Troubleshooting Search and Indexing Using the Built-in Troubleshooter
New in Windows 7 is the Windows Troubleshooting Platform (WTP), which can help organizations reduce Help desk calls by enabling users to fix common issues themselves using built-in troubleshooters. One of these troubleshooters can be used for diagnosing and resolving issues with search and indexing on the computer. The quickest way for a user to start this troubleshooter is to type fix search in the Start Menu Search box.
In the Control Panel group of the Start Menu Search results is Find And Fix Problems With Windows Search. Clicking this item or pressing Enter opens the first page of the Search And Indexing troubleshooter.
Note The troubleshooter can also be invoked using the links at the bottom of the Indexing Options Control Panel dialog box or on the Troubleshooting Control Panel page. It may be necessary to click View All to find the Search And Indexing troubleshooter if it is not displayed on the front page of the Troubleshooting Control Panel.
When the troubleshooter opens, clicking Next displays a page on which the user can choose from a list of common search problems to indicate the symptoms of her problem.
Once the user has selected the types of problems that she is experiencing, clicking Next either identifies and provides information on how to resolve the problem or directs the user to sources where additional help can be found or solicited.
Summary
Search and indexing has been enhanced in Windows 7 in numerous ways, making it much easier for users to manage large amounts of information stored on their computers. Administrators can use Group Policy to manage the functionality of search and indexing, and users who are computer administrators can use Indexing Options and Folder Options in Control Panel to fine-tune the operation of search and indexing on their systems.
In this tutorial:
- Managing Search
- Search and Indexing Enhancements
- Search in Windows XP
- Search in Windows Vista
- Search in Windows 7
- Understanding the Windows Search Versions
- Search Versions Included in Windows 7 and Windows Vista
- Search Versions Included in Windows Server 2008
- Search Versions Available for Earlier Versions of Windows
- How Windows Search Works
- Understanding Search Engine Terminology
- Windows Search Engine Processes
- Enabling the Indexing Service
- Windows Search Engine Architecture
- Understanding the Catalog
- Default System Exclusion Rules
- Understanding the FANCI Attribute
- Default Indexing Scopes
- Initial Configuration
- Understanding the Indexing Process
- Modifying IFilter Behavior
- How Indexing Works
- Rebuilding the index
- Viewing Indexing Progress
- Understanding Remote Search
- Managing Indexin
- Configuring the Index
- Configuring the Index Location Using Group Policy
- Configuring Indexing Scopes and Exclusions Using Group Policy
- Configuring Offline Files Indexing
- Configuring Indexing of Encrypted Files
- Configuring Indexing of Encrypted Files Using Control Panel
- Configuring Indexing of Similar Words
- Configuring Indexing of Text in TIFF Image Documents
- Other Index Policy Settings
- Using Search
- Configuring Search Using Folder Options
- Configuring What to Search
- Configuring How To Search
- Using Start Menu Search
- Searching Libraries
- Advanced Query Syntax
- Using Federated Search
- Deploying Search Connectors
- Troubleshooting Search and Indexing Using the Built-in Troubleshooter