A way to add indexing for mapped network drives to Windows 10 Home

[questorfla]

This is probably one of those "can't be done" things but I have to ask.
I know there are multiple utilities like Master-seeker and Everything and Ultrasearch just to name a few that are excellent at this but none of them works native to windows in such a way that when a User needs to open a file stored on a mapped drive letter using a Windows program (Word, or most anything that offer so search for files to open) the "search" are "browse" function uses Windows Indexing and is so slow that the progress-bar looks like pouring Syrup on a Winter Morning.

I can use many utilities to find the same file almost instantaneous but the programs being used apparently can only deal with Native Indexing in Windows.

I need this to work on some systems that only have Windows 10 HOME.  No Sync/Offline file functions are not available (unless there is a patch I have not yet found).  I had read that adding the mapped drive to a library can force it be indexed but that option is not available for network drives.

If there is a utility that can make windows treat the mapped drive like a local drive that is the only thing I can think of to get the Windows index to include it.  The Mapped drive has many thousand documents on it that have to be used in various programs.  Currently, unless the user navigates to the 3rd sub-level where the file they want is located before they begin the search it can take up to 3-4 minutes or even longer to search for a specific filename to pop-up

[Shades]

Try to get a personal/corporate search engine to index all the documents and offer those results in a webpage accessible to the user. If the user then clicks on the link to the file, the document should automatically open in the defined application on the system they currently work on.

That looks like the easiest way to go about it.

Problem is the search engine. IBM (in cooperation with Yahoo) made one available for free some years back. If you install it on the system that stores these documents your users need access to, you also have the accessible webpage as well. Not sure if there was a file and/or size limit anymore...it has been a couple of years since.   Only thing is that I used it myself and worked well.

There might be some newer ones for you to use. But if there aren't, try to look for: OmniFind and see if you can download it (and try at home or something to see if it is of any use for you).

If memory serves me right, there used to be an older SharePoint server that Microsoft made available for free. That could be another way to tackle your problem.

For what it is worth, I never liked the Windows Indexing feature. Too slow, too cumbersome and not too workable with files stored on the network. At the time I jumped for joy when I could lay my paws on the OmniFind search engine.

Collecting those files in one location makes it (much) easier to backup or even apply versioning if you would be so inclined. 

[skwire]

I know there are multiple utilities like Master-seeker and Everything and Ultrasearch just to name a few that are excellent at this but none of them works native to windows in such a way that when a User needs to open a file stored on a mapped drive letter using a Windows program

I use Everything on all my Windows computers and make use of the ETP server option when I need to find something on another computer.  For all intents and purposes, it's as fast as using Everything right on the box.  You can find the feature under the Tools > Connect to ETP Server menu.  Of course, you will need to enable the ETP server in Everything's options first (on the computer you want to connect to).  If you can't figure it out, let me know.

[4wd]

I use Everything on all my Windows computers and make use of the ETP server option when I need to find something on another computer.  For all intents and purposes, it's as fast as using Everything right on the box.  You can find the feature under the Tools > Connect to ETP Server menu.  Of course, you will need to enable the ETP server in Everything's options first (on the computer you want to connect to).  If you can't figure it out, let me know.

I just add the UNC path of the network share I want to index, eg. Everything runs on my computer and indexes a share on my WHS2011 machine, so the index is available even when the server is offline, (it's only on 3 hours a day).

[MilesAhead]

I just add the UNC path of the network share I want to index, eg. Everything runs on my computer and indexes a share on my WHS2011 machine, so the index is available even when the server is offline, (it's only on 3 hours a day).

[attachment 1 not found]

Isn't that cheating?

[skwire]

I just add the UNC path of the network share I want to index, eg. Everything runs on my computer and indexes a share on my WHS2011 machine, so the index is available even when the server is offline, (it's only on 3 hours a day).

Doh, I should have mentioned that I use that feature, too, for computers where I have shares...uhh...shared.  Good stuff, that Everything app.  Love it.

[4wd]

I just add the UNC path of the network share I want to index, eg. Everything runs on my computer and indexes a share on my WHS2011 machine, so the index is available even when the server is offline, (it's only on 3 hours a day).

Isn't that cheating?

OK, I'll bite ... why?

Try to get a personal/corporate search engine to index all the documents and offer those results in a webpage accessible to the user. If the user then clicks on the link to the file, the document should automatically open in the defined application on the system they currently work on.

I also do that in Everything by enabling its HTTP server.

[Shades]

Oops, wasn't even aware that Everything comes with HTTP server functionality. Ah well, live and learn. 

[MilesAhead]

OK, I'll bite ... why?

I should have put a rolling on floor laughing smiley.  But if the solution is too easy we all know it is not allowed on Windows. 

