How can I index a network share?
I'd like to add a number of network shares to my library, but it says they must be indexed first. The help says that one easy way to do this is to make the share available offline. This isn't an option for me because the share is too big to cache locally. What other ways are there to index it?
May 10th, 2009 8:11am

That is what indexing is on Windows, is it not?
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June 18th, 2009 12:18pm

If the network shares are on Windows Vista or Windows 7 machines, they should be addable to the Library, but the remote machine itself must be told to index these folders which can be done via Indexing Options in the Control Panel.If the machine is running Windows XP or Server 2003 - you can install the Windows Desktop Search application, that will provide the same functionality.
June 18th, 2009 2:30pm

The shares are not on Windows machines, they are on a NAS. I've read that some people report that you can "fool" Windows into adding these network shares as normal library locations by creating links to them in convoluted ways, but I'd like to do it more directly.The size of the NAS is nearly 5TB, so copying it to a Windows machineis not an option.
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June 20th, 2009 7:12am

Your share can only be indexed remotely when the server conforms to the Windows Indexing Protocol. Your NAS probably doesn't do that.When you use the trick to add a share on a NAS to the library, that share is not indexed and you may run into trouble later in the process.Ray
June 20th, 2009 8:09am

Hmm, that seems like a pretty massive limitation. For me that means libraries are basiacally useless. Almost all of my files are contained on my NAS.
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June 21st, 2009 8:18pm

Not sure if this will work or if you have tried it already on Samba shares/NAS. Right click on the mapped drive or share and check the "for fast searching allow the Index Service to index this folder"--> Apply to sub-folders etc. If it works you should see each file being edited to include that property. I used this to be able to add my DFS targets to Win 7 Libraries. Nuno
August 10th, 2009 4:16pm

I agree, I am having the same issue and it is a serious problem. Our files are stored on a large NAS. It does not have a Windows OS. We instruct our users not to store files on their local PC, making the entire Windows search system useless.Caleb
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August 25th, 2009 1:21pm

any new possibilities yet? Or rumors that microsoft will bring a patch for indexing network shares? Anyone uses a similar indexing software (not copernic or x1, they dont support select all, copy, past on the results)
January 31st, 2010 1:46pm

Please checkout this blog about this issue on my website and possible workarounds.I did not receive any message from Microsoft to change the behavior of Libraries.I think libraries behavior is there to show why you'd better use a Windows File Server than a NAS or other OS for file servicing.Ray - Author of Windows 7 for XP Professionals
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January 31st, 2010 4:14pm

For some strange reason a network share (non-windows NAS) can be added through Windows Media Center. Don't know if this solves the problem, for me it does sofar. Fingers crossed.
May 5th, 2010 3:39pm

If anyone is still paying attn. to this thread, I believe this will do it. 1. Create a folder on your hard drive for shares. i.e. c:\share 2. Create another folder in the above share. i.e. c:\share\music 2. Link the Library to this folder. 3. Delete the folder. 4. Use the mklink in an elevated command prompt to make a symbolic link. Name the link the same as the folder you created above. i.e - mklink /d c:\share\music \\server\music 5. Done. Now you have non-indexed UNC path as a library.
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May 22nd, 2010 3:49pm

samsonaod, thanks for the tip. This is a partial solution, although I really would like a way to add a network share AND have it indexed by the client.
May 24th, 2010 3:47am

If anyone is still paying attn. to this thread, I believe this will do it. 1. Create a folder on your hard drive for shares. i.e. c:\share 2. Create another folder in the above share. i.e. c:\share\music 2. Link the Library to this folder. 3. Delete the folder. 4. Use the mklink in an elevated command prompt to make a symbolic link. Name the link the same as the folder you created above. i.e - mklink /d c:\share\music \\server\music 5. Done. Now you have non-indexed UNC path as a library. which folder to delete? share folder or music folder?
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August 11th, 2010 11:15pm

You delete the music folder. MKLINK creates a different kind of folder that links to the network share.Ray - Author of Windows 7 for XP Professionals
August 12th, 2010 3:24am

Well MS have release hotfix KB2268596. Try installing the hotfix, add the EnableSearchingSlowLibrariesInStartMenu DWORD reg value, then install the UNC addin and try rebuilding the index. Does that now return search results from the network in places like Start search?Anonymuos
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December 1st, 2010 11:20pm

We use Copernic Desktop Search for indexing NAS shares. Works great. With 5TB of data indexing will take a huge amount of time the first time around. http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/index.html
July 20th, 2012 8:34am

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