Windows 10: Windows Search not indexing PDF files if using Adobe Reader

I thought I'd post this as an issue I came across today.

I noticed that the contents of PDF files were not showing up in Searches from File Explorer (and I guess Cortana).

I should be able to type in a word from a PDF file and, as long as the PDF file is in an indexed location, this should appear in search results.

It turns out that this is a problem which occurs when Adobe Reader is installed, apparently affecting x64 versions of Windows.

The search "iFilter" for PDFs gets broken, so the search doesn't index them. When looking in Indexing Options | Advanced | File Types, the entry for .pdf says "Registered iFilter is not found".

This seems to be the relevant page on Adobe's Knowledge base:
https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/p...0-install.html

Note that it says it's fixed in Adobe Reader 11.04, but I'm using a later version of Adobe Reader and still had the problem in Windows 10 x64.

:)

 

Cannot search contents of pdf files using File explorer

I have now resolved the problem in my

1 Windows 7 x64, computer [with Adobe Reader XI],

2 Windows 10 x86 [32 bit] computer [with Adobe Reader XI].

3 Windows 10 x64 computer [with Adobe Reader DC], and

1 For Windows 7 x64, I downloaded & installed the latest version of Adobe’s 64 bit iFilter - see
Adobe - Acrobat
For Windows
PDF iFilter 64 11.0.01.

I assumed that the Windows indexer would be confused by the change of indexing filter so I deleted the index and let Windows rebuild it - Control panel, [View by - Small icons, if necessary], Indexing options, Advanced.
It took a couple of hours.

I then tested searching for text in pdf files and it worked correctly.

Before rebuilding the index, I checked all the folders included in indexing and adjusted them as a few were no longer relevant - that’s in Control panel, [View by - Small icons, if necessary], Indexing options, Modify.
I could have done that at any time as it’s a fairly routine task.

2 All the online information I had studied referred to the PDF indexing problem [& hence the Windows search problem] as being confined to 64 bit OS.
So I just rebuilt the index in my Windows 10 x86 [32 bit] computer instead to see what that would achieve - {right-click on the Start button}, Control panel, [View by - Small icons, if necessary],
Indexing options, Advanced. It took at least five hours as it is a very old computer.

I then tested searching for text in pdf files and it worked correctly.

3 I noted in the Adobe link above that Adobe’s 64 bit iFilter is not described as being Windows 10 compatible.
So, for my Windows 10 x64 computer, I thought I’d just try rebuilding the index instead to see what that would achieve -
- {right-click on the Start button}, Control panel, [View by - Small icons, if necessary], Indexing options, Advanced.
It took a couple of hours.

I then tested searching for text in pdf files and it worked correctly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was keen to get Windows search working properly because I often use it in [Windows 7] Windows explorer / [Windows 10] File explorer.

I use the Adobe Reader “Search” function [rather than its “Find” function] a lot as well.
I frequently create pdf files by printing to pdf when I read web pages that I might want to refer to later, by using Word’s “Save as pdf” capability for lots of reference documents such as technical procedures and by saving any scanned documents
in pdf “Image on text” format.

Now that I have both search functions working correctly, I can use them in conjunction with each other to very good effect.

I search from Windows explorer / File explorer first as that identifies the files containing the text I’m interested in.
I can open & look at whatever I want as you’d expect.

Then, if the pdf files identified in the Windows search results are very long, I open them in Adobe Reader and use its “Search” function.
The tree-like presentation of its results makes referring to specific topics within large pdf files a breeze.
This screenshot shows one of two results within a large pdf file, I select each result and Adobe Reader automatically takes me to it within the document itself so I can jump around the document backwards and forwards to any of the search
hits. Incidentally, the screenshot also illustrates the fact that Reader’s search function can search within whole folder trees - the unexpanded entries you can see in the search results are the other pdf documents where the
search term was found in that group of folders so I can jump around search hits within multiple pdf documents easily.



It is this “search” function that keeps me using Adobe Reader.
I posted a more detailed review of this function in

A guide to using Windows Search; two alternatives to Windows Search

[the same information is also in A Guide to Using Windows Search;
Two Alternatives to Windows - Wiki]

I have seen several other pdf readers recommended as being faster or less demanding of system resources.
Foxit Reader has an advanced search function that is more convenient than Adobe's as it is built-in to the standard toolbar.
I don't know if
Sumatra PDF or Nitro PDF Reader have an equivalent. [This para was edited 23 Dec 2015]

 

Cannot search contents of pdf files using File explorer

The indexer is set up to search pdf file contents. There are no other apparent indexing or searching problems.

This looks just like the problem that existed in previous versions of Windows. Attempts at using new Adobe iFilters / jFilters or by running registry hacks were claimed by some to have fixed things but others reported no change.


The only wholely reliable solution at the time was running two searches

1 using Windows explorer in case the content was in a non-pdf file &

2 using Adobe Reader Advanced search function in case the content was in a pdf file.

Is this limitation affecting all Windows 10 installations or just mine?

Is there a well-tested solution other than just installing Adobe Reader & using its Advanced search function again?

 

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but it's exactly the problem I'm having and I'm not clear how to fix it.
I'm running Windows 10 Enterprise version 1607, build 14393.1770, along with Adobe Reader 11.0.13.
I'm having this problem where the indexing service is not working for pdf files. I have attached a screen capture of the registry key referenced in the article. It appears the correct handler was renamed "Prev" and replaced by another handler. Is the fix to copy the value of Prev to Default or to install the Adobe iFilter? I'm asking because the download page for Adobe iFilter does not say it's for Windows 10.

 

I can't remember whether I tried the Adobe iFilter, and I think a simpler option is the Registry fix.

But there is always a risk in playing with the Registry so it's a good time to make sure your backups are up to date before you start. At the very least I would Export the registry key before making any changes, so you could re-import it if it goes wrong.

You are correct that the Prev option needs to be changed or copied to the default. That Prev option relates to the Windows 8 Reader app - although I don't think the Reader app is in Windows 10 by default any more, the iFilter should still be there.

Another alternative might be to upgrade to Adobe Reader DC, which is worth considering in any case because Adobe Reader 11 has just gone out of support. I would hope that Reader DC would have a better iFilter (although I've not tried it).

 

Thank you for the reply. This is an enterprise computer. I asked the IT department if they had any idea what the proper fix should be and they suggested trying the registry fix. This is a recently re-imaged computer and it already had Adobe Reader XI, so maybe it is the culprit. I'll save the current default and rename the prev to default. I'll post an update when I get a chance to try it. Thanks again.