Why some files are not showing when using the search bar

Question

Hi guys, I've came across the search bar not showing the files, but I really do have dwg files in the said folder. What's the cause of this or how can we prevent this from happening especially on days when you needed the files urgently. Here's an example.

Above is the search bar only showing thses files, but in reality, in the folder structure there are numerous cad files.

When compared to the search bar at a different folder, it directly shows the dwg. Why does this happen?
[Moderator note: personal info removed]

Answer 1

Dear @Richard Bona,

I understand how frustrating it is when you can see your dwg files in a folder, but they don't appear in the search results, especially during urgent tasks.

Based on the images provided, this behavior usually occurs for one of the following reasons:

1. Indexing Latency SharePoint and OneDrive do not always update search results in real-time. When files are recently moved, renamed, or uploaded, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours for the Search Index to crawl the metadata and make the files "searchable."
2. Search Scoping In your first screenshot, the search is scoped to a specific project subfolder. If the index for that specific path hasn't been updated, the files won't appear. In your third screenshot, the search is successful likely because that folder has been indexed more recently or has a smaller set of data to parse.

To help me narrow down the cause, could you please provide the following details?  

• Are these .dwg files newly uploaded or moved into this folder within the last 24 hours, or have they been there for a long time?
• Are you seeing this issue only with your account, or have other team members confirmed they also cannot find these files via the search bar?
• When you look at the files in the folder view, do any of them have a "Checked Out" icon (a small red arrow) or a "Syncing" status icon?
• Does the search fail both in the SharePoint web interface and within the OneDrive sync folder on your File Explorer, or is it limited to just one?

In the meantime, please try the following official troubleshooting steps which usually resolve issues with basic issues: 

• Force a Re-index: If you have Site Owner permissions, go to Library Settings > More Library Settings > Advanced Settings and click Reindex Document Library. This signals to Microsoft 365 that the content needs to be crawled again.

• Use the "Filter" pane instead of Search: For urgent access, instead of using the search bar, use the Filter icon (top right) to sort by "File Type" within the folder. This relies on the live folder view rather than the search index.

For more detailed technical information, you can refer to the official Microsoft documentation on Manually request crawling and reindexing of a site, a library or a list - SharePoint in Microsoft 3…

I hope this helps. If you have any updates, feel free to comment back. I’ll be glad to continue the discussion with you. Thank you for your understanding.  

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

The behavior is caused by how Windows/OneDrive search and indexing work, not by the DWG files themselves.

From the provided context, files can be missing from search results when:

1. The location is not indexed.
2. The file type is not included in the index.
3. The indexer has not yet processed the files or is overlooking them.
4. The search is limited (for example, only the first set of results is shown, or filters are applied).

To reduce the chance of this happening when files are needed urgently, configure and repair indexing:

1. Ensure the folder is indexed
   1. Open Control Panel → System and Maintenance → Indexing Options.
   2. Check that the project/OneDrive sync folder is listed under Included Locations.
   3. If it is not listed, select Modify, then Show all locations, and add the folder.
2. Ensure the DWG file type is indexed
   1. In Indexing Options, select Advanced (approve elevation if prompted).
   2. On the File Types tab, confirm that the DWG extension is present and selected. If it is not, add/select it so DWG files are included in the index.
3. Let the indexer complete After adding locations or file types, leave the machine running so the indexer can process all files. Searching non‑indexed locations will be slower and less reliable.
4. If files still do not appear, run the search/indexing troubleshooter
   1. Right‑click Start → Search.
   2. Search for Control Panel and open it.
   3. Search for indexing in Control Panel → open Indexing options → Advanced.
   4. Under Index Settings, choose Troubleshoot search and indexing and follow the wizard.

These steps address the documented causes where existing files do not appear in search results even though they are present in the folder structure.

---

References:

• You cannot find files when you search a Windows Vista-based computer even though the files exist on the computer
• Find lost files after upgrading Windows
• File Explorer says "File not found" searching on *.jpg - Microsoft Q&A