Windows Search not indexing PDF files if using Adobe Reader


  1. Posts : 1,524
    Windows 10 Pro (32-bit) 16299.15
       #1

    Windows Search not indexing PDF files if using Adobe Reader


    I thought I'd post this as an issue I came across today.

    I noticed that the contents of PDF files were not showing up in Searches from File Explorer (and I guess Cortana).

    I should be able to type in a word from a PDF file and, as long as the PDF file is in an indexed location, this should appear in search results.

    It turns out that this is a problem which occurs when Adobe Reader is installed, apparently affecting x64 versions of Windows.

    The search "iFilter" for PDFs gets broken, so the search doesn't index them. When looking in Indexing Options | Advanced | File Types, the entry for .pdf says "Registered iFilter is not found".

    This seems to be the relevant page on Adobe's Knowledge base:
    https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/p...0-install.html

    Note that it says it's fixed in Adobe Reader 11.04, but I'm using a later version of Adobe Reader and still had the problem in Windows 10 x64.

    iFilter PDF search doesn't work on Windows 8 x64

    Windows 8 64 bit provides native support for the PDF iFilter, which enables indexing PDFs so you can search for specific text. Installing Acrobat or Reader 11.0 breaks this feature. It overwrites the Windows 8 native iFilter registry entry with the product registry entry.

    Solution

    Do one of the following:

    • Update to Acrobat/Reader 11.0.4 or higher. The issue is fixed in version 11.0.4. [DavidY:But it wasn't for me]
    • PDF iFilter 9 is not supported on Windows 8, update to PDF iFilter 11 from here.


    If you cannot update your Acrobat/Reader or PDF iFilter, here is the workaround.

    Workaround: Restore the registry entry to the Windows 8 native entry as follows:

    1. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.pdf\PersistentHandler. Create the key if it does not exist.
    2. Verify that the value is 1AA9BF05-9A97-48c1-BA28-D9DCE795E93C. If the Acrobat or Reader install overwrote the entry with F6594A6D-D57F-4EFD-B2C3-DCD9779E382E, return it to its original value.
      [DavidY Note: if you do this. make sure the values are in curly brackets, like {1AA9BF05-9A97-48c1-BA28-D9DCE795E93C} ]
    3. If you have any third-party PDF iFilters installed, reinstall them.
    4. Restart the Windows Search service:
      1. Go to Task Manager > Services.
      2. Select WSearch.
      3. Right-click, and then choose Restart.
      4. [DavidY: I believe you also need to going into Indexing Options | Advanced | Rebuild, to regenerate the index for all existing files]
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 15
    Windows 10
       #2

    Sorry for bumping this old thread, but it's exactly the problem I'm having and I'm not clear how to fix it.
    I'm running Windows 10 Enterprise version 1607, build 14393.1770, along with Adobe Reader 11.0.13.
    I'm having this problem where the indexing service is not working for pdf files. I have attached a screen capture of the registry key referenced in the article. It appears the correct handler was renamed "Prev" and replaced by another handler. Is the fix to copy the value of Prev to Default or to install the Adobe iFilter? I'm asking because the download page for Adobe iFilter does not say it's for Windows 10.
    Windows Search not indexing PDF files if using Adobe Reader-capture.png
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 15
    Windows 10
       #3

    Anyone?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,524
    Windows 10 Pro (32-bit) 16299.15
    Thread Starter
       #4

    bimmerdriver said:
    Sorry for bumping this old thread, but it's exactly the problem I'm having and I'm not clear how to fix it.
    I'm running Windows 10 Enterprise version 1607, build 14393.1770, along with Adobe Reader 11.0.13.
    I'm having this problem where the indexing service is not working for pdf files. I have attached a screen capture of the registry key referenced in the article. It appears the correct handler was renamed "Prev" and replaced by another handler. Is the fix to copy the value of Prev to Default or to install the Adobe iFilter? I'm asking because the download page for Adobe iFilter does not say it's for Windows 10.
    Windows Search not indexing PDF files if using Adobe Reader-capture.png
    I can't remember whether I tried the Adobe iFilter, and I think a simpler option is the Registry fix.

    But there is always a risk in playing with the Registry so it's a good time to make sure your backups are up to date before you start. At the very least I would Export the registry key before making any changes, so you could re-import it if it goes wrong.

    You are correct that the Prev option needs to be changed or copied to the default. That Prev option relates to the Windows 8 Reader app - although I don't think the Reader app is in Windows 10 by default any more, the iFilter should still be there.

    Another alternative might be to upgrade to Adobe Reader DC, which is worth considering in any case because Adobe Reader 11 has just gone out of support. I would hope that Reader DC would have a better iFilter (although I've not tried it).
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 15
    Windows 10
       #5

    DavidY said:
    I can't remember whether I tried the Adobe iFilter, and I think a simpler option is the Registry fix.

    But there is always a risk in playing with the Registry so it's a good time to make sure your backups are up to date before you start. At the very least I would Export the registry key before making any changes, so you could re-import it if it goes wrong.

    You are correct that the Prev option needs to be changed or copied to the default. That Prev option relates to the Windows 8 Reader app - although I don't think the Reader app is in Windows 10 by default any more, the iFilter should still be there.

    Another alternative might be to upgrade to Adobe Reader DC, which is worth considering in any case because Adobe Reader 11 has just gone out of support. I would hope that Reader DC would have a better iFilter (although I've not tried it).
    Thank you for the reply. This is an enterprise computer. I asked the IT department if they had any idea what the proper fix should be and they suggested trying the registry fix. This is a recently re-imaged computer and it already had Adobe Reader XI, so maybe it is the culprit. I'll save the current default and rename the prev to default. I'll post an update when I get a chance to try it. Thanks again.
      My Computer


 

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