Windows XP built-in search I tried using the Windows XP built-in search with variable success. Mostly I use options “All Files and folders” and “A word or phrase in the file”, and the last, as I noticed, is unreliable - sometimes it works ok, but sometimes, and I know this for sure it can't find all plain text ANSI files containing the key text. Desktop Search Engines (both Google or Microsoft) are overkill for me, so how can I "repair" this built-in search?2 people need an answerI do too

Truthfully, I've always found XP's built-in Search to be sadly lacking. I use the free Agent Ransack program instead. http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/ - Agent RansackMS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

I'm running XP with all Service Packs and automatic updates installed. I'd like to turn both the "new" MS indexing feature and Desktop Search features completely off permanently, but still be able to use the old (and reliable) Search Companion. I did not want either the indexing or Desktop Search feature installed, but they were both installed anyway by an automatic update or along with one of the Service Packs. It's both surprising and frustrating that the XP "Help" feature does not have an entry for either indexing or Desktop Search, so there's no help there. Currently, I turn indexing off every time I turn my computer on. I've never let it index most of my files, so anytime I try to use it, I get "no results found" and a message to use the Search Companion, anyway. And yes, I know the Desktop Search dialog box always provides me the option of using the Search Companion instead, but why should it now take me 2 clicks to get to the search tool I used to be able to get with only 1 click? I started to uninstall the indexing feature, but that gives you warnings that doing so might permanently impair the functioning of your computer, so I'm not willing to risk it. I've searched the KB and forums but haven't found anything that directly addresses this issue. Thanks, AVABusiness

The Desktop Search (which I think is rather dreadful) can be uninstalled from Add/Remove Programs and I suggest that you do so. You can try turning off XP's indexing service and see if the native Search works without it. I have never tried to do this and I haven't used XP's native search for years so this is something you'll need to test for yourself.Start>Run>services.msc [enter]Scroll down to the Indexing service, double-click it, Stop it, and change it to "Disabled".If XP's native Search doesn't work well without indexing, turn it on again. The Windows Desktop Search is unnecessary to make the native Search work. I'm not sure why you want to turn off indexing anyway. Normally you would want to leave it on. If your computer is so slow, add more RAM or look at the many reasons listed below for a slow computer.Some reasons for computer slowness:1. Computer hasn't been maintained - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Maintenance 2. Computer is infected with malware - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Removing_Malware 3. Hard drive is too full. Remove unnecessary stuff, uninstall unused programs. Don't forget to back up!http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Backing_Up4. Flaky third-party software. Toolbars and add-ons are particular culprits in this area. Uninstall toolbars (Google, Yahoo, ISP-branded, etc.) and look carefully at what add-ons are in use in your browser(s).5. Computer has too many unnecessary programs/processes running in the background. Manage your Startup:For XP - How to Troubleshoot By Using the Msconfig Utility in Windows XP - http://support.microsoft.com/?id=310560 The free Autoruns program is very useful for managing your Startup - http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx For Vista/Windows7 - Start Orb>Search box>type: msconfig and when it appears in the Results box above, right-click and choose "Run as Administrator".Autoruns is also very useful.6. User is running a bloated/invasive antivirus program such as ones from Norton and McAfee. Replace with a better program. I recommend either NOD32 (commercial) or Avast (free). Avira is also good but the free version has an unpleasant nag screen (Google for instructions as to how to disable this). User may also be running more than one real-time antivirus/firewall/security program.7. User has installed new programs that are processor and/or memory-intensive (Photoshop, AutoCAD, Mathmatica or the like) and doesn't have the necessary hardware power.8. Hard drive is failing and is in PIO Mode. This is very dramatically slow (like being back in 1985). See Hans-Georg Michna's information here -http://winhlp.com/?q=node/10 In addition to the above, also see http://miekiemoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/help-my-computer-is-slow.html Note: If computer has always been slow, in addition to items above user may have purchased a machine with a less powerful processor and not enough RAM (memory). For normal computer use, 512MB-1GB is usually sufficient for XP; Vista should have a minimum of 2GB; Windows 7 is less demanding than Vista but the minimum of 2GB should also be used.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Yes, now we can wait till Google makes it's version of Win built-in search, may be this action will rouse MS to correct their product. Meanwhile I use also good old FAR to search.Thank you,Peter

