search is unusable on my machine
whenever I search for something in win explorer, explorer.exe and system idle process max out my 2 cores and gobble up huge amt of memory. even after I click stop, explorer.exe continues to gobble up memory and the disk access continues heavily. the one explorer.exe process uses as much as 1.5Gb of my 3Gb memory. eventually, the memory is released and disk stop thrashing but cpu continues to max out.if I try to do something at this point, like open up one of the search result, I get the dreaded this process has stopped responding, looking for a solution dialog, which of course also hangs. if I manage to close the explorer window, there's still an explorer.exe process that continues to max 1 core while system idle process maxes the other one. I have to end task it, which makes the taskbar goes away, so I guess it's actually the shell. (I do have launch folder window as a separate process checked.)I've uninstalled and reinstalled w7 (clean install on separate disk, not upgrade). I tried the 64 bit version too. they all do the same thing. I guess w7 just doesn't like my machine. amd x2 3800+, 3gb ram, foxconn mobo nforce 410 chipset (I installed the nforce driver too)p.s.: I sent a feedback but when I click send the window just goes away without any confirmation so I don't know if it actually went through.
January 23rd, 2009 9:59am

Dear Barth, You have to create an "Index" in order for Search to work fast. Yes Windows Search is not fixed. I gave up on it long ago because it refuses to index or find any of the files I need to find. I always chalked it up to some perverse Windows setting to "save me from myself," which is so true of so many Windows "features" (such as "don't display hidden files" on by default). I've never been able to find a setting that corrected this behavior, so I never use it. Want to see how bad it is? Just try searching on the word "search" or "index" in Windows Help and Support. The result? Nothing! JR
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January 23rd, 2009 3:11pm

It sounds more like the actual indexing is hogging his system. You might want to try disabling Windows Search as the OS will revert to basic file searching instead.Windows Key + R (or Start -> Run...) -> services.msc -> Right mouse click on Windows Search -> Properties -> Press 'Stop' -> Set 'Startup type:' to 'Disabled' -> Press OK.Now try searching for files again and see if that fixed the problem.
January 23rd, 2009 6:26pm

that's what I figured, that it was indexing. So first I tried checking "don't use index for search". didn't work. I disabled windows search service as you said; still same thing. what DOES work for me is to uncheck search sub folders. obviously that seriously reduces the usefulness of search.In any event, this should NOT happen. The first time user searches for something, chances are the disk isn't indexed yet, so the search should degrade gracefully and search w/o the index. it should not bring the system to its knees. the explorer window should not become unresponsive. I should be able to DO SOMETHING with the results I got. I'm sure most users would not know how to use task manager to end task the offending process; they'd just hit reset.it's not b/c I messed my system up somehow. no problem in XP on same machine (separate install). I installed w7 fresh and tried a search first thing and it was the same.I remember installing one of the vista RCs and got the same problem. gave up on it (though that wasn't the only reason).screenshot
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January 23rd, 2009 9:28pm

I've eventually discovered that I've got the same problem, only it's less noticeable as the memory load drops back to 150-180 MB and uses 'just' 50% of my CPU. I've fixed it in the same session by killing and starting explorer.exe in the Task Manager. It has some weird side effects though and I would recommend against using this for now. Stick to rebooting if necessary.
January 27th, 2009 5:11am

on mine, the memory does eventually drops down and only 1 explorer process maxes 1 of my dual cores (hence 50% overall). but that process keeps at it until i end task it.maybe we have common h/w? i have a foxconn 6100 nforce4 socket 939 mobo, amd x2 3800+
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January 29th, 2009 3:40am

ASUS P5B-E, Intel P965 / ICH8R, LGA755, Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 (2.67 GHz).
January 29th, 2009 3:55am

I had this problem a week or two ago with the search function and was told to click:StartHelp and SupportOptionsSettingsUNcheck the top box "Improve my search results by using online help.OKNow it works great....good luck
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January 29th, 2009 5:20am

thanks, but mine is not checked. in any event, i'm not having a problem with help search, but file search.
January 29th, 2009 7:23am

holy mackerel, i think i figured this search mystery!!in folder options, under the general tab, UNCHECK "automatically expand to current folder". I don't even remember checking this box b/c it seems completely innocuous. this is obviously a bug.I hope this is it. Please confirm.
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January 29th, 2009 12:00pm

I'm going to try this later today, I've checked that option because it restores part of the 'classic' folder behaviour of the Explorer.
January 29th, 2009 7:30pm

Hahaha, what a hilarious bug! Unchecking that option also saved my explorer.exe from consuming a few hundred MBs of RAM and 50% of my CPU after a search. =)Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options... -> General (tab) -> Uncheck 'Navigation Pane: Automatically expand to current folder'.
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January 30th, 2009 2:45am

Most bizzare indeed. Though I didn't quite have the same result... Checking that box sent Explorer into an unresponsive fit that needed Task manager to put it out of my misery... Fortunately, unchecking it wasn't as dramatic...
January 30th, 2009 3:28am

That appears to have helped a bunch on my setup although explorer still seems to get stuck doing something and ties up a bunch of RAM & CPU. ASUS P5Q PRO Intel Q6600 Core2 Quad CPU 4GB Corsair RAM Dual Nvidia 8800GTS Video Win Vista/Win7b 64bit Dual Boot
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February 4th, 2009 10:43pm

egads said: I'm just wondering what might happen if you point two Junction'd Folders at eachother. You know, this new Explorer Library scheme... It would seem you'd hang inan infinite loop. I'm not going to try the experiment to see... But maybe that's in fact what's gagging the search engine?even when searching on a network mapped drive the same thing happens so the junctions aren't a problem
February 22nd, 2009 11:42am

Frop said:Hahaha, what a hilarious bug! Unchecking that option also saved my explorer.exe from consuming a few hundred MBs of RAM and 50% of my CPU after a search. =)Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options... -> General (tab) -> Uncheck 'Navigation Pane: Automatically expand to current folder'.this fixes the BUG.bUT i would also like to have the Auto expand current folder. Anyone knows of a workaround?
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February 22nd, 2009 11:48am

Frop said: Hahaha, what a hilarious bug! Unchecking that option also saved my explorer.exe from consuming a few hundred MBs of RAM and 50% of my CPU after a search. =)Explorer -> Tools -> Folder Options... -> General (tab) -> Uncheck 'Navigation Pane: Automatically expand to current folder'.Nice catch. May I suggest you post this in the special feedback thread at the top of Miscellaneous? We must make sure this one gets back to Microsoft.Thack
February 22nd, 2009 2:48pm

Instead of trying to fix the problem, eliminate it. dkfinder is a freeware search utility that is lightening fast. You can download it at http://www.dkellner.hu/freeware/finder/.
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February 23rd, 2009 1:04am

am I correct in assuming that this bug has been fixed in latest RC=
May 24th, 2009 8:38pm

ashrack - If you're referring to the "expand folders automatically" bug described above, yes, it has.
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May 24th, 2009 10:51pm

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