Question on Windows 10 search functionality

[Suppressor1137]

Hey guys. Currently I have my Windows 10 OS, and everything is working great, except the Search feature.

I have a old habit of clicking start and typing out "hwmonitor", "CPU-Z", "precisionx", etc to launch the desired program, rather than cluttering up my desktop with icons or folders.

I am not using Cortana at the moment, as my windows 10 isn't linked to a microsoft live account(Because I don't want to type in my password every time I want to start my pc up. I know there is a way to set it to auto type it in, but that makes my Microsoft live account vulnerable to be stolen, which is a big no no(Tied to work stuff, can't have that get stolen.))

I have deleted and rebuilt the index from scratch, including every single file on all three of my harddrives.

Am I missing something? Help me out here, it's really hindering to my workflow, because it includes files that aren't listed above that I frequent.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

FYI, you can use a PIN to log in. That's what I do.

 

[EarthDog]

So, when you search it is asking you for your password???

 

[c627627]

It's kind of hard to figure out what you arte asking but

1. Turning off Cortana still allows you to search from the search bar that's right next to your start button.
If you think that the search button is cluttering your task bar, then you can have a classic start menu with search inside the start menu using Classic Shell on Windows 10:
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/752525-How-do-you-install-classic-shell-in-Win-8-1

2. You absolutely do not have to log in using a Microsoft or ANY account.
You absolutely can log in without any passwords:

* [Always log into Windows 10 as an Administrator without password requirements:]
Start > type in:
netplwiz
Users TAB > UNCHECK: Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer > OK
(A dialog will appear that asks you what user name and password should be used to logon automatically.)
Enter existing password or leave blank if you never entered your password > click on OK
The system should now boot into Desktop automatically without the logon prompt.

What is your question, if it isn't one of these two?

 

[Suppressor1137]

It means that the search function itself does not find all results on my pc. typing in HW monitor yields only web results, but I definitely have it, same with cpuz.

I was explaining my reasoning for not turning on cortana, which derailed the topic i guess.

As i said, I already deleted and reformed the index, which didn't fix it. idk, it was working on my last win 10 install*reformatted when I got the I7*

 

[c627627]

Oh.

Yeah.


It may be a settings problem in your case but in my case, I discovered that problem after Microsoft killed the Windows XP search engine. It has not been fixed in any version of Windows until this day.
I cannot reliably replicate it so I can't take this issue further but absolutely in my case, every version of Windows after Windows XP had an unreliable search engine.

Even Windows 10 would not find files that I know were on my computer.
I finally had to resort to a third party search engine:

http://mythicsoft.com/page.aspx?page=download&type=agentransack

 

[EarthDog]

It means that the search function itself does not find all results on my pc. typing in HW monitor yields only web results, but I definitely have it, same with cpuz.

I was explaining my reasoning for not turning on cortana, which derailed the topic i guess.

As i said, I already deleted and reformed the index, which didn't fix it. idk, it was working on my last win 10 install*reformatted when I got the I7*

Are you certain you are typing in the right characters? I know CPUz comes up... not sure how I have to type it off hand (I think I just type "CPU"). I do not use HWMonitor so not sure on that one. Works for me on what I search anyway... not that I search a lot though.

 

[Suppressor1137]

Yeah, cpuz doesnt show up from "cpu" "cpuz" "cpu-z" "CPUZ" "CPU". All the web searches work, but not the explorer on my pc. I've done a few hours of research before coming here, and tried several things, but none of them yielded any results. I've even tried "cpuid" to see if it could find the folder, without success.

I haven't had this issue until this particular windows install. Its really confounding.

Edit- I think I may have pinpointed the info, thanks to you c6. Mentioning the winxp reliability, i thought, maybe the search isnt pulling from the correct file. As it turns out, it is searching only from the "quick access" database. opening up the file explorer, highlighting "This pc" and typing hwmonitor or cpuz is an immediate list exactly to the exe files. A bunch of extra steps, but I'm just going to pin the exe's to the start menu and launch them that way. I've been meaning to mess around with that anyways.

As to hot to fix that... Still at a loss.

 

[c627627]

Edit- I think I may have pinpointed the info, thanks to you c6.

Can you explain what the "quick access" database is?

 

[Suppressor1137]

Its just something I coined because I don't know exactly what it is called, but, when you click "This PC" in your start menu*or anywhere else*, it defaults to the "quick access" section that replaced the "Favorites" section found in window 7/8.

This quick access section creates an archive of your usage, and makes the most popular programs have its own little "quicklaunch" icon in the library.

It seems this feature is still...buggy, to say the least. But if you were to open up the file explorer, and do a search for some programs with the quick assess library highlighted, it may find it, or it may not. If you highlight "this pc" and do the search in the top right, it will find it every time(at least it seems that way.) Unfortunately, the research I've done says you cannot change the quick access settings, including searching, easily.

 

[EarthDog]

Just confirmed to make sure I wasn't crazy, LOL! Default install of CPUz. So, it does work.

 

[c627627]

What does work?

The post Windows XP search engine (on all OS after Win XP) isn't a contraption that yields no hits on every post Windows XP system out out there.
Of course it works, sometimes most of the time.
However, I've noticed it to be unreliable. Next time it happens on Windows 10 I will take screen shot for sure, but here's my first ever screen shot showing what happens sometimes but not always:

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...in-Windows-7?p=6489206&viewfull=1#post6489206

Indexing should not be a requirement for actual hits - it's just there to make hits show up quicker.
Perhaps the fact that I have indexing turned off may be the cause in my case, but even if that is the case, that is still a bug, a broken search engine that only finds indexed items.


When it happens, I cannot reliably repeatedly replicate the problem or I would have made headway as far as what the cause is.

The original poster's problem may be totally unrelated.

 

[Janus67]

You can turn off the web search results in windows 10

http://www.howtogeek.com/224159/how-to-disable-bing-in-the-windows-10-start-menu/

I did this and it made searching much more successful.

 

[EarthDog]

Search for that specific program works.

Search has worked for me 100% of the time in my 100% unadulterated Windows 10 versions. I don't know what the issue is. Be it a Windows intermittent problem, or because of one off's in your OS's. Or be it the search function being neutered since you figured it out way back in 2009. Just thought showing the application would work.

You can turn off the web search results in windows 10

http://www.howtogeek.com/224159/how-to-disable-bing-in-the-windows-10-start-menu/

I did this and it made searching much more successful.

 

[c627627]

You can turn off the web search results in windows 10

http://www.howtogeek.com/224159/how-to-disable-bing-in-the-windows-10-start-menu/

I did this and it made searching much more successful.

Yeah I also thought it was weird to combine Desktop and Web search, I mean, they are two completely separate search functions.
I either want to search for a file or a I want to search the internet... is it a frequent occurrence for you guys to search BOTH your files and the internet at the same time for the same thing?

It's one of those things where I can't imagine anyone doing that with any frequency but I hesitate to say anything, maybe people do that?

 

[Suppressor1137]

I admit I do like the option being there, but if that is what is causing it to not see it, I'll gladly turn it off.



you can clearly see it is open and running, and the websearch shows up, but not the desktop app.

 

[EarthDog]

Though it should find it anywhere... is this installed on C:\ (where your windows is)?

 

[Suppressor1137]

Back from some family stuff in holidays.

Yes, it is installed on my C drive*with windows* The MBR is even on the same drive.