22 April 2008

Vista search doesn't work after moving database

If you ever move the Windows Vista Search Index database (Control Panel -> Indexing Option -> Advanced -> Index Location), there is a risk that you end up breaking the search if you e.g. delete the location you moved it to or mess up file permissions.

If you see any of the following symptoms, this post may have the solution:

  • The Indexing Option window is all greyed out, telling you that "Indexing is not running
  • The service Windows Search is stopped and if you try to start it you get the following error message: "Windows could not start the Windows Search on Local Computer. For more
    information, review the System Event Log. If this is a non-Microsoft
    service, contact the service vendor, and refer to service-specific error
    code -2147218141"
  • In the event log applications you get the following error message: "The Windows Search Service has failed to created the new system catalog. Internal error <1,0x80070003>."


If this is the case, try the solution I have quoted below:


Re: Vista Indexer - MSDN Forums
Can you check under %systemdrive%\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\Config and see if gathrprm.txt and schema.txt exists? Did you move your default index location? If you don't see these two files, grab them from another vista machine or send me an email for the files.



If you don't have these files, you can get mine here. (Unzip the file to your system root, i.e. usually C:\.)

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