Windows Explorer search - no search results in subfolders

I apologize if I get some of the terminology wrong. Hopefully the screenshots will help. Basically if I open Windows Explorer and select Pictures from the Navigation page, I can search for a file (IMG_2354) and find it correctly. The file is located in (C:\Users\<username>\Pictures\camera_originals). However, if I drill down in Windows Explorer to the 'camera_originals' directory, the search does not work (please see screenshots).

I've tried adding files to the index and rebuilding the index. There is no change. The only thing I can think of causing a complication are user directories (Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc..) are on a separate drive from my c drive. My c drive is a small SSD, so I have junctions pointing the e drive. This has been working fine for over a year, though, and the search problem is just starting. Any ideas where to start?

This is the search that works:
search-ms:displayname=Search%20Results%20in%20Pictures&crumb=System.Generic.String%3AIMG_2353_2017&crumb=lo cation:C%3A%5CUsers%5C<username>%5CPictures


This one does not:
search-ms:displayname=Search%20Results%20in%20camera_originals&crumb=System.Generic.String%3AIMG_2353_2017& crumb=location:C%3A%5CUsers%5C<username>%5CPictures%5Ccamera_originals

Hello and welcome to TF,

Have you tried checking the windows search index service in services.msc?

Right click bottom left of your screen >>> Run >>> type in "services.msc" >>> look for a service called either "Windows Search" or "Windows Search Index" and double click it. Now click on "stop">>> restart your pc >>>open services.msc again and click on start. Now check if it's working.

Let me know if this helped.

dalchina said:

Hi, not sure about this one- but the fact that you say it's only started to be a problem recently is significant, suggesting some change or corruption.

Maybe I should have said I just noticed it recently. Perhaps it's always been an issue, but it seems to be the sort of thing I would have quickly noticed. The Windows Search Troubleshooter couldn't find anything. I'll try a restore point when I get home.

Midou35000 said:

Have you tried checking the windows search index service in services.msc?

No luck there, either. I guess it's not the biggest issue in the world, and I can find the files if I know where to initiate the search, just hoping it's not the sign of something larger.

dalchina said:

Presumably when you navigate to the 'camera_originals' folder, you can see the files there, can you?

It's hard to imagine displaying a folder with a file name present, searching with a string that matches that name, and it not being found.

Yes, the file is there. The search is successful if I do it in Explorer from the Pictures directory, or Quick Access or even 'This PC', but once I start drilling down, it's like it doesn't exist.

So here's a picture of the file in it's folder:



Even weirder - if I search from c:, I can find the file:



If I drill down to *any* sub-folder (in this case Users), no dice:



If I search for *any* file named "IMG*", which there are thousands, I get nothing, even when doing the search from the folder the files are in:



I get similar behavior with mp3 or mp4 files. If I search the whole c: or e:, I can find thousands. Drill down to my User directories and nothing comes up. This is a head scratcher.

Search reset has not helped.