Notes Not Being Searched

Notes Not Being Searched

Issue #1: See details in forum discussion and help desk ticket linked in the tabs above, along with the status report below.

Issue #2: Indexing process on Windows 11 appeared to be "paused". (See attached screenshot linked above.) Strangely, the indexing process is still running, albeit very slowly, even though the indexing interface says the process is "paused".

Fix: Jump to final entry under "Status" for the quick and simple resolution to this issue.

Status

01.20.23: Bug initially observed. Not resolved by restarting TheBrain or rebooting my computer

01.21.23: Bug reported in forum and in new help desk ticket, along with the initial "indexing paused" screenshot

01.23.23: The first indexing process (finally) finished, but my notes were still not being searched.

• Upon closer examination, I discovered the C/Drive indexing process did NOT include my ProgramData (or TheBrain) so I've reinitiated the 2nd indexing process with ProgramData included in the selected locations.
• Help desk ticket has been updated, and 2 more screenshots were submitted.
  • FinalIndexingResults (Total indexed items = 405,771)
  • SelectedLocations (with ProgramData NOT included)

01.23.23: Support just now told me I do NOT need to have my ProgramData indexed after all ~ but I'm letting the 2nd indexing process run anyway, to see if it make any difference. Unfortunately, it is taking an extremely long time to finish b/c of the secondary problem with the indexing process being inexplicably "paused".

01.24.23: Late in the day yesterday Support suggested the problem might be resolved by restarting the Windows Search Service.

• In light of this, I closed the 2nd reindexing process to give this restart a try. Since the Windows search was already running, I stopped it and then restarted it again. However, this did not make any difference at all.
  • Closing TheBrain, rebooting my computer and restarting TheBrain didn't make any difference either, so I've submitted another update to TheBrain Support.
• In the meantime, I began working through the troubleshooting steps outlined in the article linked above:
  • Low battery is not an issue, since my laptop is always plugged in.
  • Search & Indexing Troubleshooter produced no useful results.
  • Ran an FSC scan. Damaged files were repaired, but there was no improvement in my notes search.
• Reinitiated the indexing process for a 3rd time:
  • Indexing process began as I had hoped it would.
  • Almost immediately I received a very brief message that I was unable to capture. I think it said the process was reduced (?) "due to user activity"
  • Almost immediately after this "user activity" message, I received another message saying the indexing was paused ~ and now the process is behaving *exactly* as it did previously, i.e., the indexing is proceeding *exceedingly* slowly in spite of the interface saying the "indexing is paused".

01.24.23: Support offered to walk me through a series of troubleshooting steps, when the current indexing process is finished.

01.25.23: The "paused" indexing process made little progress during the night, even with the "sleep" function on my computer turned OFF. Waiting now on this 3rd indexing process to complete before testing TheBrain's search function again.

01.27.23: Indexing is complete. Notes are still not being searched.

• Based on Support's feedback and recommendation, I ran a search test of a new test thought folder, using Windows search, without success.
• Duplicated the test, with another different thought folder and another different search term. > Still no success.
• Just now ran other similar search of a text (.txt) file outside of TheBrain, and still ran into the same problem > No search results
• just now discovered my Windows SearchHost file was suspended. (See attached screenshot)
  • Per the instructions in this article, I ended the SearchHost process, conducted another (unproductive) search in my file manager, and discovered the SearchHost process was immediately suspended again.
  • Later discovered this is the expected behavior.
• Also asked Support about the folders currently excluded from my Windows search, just to make sure there's nothing there that might be causing problems (See attached screenshot) < Support said this shouldn't be an issue

01.27.23: Based on Support's recommendation, I ran several searches for specific words in .md and .txt notes using Windows file manager, with no success. Looks like this is Windows issue, not a problem with TheBrain.

01.28.23: Support team confirmed this is a Windows issue, not a problem with TheBrain. Support also suggested trying troubleshooting options #2 & #4 from this article.

• Option #2: Windows Troubleshooter ~ Didn't work before, and didn't work just now when I tested it again.
• Option #4: Restart Windows Search ~ Attempted this process using the PowerShell script recommended in the preceding article. Result:
  • The PS script window, never stayed open and never indicated the process was "Done".
  • Moreover, the search was still not working when I rebooted my computer
• In the meantime (and on an impulse), I reinitiated the indexing process for a 4th time with TheBrain explicitly included, just to see if it might help. (Realized afterward this may be ill-fated since the search problem is NOT limited to TheBrain.) > Fourth reindexing attempt cancelled since I have to reboot my computer for another software update.
• Searching now for a solution to the problem of reindexing being paused. Don't know if this will make a difference or not since the indexing process eventually does complete in spite of being "paused". > Later: Search was interrupted by a current client commitment.

02.06.23: Another forum user ran into this issue