Why doesn't searching within a folder work


larrydonline

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I find this all the time, but not absolutely every time. I have a folder open with a list of items showing as that folder's contents. At the top of that folder there is a search window. When I type into that search window it never finds any matches even in cases where I'm looking at a match on the list that the search can't find. I'm searching to find how many are in the list but it doesn't find a single one. It doesn't matter what word I use to search on it finds nothing at all. What causes this and is there a fix for it? Thanks.
 

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Hi, Larry.

You could try a rebuild of the index. It may or may not take a while. See if it helps?

 

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    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655
    Computer type
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    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built 2013
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
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    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
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    ROG SupremeFX Formula 8-Channel High Definition Audio
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    TP-Link BE9300 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 (Archer TBE550E)
    TP-Link TX201 V1 2.5GB Lan

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    Brother MFC-L2880DW Printer

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 -...16GB LPDDR5 RAMIntel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
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    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
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    …still on a horse.
  • Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IML9 - Type 83DJ (Wifes)

    Processor: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155H Processor(Core™ Ultra 7 155H)
    Memory: 32GB LPD5X-7467
    Hard Drive: 1 TB SSD PCIe
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    Ports: 1 x HDMI 2.1 TMDS; 1 x Novo Button; 1 x Combo Audio Jack
    2 x USB-C (USB 4.0)
    1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
    Camera: 1080P FHD IR Hybrid with Dual Microphone and Privacy Shutter
    Graphics: Intel® Arc™ Graphics
    Monitor: 14" 2.8K
but not absolutely every time
Are the troublesome folders on your C: drive or a secondary drive? If a secondary drive, does the drive have indexing enabled?

Screenshot 2025-05-30 212454.webp
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 26200.8655
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    Dell Optiplex 7080
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    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
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    DELL 0J37VM
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    32 gb
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    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
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    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26200.8457
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    still too embarrassed to tell
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My Computer My Computer

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Windows 11 Pro 24H2Intel Ultra 7 155H16gbIntel Arc integrated
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Windows 11 Pro 24H2
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HP
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Intel Ultra 7 155H
Memory
16gb
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Arc integrated
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SSD
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built 2013
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX Formula 8-Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Touch Screen Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / Mx Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    2000/500Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
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    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
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    TP-Link BE9300 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 (Archer TBE550E)
    TP-Link TX201 V1 2.5GB Lan

    Grandstream HT812 - VoIP
    ASUS DSL-AX82U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-AC68U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-BE88U Router

    Brother MFC-L2880DW Printer

    I’m on a horse.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 -...16GB LPDDR5 RAMIntel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
  • Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IML9 - Type 83DJ (Wifes)

    Processor: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155H Processor(Core™ Ultra 7 155H)
    Memory: 32GB LPD5X-7467
    Hard Drive: 1 TB SSD PCIe
    Wireless Network: 1x Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 AX; Bluetooth® 5.1 or above
    Ports: 1 x HDMI 2.1 TMDS; 1 x Novo Button; 1 x Combo Audio Jack
    2 x USB-C (USB 4.0)
    1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
    Camera: 1080P FHD IR Hybrid with Dual Microphone and Privacy Shutter
    Graphics: Intel® Arc™ Graphics
    Monitor: 14" 2.8K
Or “Everything” which can apparently be integrated into File Explorer

 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built 2013
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    ROG SupremeFX Formula 8-Channel High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Touch Screen Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / Mx Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    2000/500Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    TP-Link BE9300 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 (Archer TBE550E)
    TP-Link TX201 V1 2.5GB Lan

    Grandstream HT812 - VoIP
    ASUS DSL-AX82U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-AC68U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-BE88U Router

    Brother MFC-L2880DW Printer

    I’m on a horse.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 -...16GB LPDDR5 RAMIntel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8655 (Wifes)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
  • Yoga 7 2-in-1 14IML9 - Type 83DJ (Wifes)

    Processor: Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155H Processor(Core™ Ultra 7 155H)
    Memory: 32GB LPD5X-7467
    Hard Drive: 1 TB SSD PCIe
    Wireless Network: 1x Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 AX; Bluetooth® 5.1 or above
    Ports: 1 x HDMI 2.1 TMDS; 1 x Novo Button; 1 x Combo Audio Jack
    2 x USB-C (USB 4.0)
    1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
    Camera: 1080P FHD IR Hybrid with Dual Microphone and Privacy Shutter
    Graphics: Intel® Arc™ Graphics
    Monitor: 14" 2.8K
Or “Everything” which can apparently be integrated into File Explorer


Yeah... I tend to shy away from tools that integrate into the OS whenever possible. Agent Ransack is really just an app that runs independently when you want to use it. The only integration is as a right-click search.

But I may want some of the other features of "Everything". I'm not totally opposed to more integrated apps.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 24H2Intel Ultra 7 155H16gbIntel Arc integrated
OS
Windows 11 Pro 24H2
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
HP
CPU
Intel Ultra 7 155H
Memory
16gb
Graphics Card(s)
Intel Arc integrated
Hard Drives
SSD
I find this all the time, but not absolutely every time. I have a folder open with a list of items showing as that folder's contents. At the top of that folder there is a search window. When I type into that search window it never finds any matches even in cases where I'm looking at a match on the list that the search can't find. I'm searching to find how many are in the list but it doesn't find a single one. It doesn't matter what word I use to search on it finds nothing at all. What causes this and is there a fix for it?

What find of matches are you talking about?

Are you searching for file names? Or are you searching for contextual matches inside files?
 

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Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-5930K CPU @ 3.50GHzNVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
OS
Windows 11 Pro
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PC/Desktop
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5930K CPU @ 3.50GHz
Motherboard
EVGA X99 Micro
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970
Whenever i find a folder that can't be searched within it's usually a permissions issue.
 

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    Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 26200 7462
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    PC/Desktop
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    Custom Build
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    Intel XEON E5-2699 v3
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    ASUS X99-A
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    64GB Teamgroup UD4-3600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ACER X34 Predator
    Screen Resolution
    3440 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Crucial CT1000P 3P SSD8 1TB
    Crucial CT1000 BX500 SSD 1TB
    PSU
    GameMax Pro
    Case
    Fractal Design
    Cooling
    Corsair H110iGT + 6 140mm Fans
    Keyboard
    Corsair K4
    Mouse
    G-Skill G502
    Internet Speed
    300MBs
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    OEM
    Other Info
    ASUS RT-AC87U Router
  • At a glance

    25H2 26200.50748GB
    Operating System
    25H2 26200.5074
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS X555LA
    Memory
    8GB
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    OEM
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