a new version of Windows while core functionality is one step up from broken. It is this lack of attention to usability over the past 20 years that allowed Ubuntu/Linux to become the OS of choice for servers and Apple to be seen as the leader in usability and ease of use.

My question is why with so many people complaining about this why can this problem not be elevated and taken seriously?

If you want to give me a job at your company I have no doubt I would be the one that would not be pounding the table in manager meetings and demanding that Microsoft actually do the hard work to fix this.

Between this and Microsoft OneDrive I have lost many many hours of work because core file management,, one of the most important features of a modern operating system is beyond frustrating. With a Ryzen 6000 series 9 and 32GB Windows was able to index 97,000 files in the time I wrote this with absolutely nothing else running. So I essentially can't provide the documents the court is asking for and that can only harm me in ways I can't even predict.

FIX THIS!

 

indexing Publisher files

Hi,

What do you mean when you say 'how can I change Publisher to the other filter ?'

Run the Search and Indexing Troubleshooter.

Windows 10 has a built-in troubleshooter to check and fix issues with search and indexing of files and folders. I would suggest you to run this troubleshooter to check the status of the issue. Refer these steps:

• 
  Press Windows key + X, select
  Control panel.
  
• 
  Change the view by option on the top right to
  Large icons.
  
• 
  Click on troubleshooting and click on the
  view all option on the left panel.
  
• 
  Run the Search and Indexing troubleshooter.
  
• 
  Restart your computer and check if the issue is resolved.
  

Thank you.

 

Nonfunctioning Explorer Search, broken permissions, indexing chaos..

If you followed the linked indexing rebuild tip (step 5) in a previous post, note that for some reason they suggest indexing file contents as well as properties - that is bound to be slower than just indexing properties. Also, I note you are indexing at least 3 partitions. I would stick to just one 'main' one first, properties only, to see if the indexing can complete.