T
Thevallo
For about two weeks now, my Windows Search has not been working properly in my OneDrive folder, where I keep the vast majority of all my files. A small number of files appear instantly; most, not at all, even though I know they're there.
Steps I have taken to attempt to fix the issue, in no particular order, and none with any lasting effect:
Information on computer and OS (I don't know what all is relevant):
This problem has been exceptionally frustrating, as it kneecaps my ability to use my computer at all -- I need to memorize where things are and what they're named in order to find them.
Anyone have any idea what might be going wrong and how I might fix it?
Continue reading...
Steps I have taken to attempt to fix the issue, in no particular order, and none with any lasting effect:
- Run Windows Search Troubleshooter as an Admin. Each time, I repair the problem; sometimes, it appears to return to functionality, but that functionality is only temporary. Within a day, it's back to being broken.
- Reset Windows Search using the instructions found here. It had no discernible effect.
- OneDrive Settings
- Turn off OneDrive's "Files On-Demand" feature. I use my OneDrive as a backup, so I want all my files on my local device, too. I've heard that this can sometimes be the root of OneDrive search problems.
- Turn off "Read-only (Only applies to files in folder)" in the OneDrive folder's properties. (As well as check "Allow files in this folder to have contents indexed in addition to file properties" in "Advanced Attributes.") I heard that this might be part of the issue, and perhaps turning that attribute off has helped, but I've done it twice and it always turns itself back on.
- Indexing
- Make sure that OneDrive is selected as a folder to be indexed: it is.
- Rebuild the index. It says that the indexing was complete after only 13,000 items, but I know that in my OneDrive folder I have 428,000 files and 24,000 folders -- nearly a terabyte.
- EDIT: While the "Users" folder, which included the OneDrive folder, was checked as a location to be indexed, I unchecked and rechecked it and the computer began indexing more files.
- EDIT 2: I also repeated a step above (turning off OneDrive's "Read-only" attribute" and started rebuilding the index. I'll update with any further information.
- Windows Update: Checked to see whether a Windows Update was to blame. Verdict: perhaps, but I don't know how to judge. The problem started manifesting at least by August 6; somehow, I was able to conduct a successful search on August 8. On July 22, a "Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8" was installed; another was installed on August 13; and one just for Windows 10 was installed on 8/14.
Information on computer and OS (I don't know what all is relevant):
- Dell XPS 8900
- Windows 10 Home, Version 2004, installed on June 29, 2020 (64-bit)
- OS Build: 19041.450
- Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.31.0
This problem has been exceptionally frustrating, as it kneecaps my ability to use my computer at all -- I need to memorize where things are and what they're named in order to find them.
Anyone have any idea what might be going wrong and how I might fix it?
Continue reading...