One of the most criticized aspects of Windows 10 is its search for files, folders, and documents. Instead of struggling with a feature that lurches from one existential crisis to the next, many users have replaced it entirely with third-party tools that also show better performance. If you really want to detect problems in Windows 10 search, you could test this new official resource, Indexer Diagnostics.
Not finding things, making mistakes, confusing one program with another. Personally, I can say I have typed the legend "cap" thousands of times to open my favorite screen capture tool, but from time to time it inserts the Snipping Tool into the mix, which I have only run by accident.
There is something not quite right with Windows 10 search, even if it seems to work. Cortana yes, Cortana no, injected web results, useless suggestions, apps that have nothing to do with what we want... the list goes on.
What did users do? Easy: SearchMyFiles, CSearcher, Agent Ransack. They tackled the root problem with third-party file search tools that are lighter and more flexible. Not a few believe that Windows 10 search is a step backward compared to previous operating systems, but in Redmond they are willing to take up the challenge. At least that's what the new free tool Indexer Diagnostics suggests.
How to Detect Problems in Windows 10 Search
Indexer Diagnostics is divided into six different categories. The first shows the general state of the search service and includes a report on the number of indexed items, as well as a classification by date of recent uses (day, hour, week).
The next three focus on troubleshooting: one offers options to restart or reset the service and report bugs if those steps don't work, the next lets us browse and verify indexing on specific files, and finally, we can add custom paths for the index or insert exclusions (for example, entire drives or game folders).
The fifth category handles performance analysis of Windows 10 search, and the last only shows information about search roots, that is, where it begins.
The performance analysis is probably the most advanced part of Indexer Diagnostics, but the first four categories will certainly be useful for any user. The program is in beta and free. The only "problem"? Microsoft published it in the Store, and we must download it from there.
Official site and download: Click here
