by Neil J. Rubenking
Q: I have recently discovered that Windows Vista's search is finding files that are deleted. Of course it fails to open them when I click them, but it also fails to register that they're deleted. How do I get rid of these phantom files?
I tracked them down to a hidden folder deep in the user profile folders, but no files are there. This is starting to be a hassle. Is there a way to eliminate these false positives, or a program for permanently deleting all traces so this won't continue to happen?—Frank
A: A permanent deletion program won't help because the files are already deleted. What you're seeing is the Indexing Service getting behind in its work. It has indexed the files and hasn't yet noticed that they are gone. If you wait a while it will catch up. You could open the Advanced Search pane and check the box Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files (might be slow), but as the label says, that might be slow. Instead, just rebuild the index, like so:
1. Launch Indexing Options from Control Panel
2. Click the Advanced button
3. Click the Rebuild button
It may take a while to rebuild the index, so consider doing this just before you step away from the computer for a while.
Q: I have recently discovered that Windows Vista's search is finding files that are deleted. Of course it fails to open them when I click them, but it also fails to register that they're deleted. How do I get rid of these phantom files?
I tracked them down to a hidden folder deep in the user profile folders, but no files are there. This is starting to be a hassle. Is there a way to eliminate these false positives, or a program for permanently deleting all traces so this won't continue to happen?—Frank
A: A permanent deletion program won't help because the files are already deleted. What you're seeing is the Indexing Service getting behind in its work. It has indexed the files and hasn't yet noticed that they are gone. If you wait a while it will catch up. You could open the Advanced Search pane and check the box Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files (might be slow), but as the label says, that might be slow. Instead, just rebuild the index, like so:
1. Launch Indexing Options from Control Panel
2. Click the Advanced button
3. Click the Rebuild button
It may take a while to rebuild the index, so consider doing this just before you step away from the computer for a while.
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