Many thanks for such an extensive answer and all the potentially helpful links. I'm working my way through all therelevant ones, but I haven't had time to try all of them yet. (I have to try to get other work done sometimes -- I can't spend all my time troubleshooting this annoying problem!)A few preliminary responses to your suggestions:1. Re Item 5: Most of the KB article you provided the link for is directed mainly at advanced users (which I'm not), and it explicitly warns off those who aren't. But it provides a link to another KB article that appears directed at average users: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270035/2. Yes, my computer practically grinds to a halt when Indexing is running. I probably do have a lot of unnecessary programs/processes running in the background, but how do I know which ones are unnecessary? Is it the ones for which "System"isn't the user? (But "MSOffice" shows me as the user, and I definitely want it running most of the time!) But my reservation about disabling them is that I'm not sure which ones are necessary and which aren't, because the program names are so cryptic. E.g., I happen to know from other forums or KB articles that "ccsvchost" has to be running in the background, but nothing in the program name tells me that.3. This problem began when my less than 1/3 of my hard drive was being used, so I doubt that's the problem. And I've regularly run malware checks -- no problem there, either. 4. You ask why I want to turn indexing off and say I should leave it on anyway, yet in your 1st sentence you describe Desktop Search as "dreadful." So it seems pointless to run indexing if I'm not going to use the "dreadful" Desktop Search.In addition, as soon as I turn indexing off, my PC's performance immediately improvesdramatically. No matter how many of the other potential problems you mentioned that my PC actually has, the dramatic increase in performance once indexing is disabled speaks for itself. (It probably also rules out hard drive failure as a cause.) Also, my problem with the PC running slowly began immediately after Desktop Search/Indexing were installed. Although that might just be coincidental, these 2 factors strongly suggest that Desktop Search/Indexing is at least part of the problem. I have 512K RAM already. Why should I have to pay for more RAM to run a program I don't want running anyway, because Desktop Search is so "dreadful."Thanks again for your suggestions. (I rated your response "helpful.")

1. Thanks.2. You Google the names of the items you find in Task Manager and AutoRuns and that's how you learn what they are. If you can't find the names by Googling, you can always post back here and ask. Here are a few additional useful links to help with that:http://aumha.org/a/loads.htm - What loads at Startup?http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htmhttp://www.blackviper.com 3. OK.4. The Windows Desktop Search 4.0 is not the same as the native built-in Windows Search. And yes, I think the WDS 4.0 is even more dreadful than XP's native search. And it is no surprise that WDS 4.0 slowed down your computer. I've seen this happen many times. Indexing is a native Windows service that was present in your operating system before WDS 4.0 was installed. The key thought to take away here is that WDS 4.0 is not the same as the native XP search.5. You shouldn't. Do as I suggested and uninstall WDS 4.0. Depending on what programs you run, 512MB is usually sufficient for Windows XP. If you routinely do a lot of Photoshop work while wanting to run other processor-intensive programs, you'd want to have at least 1GB of RAM. If all you do is work with Office, listen to music, etc. then 512MB should be plenty on a well-maintained and streamlined XP system.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

1. Thanks yet again for your patience and such extensive, helpful suggestions and links!2. I know you don't have any control over MS system design or policy, but LOL, doesn't it seem more than a little ironic to have to useGoogle -- MS's bitter foe in search engines (and other respects) -- to find out what a Microsoft system software does? :-O Wouldn't it be logical for MS to provide this info on its Website (even if the info was just a link to a trusted non-MS site)? Yes, it would probably require a huge amount of resources, but (a) it would be good customer service -- plain and simple; (b) it would be fairly safe and authoritative -- i.e., it helps avoid the problem of knowing whether the info found on non-MS sites is accurate and not malicious; and (c) the cost probably wouldn't put a dent in MS's profits!Ideally, the "Processes" tab of Task Manager could another column that tells you whether the corresponding program needs to be running for XP to run correctly or what non-system software the program supports. (It seems rather obvious that the system already knows all of that info, anyway. I can at least make educated guesses about whether "AppleMobileDeviceService.exe" and even "AOLacsd.exe" need to be running if I'm not running iTunes and AOL, but that "MSOFFICE.exe" should be running most of the time for my typical usage. But, again, "svchost.exe" and "Ehrecvr.exe"?)Again, I know you're not responsible, but it's another reason why people dislike Windows so much, but are often stuck with it at home to maximize compatibility with their office system.4. I didn't realize the difference between those indexing services. Glad you pointed that out!5. That's good to know. I don't do any Photoshop or similar software, nor any gaming or 3rd-party toolbars; in fact, I rarely even listen to music (usually iTunes) while I'm working. I do confess to often having Word, Excel, and IE Explorer open simultaneously, but that's what my line of work requires. But I also use Norton's security suite, which I know can be a time-hog (Comcast provides it "free" with my Internet service subscription, complete with 24-hr customer service by telephone). Thanks again for such helpful suggestions.JFT

1. You're welcome.2. I think Bing is unsatisfactory. Apply irony where applicable and desired.3. You can run compatible Office applications on Other Operating Systems.4. You're welcome.5. Norton is just a tad less awful than McAfee. I recommend NOD32 (commercial) or Avast Free Antivirus. Use the built-in Windows Firewall.6. You have enough RAM for your needs on a well-maintained and streamlined system. Refer to my "slow computer" reply for details.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!