Making Windows 7 Search Work Better

Several articles have already been written about Search and how to use it. Check out these previous posts on Windows7News :

• “How to search in Windows” by Mike Halsey (Sept11)

• “Finding files in Windows7” by  Mustafa (June 30)

In my post I’d like to draw your attention to these aspects of Windows Search features.

They are:

• Registering a portable Drive in Search’s Index

• Excluding a Folder from Search

• Windows Search not working

In Windows XP Windows the Search feature was hopeless. While it improved in Windows Vista it now flies in Windows 7.Copernic Desktop Search is a much more effective Search application. This application is available from the web. You can access a free download at www.Copernic.com/download .

Of course, Google remains well ahead of the pack when it comes to searching for information on the Web.

What is Windows’ Index?

The core of Windows’ Search is Windows Index. Windows 7 collects information about all the files stored on your computer. Each file’s information is registered in the Index. This includes such information as the file name, the name of author, the location (folder) and so on. Whenever you create and save a file, Windows adds details about it to its index.

Windows uses this indexing system to perform very fast searches on your computer.

How does Search Work?

Search checks your library first. This includes these folders, Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos as well as Contacts and E-mails.

It also looks in Public Folders.

Troubleshooting with Windows Search

Search is not working very well? Maybe it’s time to give it a tune-up. Now this is where another of Windows 7’s useful Problem Solver can help.

1. Click the Start button.
2. In the Search box, type “search problem”.
   
3. Search offers a problem solver called “Find and fix problems with Windows Search”.
4. Click “Find and fix problems with Windows Search”.
   
5. The Problem Solver opens.
6. Click the Advanced heading in the lower section of the Search and Indexing window.

   

7. The window expands showing additional options.
8. Make sure the box against “Apply repairs automatically” is checked.

   

9. Then, click the Next button.
10. In the following window, there are four possible problem solutions offered under the heading “What problems do you notice?”.

    

11. Check the boxes which are relevant.
12. Click the Next button to continue.
13. The Problem Solver goes to work fixing the problem.
14. Search should now work the way you want it.

Registering a portable Drive in Search’s Index

While Windows Search regularly checks all drives on your computer indexing the contents, if you add an external hard drive to your system it will not be registered.

Let’s look at how to register this additional drive.

First of all, you need to access Indexing Options. There are two ways you can do this, the first way is to use Search itself and the second way is through the Control Panel.

The two methods to access this feature:

• Click Start >  In the Search box, type index > Select Indexing options > the Indexing Options window opens
• Click Start > Select Control Panel > In the Search Control Panel box (top right) type Indexing options > Select Indexing options > The Indexing Options window opens