SOLVED Windows 10 Search No Longer Finds Files in my Computer

[BENNIE_QUINCY_SHAFT]

Before I buy music to download, I always go to Search to ask if I already have the song somewhere in the computer. Search USED TO TELL ME, but no longer. Now, it ONLY tells me about what's on Bing related to the subject matter. This has caused me to buy MP3 songs of WAV files I already have. I discovered this ONLY by opening every music folder and looking for every song manually. Search also cannot find any videos, music, and/or documents I have. IT ONLY FINDS THINGS ON BING. HELP!

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Bennie,

open file explorer then the music folder and top right is a search bar, try that!.

 

[BENNIE_QUINCY_SHAFT]

You are a GENIUS. I can open any music folder, i.e., in my computer's hard drive, in either or both of my HDDs, or on any flash drive, and that search bar is up there at the top. It works rapidly and even gives me the file number. I tried the same with my pictures and my videos folders, and they also have the same search bar on the top. You have saved me from accidentally re-buying music I already have, such as with my two purchases yesterday. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

 

[Wolfie]

You are welcome, I don't know about genius although I have my moments!.

 

[BENNIE_QUINCY_SHAFT]

You will find this amazing AND amusing. When I first did what you suggested a few hours ago, I tested the upper right hand corner search window in My Music folder. Of course, it worked. Now, I was just showing my wife what this was all about, and, believe it or not, my using that upper right hand corner search window just once has restored that function to the search bar at the bottom left of my screen. It now works and shows me whatever I want to find in my computer. It "fixed itself," this after three weeks of not working at all. Funny. Anyway, thanks again, and stay safe. BQS

 

[Wolfie]

And just to make sure that it stays that way, make sure you are fully up to date:

https://www.windows10forums.com/threads/how-to-upgrade-windows-10-to-the-latest-version.13015/

 

[davehc]

I don't like, or use, the search facility. I have a third party search, which i think is better.
But, I think your problem may have been with the paths the search was allowed to enter.
In the old days, I used to go into the Control Panel (still there) and open the indexing Options. If you select the "Advanced" tab there, you can "rebuild" the whole index. You can also select, or remove, any extra items in the Windows explorer. I cannot show you a clip, as I have my search disabled.

 

[BENNIE_QUINCY_SHAFT]

davehc, Thank you for your tip. I did this, and then I tested it by typing in the word, "lady," into the search window. This returned 7 songs I have that have that word in the title in my various music folders and one document with that word in its title from the documents folder. I proceeded to test 4 other random words and got a vast array of "hits." Apparently the index had lost some items before, and my using the search windows in the music folder had caused the computer to find other similar items as the computer is always "looking" to update the index. Your suggestion, after I did it, added a gazillion other items to the index. Thank you again.