Resolved Search System Folders

I want to find a system file named, eg., "perfmon.exe" - or more likely, any file whose name includes "perfmon ". I know that if any such exists, it will be on c:, probably in c:\windows, but maybe elsewhere on c:.

So I open an explorer window at c: and press F3 to get the Search for Files and Folders dialog and enter "perfmon" in the name field. I check to be sure that the advanced options Search system, hidden, and subfolders are still checked.

Search returns no results.

But if I browse to c:\windows and repeat the search, a number of matches are found. And thereafter, the files will be found by a search of c:!

Now I cannot be sure whether the bug still exists or not, because a search of c: for "sysedit" works.

[shortly later] But it does still exist - "diskmgmt" searches exhibit the problem - except that one successful find does not enable future searches of c:

Any solution - other than Copernic or other 3d party?

 

No. I don't want to allow indexing - unless it's unavoidable and then maybe only if I can figure out how to enable it only when needed and clean up after.

Maybe my concerns are exaggerated, but I like to keep to a minimum things running in the background and using resources.

[later] I don't even have Allow Indexing on my c: properties menu - this is probably [I guess] the result of a choice I made during installation. So I think the only alternatives I know about so far are 3d party or search individual subfolders [searching c:\windows will apparently work for what's there, and that's about 95% of all I'm likely to want].

 

Resolution

I am about to mark this thread resolved based on the post by Steve R. Jones and a little quick research.

I take it that:

1. A search of a full drive will succeed if indexing is enabled. Such a search is likely not to succeed if indexing is not enabled, and there is no way around this short of scripts or programs.

2. A search of a subfolder, even a top-level subfolder, will succeed regardless of indexing status.

3. Whether to enable indexing is, therefore, a matter of weighing the advantage of full disk searches and faster searches against the small but significant disadvantages in speed and resources that indexing causes.

Thanks to Steve R. Jones for alerting me to what was going on - I would probably not have thought of indexing as the issue.

 

One Remaining Question: How to Enable

Evidently I have done something that caused indexing not to be available. "Allow Indexing" is not an option on any drive properties menu that I have found. A quick internet search has not shown me a way to proceed in case I decide to try indexing.

I would appreciate a suggestion as to how I might get this functionality back.

Thanks.

 

Make sure you haven't turned the service off: (do the opposite of this) remember checked = on/unchecked = off.
http://www.windowsreference.com/windows-xp/how-to-turn-off-windows-indexing-service-in-xp/

Note* you may need xp disk.

or use kellys korner tweaks to make this easier: try # 287 on the right:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

while your at it you wish to use #136 on the left, also.
--------------------------
3rd party goodies: 1st is the one I like and use often.
search everything:
http://www.voidtools.com/

ransack:this is also very good and often recommended here.
http://www.mythicsoft.com/page.aspx?type=agentransack&page=home

 

Ah, NTFS.

I use FAT32. Thanks.