.doc files not appearing in search results

Since upgrading to Win 11, .doc files are apparently not being indexed. Keywords in the file names will show up, but words in the file content will not. I have done all the following things:

1. Made sure that the file type indexing option includes not only file names and properties but content as well;
2. Downloaded and installed the latest Microsoft filters for Office files, making sure the file types they support include .doc files;
3. Rebuilt the index several times, rebooting between rebuilds;
4. Moved the .doc files to different folders and drives on the computer (all of which are set to index and are working fine with other file types.)
5. started and stopped all services related to search;
6. Searched the web thoroughly for answers to this.
7. Turned off indexing for just the folder that these .doc files are in. Search for content immediately works, though it is painfully slow.
8. Ran the Search troubleshooter - it found nothing

If I look for text in a .doc file, it does not appear. If I re-save the same file in the same folder as a .docx, it works fine.

Thinking that maybe it was newer versions of the Microsoft filters used in Win 11, I installed the same version on my Win 10 machine. They worked fine.

Any ideas?

I saved a file to my desktop in .doc format. Search in file explorer found it when I searched for .doc as well as finding keyword text within the document. So whatever the problem is is specific to you system. I seem to recall reading a similar problem and it was because the user profile was corrupted. Make a new user account OR enable the hidden administrator account to test.

Option 1 - To make a new user account:
Go to settings-accounts-family & other users. Make a new user account. (Be sure to make it an administrative account, NOT a standard account)

Option 2 -To enable hidden administrator account

1. Click Start and type command in the Taskbar search field.
2. Click Run as Administrator.
3. Type net user administrator /active:yes and then press enter. (note the space)
4. Wait for confirmation.
5. Restart your computer, and you will have the option to log in using the administrator account.

If you go with option 2 be sure to disable the hidden account when you complete testing by doing steps 1 & 2 but in step 3 type net user administrator /active:no (note the space)

If the search function works correctly using either the new user or the administrator account, it indicates your current user profile is corrupted.

NOTE: You cannot copy or move files directly from one user profile to another without running into permission problems. You can get all your personal files into the new account in 2 different ways.
Option 1 - COPY the personal files in you current user profile to another location (ie: usb drive), and then copy them again into your new user account.
Option 2 - copy the files from your current account to the Public user account. Then sign in to the second account and move the files from the Public user to the new account.

It's a pain in the rear, but it is what it is. When you get the new user account like you want it, delete your old user account. If you currently use a Microsoft account, you can change the new user account to a Microsoft account after the old account is deleted.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will give them a try and post the result.

Tried the suggestions from Glasskuter. No luck. have also tried switching from indexing contents to just names and properties and then back to both again. No luck.

I am assuming you are using an old version of Office 2003. Is that correct?
Could you go to settings-apps-default apps-scroll to the bottom and select 'choose default by file type.' Under file type .doc, what is its default? It should say Microsoft Office Word 97-2003 Document. Is that correct?

I, too, have been scouring the web. There are a few instances of this happening, but it was in earlier versions of Windows and in none of them was there a solution given.

Your troubleshooting steps seem to have covered all the bases so I'm grasping at straws here, but I would also run SFC /scannow from an administrative command just to make sure you have no OS corruption.
Please report back because this is one I'm interested in following.

The assumption that I am using an older version of office is logical. But I am actually using a current version that utilizes the .docx format. The trouble is, I use Dragon extensively, and its utility that will transcribe from external dictation files will not save in .docx - only .doc. This continues to be a mystery. It does not matter where on my system a .doc file is. It's name is indexed, but not its contents.

Thanks for responding.

stewartlgl said:

The assumption that I am using an older version of office is logical. But I am actually using a current version that utilizes the .docx format. The trouble is, I use Dragon extensively, and its utility that will transcribe from external dictation files will not save in .docx - only .doc. This continues to be a mystery. It does not matter where on my system a .doc file is. It's name is indexed, but not its contents.

Thanks for responding.

Click to expand...

If you have Microsoft 365, you can dictate in Word.

I was reading an old article written about Windows 7 and 8 in relation to .txt document contents not being indexed, but it may provide a sense of direction for us to jump for .doc files.

Then I ran across Brink's tutorial about enabling and disabling advanced indexing options Enable or Disable Advanced Indexing Options in Windows
Advanced indexing options should be enabled by default. Check out the tutorial and see if your advanced indexing options are enabled or disabled.

