Windows Search Function Crashes (often)

Fairly new behaviour.
Windows Search function often crashes on me, shutting down Windows Explorer. Running Win XPPro SP2 (up to date) with 1 Mb Ram. It shouldn't happen... No error messages, apart from '...and needs to close'. Anyone know why it does?
David

 

Are you sure your RAM is 1M ? Just kidding

I would like bet the virus affect your machine.

 

Several steps are warranted:

• Start, Run, sfc /Scannow
• Then make two registry edits:
  Disable Search Assistant (Line 15)
  Disable the Indexing Service (Line 42)
  
  http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
  
• Reboot and test at this point. If no joy:
  
• Make sure that in Folder Options, View, that 'Show hidden files and folders' is enabled.
  In Windows Explorer, right-click C:\Windows\Inf\srchasst.inf
  Click install.

 

Thanks Bill - sfc /scannow was asking me to insert my Win XPproSP2 disk - well, I have a slipstreamed CD, which, hopefully is still in good condition (!?). But I'm a bit nervous that I may be storing up more trouble for myself. I hate to travel blind. So I killed the process. Unfortunately the kellys-korner link has expired - but I did find Kellys-Korner tweaks - which particular tweaks are you referring to? Failing that - could you explain a little bit more?

Edit: Sorry - OK - found the tweaks (second one is line 41, by the way). One's a vbs and the other a reg file. The principle is, I guess, that if I restore all the Windows files that have been changed or corrupted, then disable Search Assistant and Indexing Service, when I re-enable them by rebooting, they will find their correct/restored dlls etc? Which is a nice idea - but it seems a bit drastic to return all (I mean all) my Windows files to their original pristine state - which may undo all sorts of intended and beneficial changes made to my system by Windows updates and various program installs and updates made over the last couple of years!

Do you think skipping the sfc /scannow step and then doing the registry edits, rebooting etc might also have a chance of success, especially if I reinstall srchasst.inf? Or would it be a waste of time? If a waste of time - I don't suppose you have an idea of which precise Windows files I might restrict the sfc /scannow repairs to, rather than allowing a whole bunch of them to be repaired?

Yes Jason - very funny
Virus always possible - but unlikely... But, hey, a little hypochondria is a good thing, no?
David

 

I tried ten times and the Kelly link resolves for me ten times.

Line 15 (right side) is correct for my first reference.
Line 41 (left side) is correct for my second reference, I apologize for typing 42

Doing an SFC /Scannow will require the XP CD. It is not an onerous process nor is it time consuming. The last change to these files was for Service Pack 2, so using SFC is not going to revert your system vis-a-vis search files or anything else.

Remember that all XP Hotfixes have a Qcheck feature internal to themselves, and SFC is fully Qcheck aware.

Your question, however, was: "Do you think skipping the sfc /scannow step and then doing the registry edits, rebooting etc might also have a chance of success, especially if I reinstall srchasst.inf? "

Please go ahead and try.

 

Thanks Bill - the link is still not working for me - maybe it's a setting in Spybot or ZoneAlarm that's stopping it for me - but I found it by other means, as you saw. Thanks for the laconic response to my final question. I will, I think, give it a go - and if fails, sfc /scannow, then repeat. I'll let you know what happens. However, it's now midnight here, so tomorrow, maybe.

All the best (and all the rest)
David

PS found the reason the link doesn't work %3Cbr%20/%3E is hidden at the end of it, on my machine anyway. That does not appear on your apparently same link in the Screensaver post - which does work

 

Ok - said I'd report back.
It didn't help (and I've lost the dog! Thank goodness). Here's how:
Ran sfc /scannow (doesn't report - does that mean everything was OK, or just that it doesn't report?)
Using the two Kellys' tools, disabled Search Assistant and Indexing Service.
Rebooted.
Fired up search (Vanilla search screen, doesn't allow me to distinguish between Docs and general Files & Folders)
Enabled Indexing from the screen. Tested - crash.
Installed Windows/inf/srchasst.inf (asked for my Windows CD - obliged, found it in i386, etc)
Did not reboot (perhaps I should have done?) ran Search (vanilla screen again) Tested - crash
Thought I'd System Restore - but could not find a restore point before I'd altered the registry with the Kellys' files (careless of me...)
Found the Kellys' Undo file for Search Assistant - ran it. Can once again distinguish between Documents and general Files & Folders (phew!)

But, apart from the hound, I'm back where I started.

The crash takes much longer to occur (always did) if you are searching for a 'document' containing 'whatever' than if you are searching for a 'file or folder' containing 'whatever'.

It's not a major hassle - but Windows inbuilt Search doesn't slow the system down as much as Google Desktop or Windows Desktop Search...

Any thoughts, before I give this up as a bad job?

Bill, many thanks for the effort, anyway...
David

 

SFC does not report anything to the screen. Look in Event Viewer.

If the issue is searching for a word or string of text, the issue lies in the file extension PersistentHandlers.

Kelly noted:

Windows® XP has a known issue for not finding a number of File Types when you do a Search for Files "containing text" or using the "A word or phrase in the file" option. This can be remedied for many file types, but not all.

Download the VBS file below. Double click the file you just saved. You'll be prompted to enter a file extension. If the PersistentHandler value is correct, no changes will be made. If the PersistentHandler value exists, but is different, no changes will be made. If no PersistentHandler value exists, then it will be created.

Enable XP's Search to find text in files:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts/xp_persisthandler.vbs

(I want the registry entries rewritten with the above).

Second, as a test that the issue is not compressed folders:Start, Run, regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll
Start, Run, regsvr32 /u cabview.dll

Test the search to see if the issue is resolved.

(To restore XP's native CAB file and ZIP folder viewing
Start, Run, regsvr32 cabview.dll
Start, Run, regsvr32 zipfldr.dll

Finally, if you search a lot, use this freeware. I assure you that it is on the desktop of every XP Pro I know:

Agent Ransack
http://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/default.aspx

 

Aha... Now he tells me...
OK - so tried all and nothing helped.
I've installed Mythicsoft's freeware Agent Ransack. Seems excellent. Much better than XP's native Search, anyway. I'll use it in future.
Many thanks for your patience and advice.
David

 

You are very welcome.