Adding File Types to the Search Index

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated August 21, 2017)

The power behind an Indexed Search is the index itself, but only certain file types are indexed by Windows. To see what these types are (or to modify the file-type list), you need to access the search index. Do this by pressing the Windows key, typing "index" (without the quotes), and pressing Enter. Windows displays the Indexing Options dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Indexing Options dialog box.

To get to the list of file types indexed by Windows, click the Advanced button. Windows displays the Advanced Options dialog box; you should make sure the File Types tab is displayed. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The File Types tab of the Advanced Options dialog box.

Every file type with a checkmark will be indexed, but only if the file possessing that file type is within a folder that is being indexed. Conversely, those without a checkmark are not indexed, even if they are in a folder that is included in the index.

If you want to add a new file type to the search index, type the extension (without the leading period) in the Add New Extension to List box and click the Add button. As soon as you click Add, your new file type is added to the list and will be included in the index.

 This tip (12920) applies to Windows 7 and 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Using the Snipping Tool

Being able to capture portions of the screen can come in handy for a wide variety of reasons. The Windows snipping tool ...

Discover More

Creating a Selection Set

You may often need to work with many files at the same time. For example, you may wish to copy or delete a set of files. ...

Discover More

Disabling Automatic Driver Installation

Whenever you plug something into your computer, Windows dutifully tries to find and install the driver for your new ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Checking the Size of Apps

Need to know how much disk space is consumed by the small applications (apps) installed on your system? Windows makes it ...

Discover More

Copying Data with Robocopy

Robocopy is a robust file copy utility built into Windows. If you have a lot of file management to do that can't easily ...

Discover More

Where Is that File I Just Downloaded?

Downloading files from the Web is a pretty common occurrence. Keeping track of your downloads used to be a bit of a ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six minus 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.