Windows Explorer search - no search results in subfolders

scottyja · 08 Feb 2018

dalchina said:

It must be that. Never having used junctions I can't comment, I'm afraid.
I would guess it's the difference between a logic representation and the physical reality.

What happens if you open explorer at the actual folders on E: ?

Somehow you can navigate an apparent folder structure, but as a starting point for the search, Windows isn't seeing that as equivalent to the physical folder containing the files, or a point in the hierarchy above them.

I think you nailed it. I can find the file if I search on E: and any subfolder in that drive. Not sure it's worth troubleshooting any more at this point. It is definitely odd that Windows will find it at the Pictures directory level (whether looking at C: or E: drives), but once you drill down in C: it loses sight of it. Either way, think I just know to search from E: from here on out.

I tried doing the move location to E: initially, but if I installed an application on C:, many of them would recreate the directories on C:, which was frustrating. I'd then have 'Pictures' under C:\Users\ and on E: - I gave up and just made junctions, which has worked wonderfully so far (except for this week's revelation). Maybe I spend some time seeing if I get get Windows search/index to follow junctions - that should solve it. If so, I'll update this thread.

Thanks for the help!

dalchina · 08 Feb 2018

I can find the file if I search on E: and any subfolder in that drive.

- sounds like progress, if not a solution.

Maybe someone somewhere can give a precise explanation of what's going on.

It might be interesting to compare how a 3rd party search tool (free, often recommended) - find as you type- copes.
E.g.
Locate32 (which I prefer); Everything by void tools - more services and background CPU use I found- Ultrasearch.

It's really handy to have one of those as well. Fast MFT indexing, no content indexing although there are some extra options which support search in found text files, reg ex search, fill-in fields for date, size limits etc etc.

Unlike Windows search, you don't have to think.