[questorfla]

Looks like I asked a bad question?  If is a valid one unfortunately and can be checked on Google.  I am not the only one who has had problems like this and there are several 'fixes" offered

On our network the users have access to a shared folder on a file storage system.  That folder is mapped to a drive letter
(R:)  on the User's' systems.  If a User needs to find and open a file on the R: drive, it takes a LOT longer than it should. The only possible reason would be if the mapped network address is not in the indices (which it isn't).  The green "searching for that file" line just creeps across the screen taking up to 3 minutes to scan all 40K files.

The workstations all run Windows Home which offers no support for Offline files.  If it did, this solves the problem pretty quickly. I was able to look that fact up on the MS Sites.  But.  No solution is given for adding 40,000 filenames to the index on a workstation that is on the Windows HOME OS.

Utilities like Everything work great except for the fact that it isn't linked to the Windows index in any way and WORD, Excel , etc Are.  I agree that I can run Masterseeker or many other "External Utilities" to find a file instantly but the Users Need to be ale to do this from within WORD or other windows software as a component of the software not as an external utility

The really odd part is that this has not been a problem until maybe a few weeks .  Also, after some tinkering with settings, I was able to get things to work normally again but by then I had tried too many options to know which one may have worked.

Today, Windows 10 Update ran.  As soon as the system came back online, the problem is back again.
When working properly, if you open word and click the search option top right and type in a few letters you get results almost immediately.  When not working properly, you get a green bar that says 'searching" that takes what seems forever.

For a better explanation see https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS654US654&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=search%20for%20a%20file%20with%20word%20takes%20a%20long%20time%20on%20network%20drives&oq=search%20for%20a%20file%20with%20word%20takes%20a%20long%20time%20on%20network%20drives&aqs=chrome..69i57.13655j0j8

[MilesAhead]

I am starting to suspect that Windows Update is a conspiracy between Microsoft and the corporate IT guys to log 30+ hours of overtime per week.  How can you possibly add dozens of modifications per week to an OS without breaking things?  I don't think there is a way.

I would hate to be put in that bind unless I needed an excuse to sleep on a cot at work and never go home.  Maybe they have 4k HD with all the sports channels in a secret rec room or something?

[questorfla]

Maybe they have 4k HD with all the sports channels in a secret rec room or something?

Go THAT!  And maybe some booze and maybe  "co-ed" environment?

Anyway, this is all coming from ONE 'particularly dense' worker that knows how to be the 'squeaky wheel' constantly.  Says she can't wait the extra 'minutes' it takes.  I wish i had recorded her saying that!  Would have made for great listening by company owners.
Problem is they don't care and just want the work done.  I had to agree that something was wrong even though I don't see it being worth spending hours to find out what.
The only reason i bothered is that occasionally I have seen the same thing.
Whatever it is, it always seems to 'fix itself' eventually.  But in her job, she does have to spend a lot of time looking up those docs.  So.. i have to be a 'nice guy' and try.

Back when i first discovered 'everything' i thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread!  I wrote David at Voidtools  and begged him to find a way to get Windows Search to use his algorithms or just flat out replace windows search with 'Everything'.  He said it could not be done and i believe him   But i figured MS would eventually get better.

Instead, we got Cortana? 

Anyways, in the interim, my favorite search tool has become UltraSearch by JAM software. No particular reasons other than it had more of the specifics I use.  'Everything' probably has them as well but right now i have UltraSearch set to  CTRL+U hot key and just find it easier to access.  If you know of a better one i am always looking.

But.  For this problem, i need to find out what isn't working right in Windows and how to fix it.  The work being done must use the normal Windows "Search for" in top right corner of Explorer (or Word, Excel etc).

Even though I am 99% certain it is an indexing issue on that User's system, she has a valid complaint and I CAN find others with the same issues in a quick Google Search.
I just have to figure out WHY it happens in order to stop it. 

I already 'fixed' it once this past week but it came back when the system with the shared folder got the final windows 10 ANNIVERSARY UPDATE. 
I have several ideas as to what happened but it would be nice to get a confirmation of "Yes that happens when you...." .  Guaranteed to be something SHE did wrong.

Anyway, while i was at it, i thought i might find that there is now a way to switch off windows search and replace its function with a Better Tool. 
(Not for her, for ME!) 

[MilesAhead]

What does the squeaky wheel worker do at the end of her shift?  Does she shut the machine down?  Power it off?  Let it sleep?

I don't use the indexing myself but I wonder if once it loaded up if it would keep its cache overnight if she hibernated the machine instead of shutting down.  Just a wild thought.

[questorfla]

who knows at this point. I cannot get any cooperation to test the theory.  I think it was caused by her staying connected to mapped drived while the system that held the drives was restarted.  Knowing her, she probably even had documents opened.
It was curiosity on my part as i have seen this happen to my own system once in a while and just wondered "Why"
I found a tool on WinAeroLibrary Tool
that describes the problem and a possible solution but it isn't worth the effort to test it on her.


When i get a chance, I may check it out for myself though.