"We're getting search ready" error - Windows/Cortana Search

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  1. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #41

    eisenb11 said:
    Interesting, my user folders (Documents, Pictures, etc) are on my E: drive, while Windows is on the C: drive. I had changed my default locations.

    Do you think that this is causing the problem?

    If so, are you saying that I should:

    1. Drop everything from the index list and rebuild
    2. Restore Documents, Pictures, etc to the default location (C:) and rebuild the index
    3. Point Documetns, Pictures, etc back to the correct location (E:) and update the index again?

    Is that correct?

    ----

    EDIT

    I just did steps (1) and (2) and I'm still getting the dreaded "we're getting search ready" message. No point in moving to step 3.

    Search also isn't working right. For example, Outlook or Control Panel or any other app in my Start Menu isn't showing up even though they've been indexed.
    Sort of what I was leaning towards. Your setup is a bit different in that you changed the location of the user folders. I hadn't thought of that scenario, so good thinking on your part. Shame it didn't help.

    Your User Folders are in the default location now? Did you select each User folder on E: and changed
    Properties > location tab > [ Restore default ] button

    Did you restore the Libraries? Do you use Libraires?

    Did you add any entries back to the Indexing options?
    Standard installs would include your User, but exclude (clear the check box) AppData

    An easy method to see what Windows initially sets up is to create a new account and compare what you see there to what is on your main account. But indexing is system wide, so that won't help in this case. I'll look at a fresh install tomorrow and post what I see as the indexing options.

    Heck, that might even be the easiest way to 'fix' this. Let members know if the "we're getting search ready" occurs on the new test account. You can remove the test account afterwards.

    Restart your machine if not already done
    Create the test account
    sign off your account
    Sign in to the new account

    Side note: The way I understand it is: Indexing augments searching. It indexes additional properties and the contents of files. This allows you to quickly find text strings in the body of a file or use a property tag such as Date Taken for pictures.

    Search still works without indexing, it's just slower. There's an option to not use the Index for searches.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 13
    Windows 10 Pro
       #42

    Slartybart said:
    Sort of what I was leaning towards. Your setup is a bit different in that you changed the location of the user folders. I hadn't thought of that scenario, so good thinking on your part. Shame it didn't help.
    I think we may have lift-off!

    I think having changed my user directories was causing issues with indexing for some reason... something probably got borked when I upgraded from Win 8.1 to Win 10.

    What you had posted actually helped a ton (thanks for that by the way!). I ended up doing this:

    1. Go to indexing options and uncheck everything.
    2. Go to services and stop the Windows Search service, then switch to disabled
    3. Go to c:\programdata\microsoft\windows search and delete the data directory
    4. Go to the registry and go to Windows Search and change the SetupComplete setting from 1 to 0
    5. Go to my user icon on the desktop and for each user item I had changed, go to properties and change the location back to default
    6. Go to services and switch Windows Search back to automatic (delayed), and Start
    7. Wait for indexing to complete (it's fast) Since I have nothing
    8. Edit indexing and add back the non-user stuff (like the Start Menu)
    9. Wait for indexing to complete
    10. Oh no, but it's still got "we're getting search ready"... reboot the sucker!
    11. No more "we're getting search ready" and start menu search is finding programs... and control panel which was missing before!
    12. Now for each user item I defaulted back, re-point it back to where I want them on E drive instead of C drive
    13. Wait for indexing to complete (takes a lot longer this time, 80k items to index)
    14. Win!!!

    One things that threw me off-guard is that search is also a little different in Win 10 than Win 7 & Win 8. I have a file, say, My File.xls. In prior versions, I'd hit start, type My File, and it'll pop up in the search results. It appears that Win 10 doesn't like to show file search results in the base results... instead you have to select My Stuff to get those to pop up. Kinda of annoying as it adds some extra steps.

    Also FYI. I had tried the set up new account trick a few days ago and it appears that the "we're getting search ready" issue migrated over to there too since, as you mentioned, the index is shared so the problem appears to be shared (at least in my case) too.

    Thanks again!
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #43

    "We're getting search ready" error - Windows/Cortana Search


    eisenb11 said:
    One things that threw me off-guard is that search is also a little different in Win 10 than Win 7 & Win 8. I have a file, say, My File.xls. In prior versions, I'd hit start, type My File, and it'll pop up in the search results. It appears that Win 10 doesn't like to show file search results in the base results... instead you have to select My Stuff to get those to pop up. Kinda of annoying as it adds some extra steps.
    Yeah it's driving me insane!!!

    I still use Search Everything for searching files.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 52
    Windows 10 PRO x64
       #44

    This is really interesting….
    I also have the user folders relocated to another drive and I also updated from 8.1 to 10…

    Before I do this whole procedure I would like to ask the other users with the same problem whether they also had their user folders
    relocated, which seems to be the problem.

