Strange Local Search Results

theoldfarter · 03 Sep 2020

I have only had this laptop for three months, which came with Windows 10 home pre-installed.

Using the Search box next to the Start icon at the bottom left of the screen, the search results show files (photos, videos, documents) from well before I bought this laptop. For example January 2019.

By the names of the files, I realize that they are all from an external Hard Drive that I have been using for years.

Three questions:
1. How can this Laptop show the name of a file, that has been accessed seventeen months before by my previous Laptop? (that Laptop was sent back for repair, after I had done a Factory Restore, but was deemed unrepairable).

2. How can I delete that type of history so that when I put in the same search words, those previous results will not be shown?

3. How can I stop this from happening in the future, when I connect an external Hard Drive?

dalchina · 03 Sep 2020

Hi, unusual- did you transfer accounts and programs etc from the old laptop, or clean install?

Could some form of synchronisation be responsible?

Are you using the same account as on the old laptop?

You can try rebuilding your search index:
Rebuild Search Index in Windows 10

(3) In Indexing Options, Indexed Locations, ensure only internal drive letters are enabled.

E.g.
How to search other drives from Windows search on Windows 10

theoldfarter · 03 Sep 2020

The old & new Laptops were different brands so I could not use the Macrium Reflect image I had of the old Laptop.
It was a fresh install of Windows on the new one.

I was also wondering if synchronisation was the culprit. I logged in to my account on their website & deleted the stuff Microsoft collects. I also went through the Privacy setting on my Laptop and disabled Microsoft collecting anything.

Same Microsoft online account on both Laptops.

Rebuilt the Search Index. Made no difference, the files still show.
In the Index Locations, when I plugged in an external Hard Drive, the box next to the drive is unticked.

Found the fix:
Go to Settings/Search Permissions & History/History/search history on this device. It says "To improve your search suggestions, let Windows search store your Search history locally on this device". It was ON, have turned it OFF.
I then clicked on the button that says "Clear device Search history".

Now those files from last year do not show.

Thanks dalchina, for your help.

dalchina · 04 Sep 2020

Thanks, interesting- a somewhat odd and confusing carry over with your account.