If you do indeed have advanced indexing enabled, when you look at your indexing options- Advanced options -file types tab- for extension doc, what “Filter Description” does it show?

​

Advanced options are enabled. The filter that is listed for point .DOC files is the Microsoft filter. This is different from the filter applicable to .docx files which are XML files and the filter is accordingly different. I tried making sure that I had the most recent Microsoft filters downloaded, and I do. I was wondering if there was a way to force indexing to use a different filter, such as the filter used for .DOCX files. But I have not been able to find any way to do that. Thanks for your continued help in this frustrating issue.

That's exactly what this article referred to-changing to a different filter. It's about 3/4 way down in the article. Keep in mind it relates to .txt files but it would seem the same concept would apply here with .doc. I honestly do not know how the change would affect it since I don't claim to be a registry guru. Windows Search in File Contents Not Working

You would go to \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.docx\PersistentHandler and write down its data value.
Then go to \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\PersistentHandler. Export this key so you can import it back in if it doesn't work. Change its data value to the value you found for docx.
Restart

If this works, it will be a miracle.

try this .. 1. ENHANCED .. 2. ADVANCED INDEXING and let it to fun for a while, i takes time to complete (depending on drive volume size)

@stewartlgl I thought about this after I went to bed last night.
In your original post you said you had rebuilt the search index many times. Did you do that following Brink's tutorial HERE?
To cover all the bases, I would also run SFC /Scannow to make sure all the system files are viable.

Then I thought about this idea we've cooked up.
DOC files are more similar to files created in wordpad than they are to .DOCX files created in Word. Wordpad files are created as .RTF files which use an indexing filter named 'rich text filter.' If I was going to experiment with our idea, I would first try going to \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.rtf\PersistentHandler and note its data value.
Then I would change \HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc\PersistentHandler data value to that data value. (Export that key first)

it works for me all the time :)

I know this is a work around solution and it may or may not work; BUT...have you tried using "FileLocator Pro" by Mythicsoft. There is a free version and I believe they have a trial period on the more robust paid version.

I have been tied up for a few days and unable to respond. Thanks very much to all of you who have offered what look like great suggestions. I will give them a try and post the results.

Just to add, WordPad will open and save .docx files but kicks up this warning [in yellow] when opening a file, rather normal since it's more or less a 'lite' version of Word [similar to the Write I used in Windows 3.1] and doesn't have all the features:

the idea of going to the rtf filter seemed brilliant and should have worked. sadly, it didn't. i was able to assign the rtf filter, and it showed up on the file types tab. i the rebuilt the entire index. no luck. still appreciate the suggestion

I just opened Wordpad, then opened a .docx docurment. After some editing, I "saved as" and had to choose open doc. There is no actual way to save to .doc that I could see. And, I have to do some finagling to see what the document saved as.

Back in a bit to finish this . . .

OK, the extension is .odt.

So, at this point, I don't see a way to save as .doc unless you have an older Word app.

And, just ignore this post because I don't think it's going to help you.

Be sure to import the original registry key back in.

The only idea I have left is to go the sledge hammer route and you have 3 options to decide how hard you want to hit it. Be sure and backup your personal data first in any case.
1. Repair install (this does the same thing as an upgrade)
2. Reset this PC (Wipes, then reinstalls windows but keeps your personal files. You lose the apps you've installed but it keeps MS apps)
3. Clean install of Windows 11 (Wipes everything and you start completely clean with nothing but the OS)

Personally, I would go with option 2 or 3.

I am kind of old school in my thinking and it's always my practice to do a clean install from the get-go when a new OS is released rather than doing an upgrade. I've thought that with an upgrade there is a chance that remnants of the old OS could be left behind or certain apps I have installed might bite me in the butt at some point.

I can only imagine how much time you have already spent on this and I'm so sorry I or anyone else on the forum was unable to help you @stewartlgl

Wynona said:

don't see a way to save as .doc

Click to expand...

We knew wordpad couldn't 'save as' doc. We were just trying to force indexing to use the wordpad filter. In all honesty, I had no idea it would also change the file type. That was a very old idea someone used from back in the Windows 7 days and it was for .txt files rather than .doc files. We were grasping at straws.