    Thank you…
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #45

    "We're getting search ready" error - Windows/Cortana Search


    Entropy said:
    This is really interesting….
    I also have the user folders relocated to another drive and I also updated from 8.1 to 10…

    Before I do this whole procedure I would like to ask the other users with the same problem whether they also had their user folders
    relocated, which seems to be the problem.

    Thank you…
    No. They were in their default location.
    C:¥Users

    However it happened to me when I added new locations to the index. After fixing the issue, I've added them back but so far so good.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 52
    Windows 10 PRO x64
       #46

    eisenb11 said:
    I think we may have lift-off!

    I think having changed my user directories was causing issues with indexing for some reason... something probably got borked when I upgraded from Win 8.1 to Win 10.

    What you had posted actually helped a ton (thanks for that by the way!). I ended up doing this:

    1. Go to indexing options and uncheck everything.
    2. Go to services and stop the Windows Search service, then switch to disabled
    3. Go to c:\programdata\microsoft\windows search and delete the data directory
    4. Go to the registry and go to Windows Search and change the SetupComplete setting from 1 to 0
    5. Go to my user icon on the desktop and for each user item I had changed, go to properties and change the location back to default
    6. Go to services and switch Windows Search back to automatic (delayed), and Start
    7. Wait for indexing to complete (it's fast) Since I have nothing
    8. Edit indexing and add back the non-user stuff (like the Start Menu)
    9. Wait for indexing to complete
    10. Oh no, but it's still got "we're getting search ready"... reboot the sucker!
    11. No more "we're getting search ready" and start menu search is finding programs... and control panel which was missing before!
    12. Now for each user item I defaulted back, re-point it back to where I want them on E drive instead of C drive
    13. Wait for indexing to complete (takes a lot longer this time, 80k items to index)
    14. Win!!!

    One things that threw me off-guard is that search is also a little different in Win 10 than Win 7 & Win 8. I have a file, say, My File.xls. In prior versions, I'd hit start, type My File, and it'll pop up in the search results. It appears that Win 10 doesn't like to show file search results in the base results... instead you have to select My Stuff to get those to pop up. Kinda of annoying as it adds some extra steps.

    Also FYI. I had tried the set up new account trick a few days ago and it appears that the "we're getting search ready" issue migrated over to there too since, as you mentioned, the index is shared so the problem appears to be shared (at least in my case) too.

    Thanks again!
    Ok thank you.

    The last questions now in order to start applying your solution:


    1. c:\programdata\microsoft\windows search --> what is the name of the folder I should delete there?
    2. Go to the registry and go to Windows Search … --> can you give me the exact key?
    3. Edit indexing and add back the non-user stuff (like the Start Menu) --> when I uncheck everything the Start Menu stays there… Is this also the case with you?
    4. Have you changed the registry from 0 to 1 after reboot?


    Thanks
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 13
    Windows 10 Pro
       #47

    Entropy said:
    The last questions now in order to start applying your solution:
    Hi there, answers below. These locations are more accurate (copying them exactly):

    1. c:\programdata\microsoft\windows search --> what is the name of the folder I should delete there?

    C:\programdata\Microsoft\Search... then delete the Data directory in there

    (Note that programdata is a hidden directory)

    2. Go to the registry and go to Windows Search … --> can you give me the exact key?

    HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsSearch, the key is SetupCompletedSuccessfully

    3. Edit indexing and add back the non-user stuff (like the Start Menu) --> when I uncheck everything the Start Menu stays there… Is this also the case with you?

    I think that may be correct, don't remember 100% due to sleep depravation! The main key is just to get all of your user stuff out of the index (and as much as possible to save time)

    4. Have you changed the registry from 0 to 1 after reboot?

    No, it changes itself back to 1 after it rebuilds your index

    Best of luck, let us know how it goes!
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #48

    eisenb11 said:
    I think we may have lift-off!
    .....
    Thanks again!
    Great news eisenb11,

    That's the beauty of these forums, sometimes a solution requires seeding (I posted some suggestions, you thought of additional or related things).

    Good work! You are now the expert in this area

    You are most welcome.

    Bill
    .
      My Computer


  9. pal
    Posts : 43
    Win10
       #49

    The just released update names files related to searching. So they might have fixed something
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 52
    Windows 10 PRO x64
       #50

    eisenb11 said:
    ...Best of luck, let us know how it goes!
    Hello,

    No luck at all!!!
    Not only it didn’t work but additionally I lost from the index the possibility to search OneNote, Sticky Notes, Outlook, Internet Explorer history etc…


    I have never before made an upgrade of windows from the older to newer….
    I only did clean installs in order to avoid similar problems that I knew that everybody had…


    It looks like I will have to reinstall everything….
      My Computer


 

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