Win10 taskbar search doesn't make sense

[Herby Dank]

Not sure if this is the right place but here goes...

My download directory is indexed but when I try to search for a video file from the taskbar search, it doesn't show up. I have to go to filters and select videos and only then the file shows up.

Also, the search doesn't appear to be able to find any .exe file.

So when it works it's a hassle and other times it doesn't work at all.

EDIT: I have an external HD. The search doesn't seem to find anything in there, although it is indexed!

is there a way to make windows search better?

 

[shmu26]

I would suggest rebuilding the index. If you go into the index options, you will find it there.
By the way, sometimes it takes time for Windows to index everything, and if you add a whole bunch of files, or you did a system image restore, it will take time for the indexing to catch up.
But probably you should just rebuild the index.

 

[Herby Dank]

I have done that just now and indexing is finished, but the search still doesn't detect any exe files.

 

[shmu26]

I have done that just now and indexing is finished, but the search still doesn't detect any exe files.

Go into advanced options/file types and make sure exe is selected

 

[DeepWeb]

It's been completely broken ever since they quietly switch to Cortana in a big update few months ago. Nothing really shows up the way it's supposed to.

 

[shmu26]

It's been completely broken ever since they quietly switch to Cortana in a big update few months ago. Nothing really shows up the way it's supposed to.

Maybe that's why it works for me -- I don't have cortana running

 

[Fritz]

Maybe that's why it works for me -- I don't have cortana running

Good riddance!

 

[brambedkar59]

It's been completely broken ever since they quietly switch to Cortana in a big update few months ago. Nothing really shows up the way it's supposed to.

Yup, it doesn't even show the items on the flipping desktop and sometimes even the start menu items too. MS knows how to mess up really well.

 

[Herby Dank]

Go into advanced options/file types and make sure exe is selected

I already did. Didn't work. Should I select properties and file contents instead of just properties from the advanced options?

 

[shmu26]

I already did. Didn't work. Should I select properties and file contents instead of just properties from the advanced options?

Hi, I honestly don't know more about this subject than what I already said. We see that other forum members are reporting a similar bug to yours, and they attribute it to Cortana, which seems to hijack Windows search in a bad way.
Maybe someone else has a fix or a workaround...

 

[Fritz]

I bet siphoning off data works just fine though, that's priority no. 1. Who cares about functionality for the user?