Windows search won't find certain files

pjfarr · 22 Jun 2018

I'm having a strange issue with Windows search.

I have a folder with dozens of articles saved in PDF format. If I open the folder and use the search bar to find a particular file by name it shows zero results. If I navigate to the immediate outer folder in which the article folder is stored and perform the same search, the results come up. If I go one more folder up, again no results. No results either searching from the taskbar.

This also happens with folders containing EPUB files.

Checked the indexing options and the folder is included. The index file has also been re-indexed.

What the—?

dalchina · 22 Jun 2018

Let's say folder A contains folder B, which is indexed and contains your pdf files. Folder A is not indexed. I think that's your structure- please correct me if I'm wrong.

If folder A has significant content, then searching with file explorer open at folder A will be relatively slow (search does not first look in indexed items, alas).

I would expect to see a green progress bar as the search progresses.

Could you please post a screenshot showing such a search, including your search string and showing the actual name of the indexed file you hope to find? Thanks.

pjfarr · 22 Jun 2018

That was it! My heirarchy is D:/Library/Articles

It was the indexing as you suggested. I was under the impression that if a parent folder was indexed all folders/files within it would be too.

Thanks dalchina. You've helped me with other issues in the past and you're always bang on. I appreciate it.