Windows 10: Search doesn't find web shortcuts

I have a program group that contains a bunch of shortcuts. Some are applications. Some are shortcut links to web pages or web-based control panels. The problem is that ever since I upgraded to Windows 10, searching doesn't find the web shortcuts. For example, "Password Generator" is a desktop app and a shortcut to it appears in this program group. So I press the Windows key and type "pass" and "Password Generator" pops right up. "Avast Cloud" also appears in this program group, a shortcut for Avast Business Cloud Console. But when I hit the Windows key and type "avast" I get nothing. I can click through the "All apps" menu and it's there, but search can't find it. I have rebuilt the index, of course. But this behavior is very consistent and applies to all shortcuts that go to a URL. It means I spend extra time hunting things in the menu rather than pulling them right up with search.

Any ideas what causes this and if there's a solution to it?

:)

 

Navigating in Windows 10 using a keyboard

Thank you Mr. Kishore for your reply

Perhaps I should point out that I carefully followed the steps that you suggested. In the end, I got the
Did't find anything message.

In the following discussion, every shortcut mentioned comes from the following folder:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Dossiers

In the same discussion, the Search tool is the one accessed by pressing the Search key, which has the magnifying glass logo on it.

If a shortcut's target type is Windows Batch File, then the search tool finds the shortcut. For example, the name of one shortcut is
Open Bills -- Bell. After having invoked the search tool, I simply type
Bell. Right away, it finds the
Open Bills -- Bell shortcut and selects it. Please note that it doesn't suggest to search the web even though I left my
Search online and include web results setting turned
On. I then press the Enter key. Then, File Explorer opens where the current folder displays a list of Bell invoices. Everything works fine with this shortcut. Below is a screen capture just before I press the Enter key.



On the other hand, if a shortcut's target type is
File Folder, then the search tool doesn't find the shortcut. For example, the name of such a shortcut is
Open Kobo. After having invoked the Search tool, even if I type
Open Kobo, it suggests to
Search the web. The screen shot below is the result of this procedure.



This bug didn't exist in Windows 8.1. I don't think that the Search tool should discriminate against certain types of shortcuts. Using the Search tool, I should be able to easily access and execute anything I like on my PC.

Thank you

 

how to make a desk top icon(s) of the Windows icon and 'search web and Windows' that have appeared on my bottom taskbar after downloading Windows 10 recently;

Hi,

As you asked about the shortcuts whether the 'Search the Web and Windows' (Cortana) can be created as a shortcut on the Desktop, We are sorry Windows doesn't have the option to make the Cortana as shortcut file on the Desktop.

'Search the Web and Windows' (Cortana) is designed to be fixed in the Taskbar. It can't be added as a Shortcut file on the Desktop.

Keep us posted if you are facing any other issues on Windows. We are glad to help you.

 

You need to have Index set to index the whole drive, not just select folders for your user profile. Once it builds a proper search index, they should show up.

I would just keep them in a desktop folder, or have the folder Pinned to the Taskbar for you to just go in and open it. Any Bookmarks should be in the Favorites folder that IE & Edge uses. You can also make a Start menu folder to have them show up in the programs listing as if it was a installed program.

 

The folder these shortcuts are in IS in the indexing list. They are in a folder under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. And they do show up in the start menu. But for some reason they don't show up when searching.

 

Like I stated before, go in and remove those and just check "C:". Then tell it to rebuild the index. It should work.

 

Are you even running Windows 10? I check C: and it automatically excludes AppData and ProgramData and those are the areas that contain the menu items so it won't index them.

Sure there are other ways to work around this. I noticed that one of the web shortcuts forces the use of a particular browser. That one shows up because it's not a web shortcut. So I guess if I re-create all the shortcuts as a link to a cmd file that contains just a "start" command to launch the link, it'll work. It's just stupid to have to work around something that worked perfectly well in XP, Vista, Win7, 8 and 8.1. It's a step backwards. What could possibly be the reasoning for not indexing the name of a shortcut to a URL?

 

I have 10 on my test box. Appdata and Programdata is where the menu shortcuts and metro apps are. You can force it by checking those boxes like I did.

Watch out on Index. Any time the new rollout or a fix for the current one is pushed. It always changes Index back to the built in settings.