Windows 10: Windows explorer search does not find files that are obviously there.

Windows explorer search does not find files that are obviously there. It does not seem to find files after 12/31/2024.I have rebooted, restarted the index, and even rebuilt the index. Nothing works.I am look for an APP which will do this since Windows Explorer Search does not work.

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File explorer search not finding files that are obviously there

When in the file explorer normally I can find files easily by doing control-F then typing in a few letters or if looking for a specific type using type:.zip for example. On my new Windows 10 machine (purchased just a few weeks ago) this doesn't work. See
the video below for an example. Even when there is obviously a file right there visible in the folder when I type the start of the filename in the search box it doesn't show it at all.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16chk2X3bKmKgFbpcbXKGnDGdpdI8EXnH/view

What I have done so far:

I went through some steps found in other posts and checked to make sure that services.msc had the Windows Search running (you will see me check this in the video linked above).

Ran the troubleshooter as suggested in another post but it said that no problems were found.

How can I get this fixed?

 

File Explorer Search Not Working


I am trying to search in File Explorer (Windows Explorer, My Computer) and it will not find anything. I can copy text from a name in the list and paste it in the search box and it still finds nothing. I have looked at the suggestions that have been posted and nothing I find that is relative to this works. Anyone have any suggestions? I am running Win 10 Pro on an I3 coustom desktop computer.

 

Windows File Explorer search not finding text in files that is obviously there

Hi, BitEngineer. I'm sorry to hear you're having this problem, and I hope I can assist you to find a satisfactory solution.

I can provide some additional suggestions to troubleshoot the issue:

Rebuild the search index: The search index is used by Windows Explorer to quickly find files. Sometimes, rebuilding the search index can help resolve search-related issues. To rebuild the search index, go to the Windows Settings app, select "Search," click on "Searching Windows," and then click on "Advanced search indexing options." In the Indexing Options window, click on "Advanced," and then click on "Rebuild" under the Troubleshooting section. Follow the prompts to rebuild the search index.

Check file indexing status: Ensure that the file types you are searching in Windows Explorer are included in the search index. In the Indexing Options window (as described in step 1), click on the "Modify" button, and make sure that the file types you want to search within are selected. If they are not selected, tick the checkbox next to the desired file types and click "OK" to include them in the search index.

Verify file content indexing: Double-check that the file contents are being indexed by Windows. In the Indexing Options window, click on the "Advanced" button, switch to the "File Types" tab, locate the file type you are searching within, and ensure that the "Index Properties and File Contents" option is selected. If it's not selected, tick the checkbox and click "OK" to enable content indexing for that file type.

Use alternative search tools: If the Windows Explorer search continues to have issues, you can try using alternative search tools like Everything Search, Agent Ransack, or FileLocator Lite. These tools offer advanced search capabilities and may provide better results for your search requirements.

Please note: This is a user-to-user community forum. We are users just like you who help others. We are not employees of Microsoft.