Training
Learning path
Microsoft Search fundamentals - Training
Learn about Microsoft Search including where users can search, the answers and results they'll see, and how you can tailor the search experience for your organization.
This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
This topic describes the items that Windows Search indexes.
This topic is organized as follows:
Protocol handlers and filters are included in Windows Search to index the following kinds of content:
Windows Search has protocol handlers, property handlers, and filter handlers to index the following formats automatically:
Properties are indexed for all files except structured storage. On Windows Vista and later, many media file properties are indexed; however, the content is not indexed if the files are protected by digital rights management (DRM).
Note
The HTML filter does not index HTML comments.
When a file type does not have an associated filter, or when a file does not have an extension, the system properties for files of that type are indexed, but the file content is not indexed.
Additionally, Windows Search does not index the content of files under information rights management (IRM) or digital rights management (DRM).
On Windows Vista (only), the following files are excluded from indexing by default:
Files marked as Hidden or System.
Files with the following extensions:
.386, .aps, .AudioCD, .bin, .bk1, .bk2, .bkf, .bsc, .btr, .chk, .ci, .crwl, .dbg, .dct, .DeskLink, .dir, .dl_, .dll, .drv, .dvd, .evt, .ex_, .exe, .exp, .eyb, .fnd, .fnt, .Folder, .fon, .ghi, .gthr, .hqx, .icm, .idb, .idx, .ilk, .imc, .in_, .ini, .inv, .jbf, .latex, .lib, .local, .m14, .mac, .manifest, .map, .MAPIMail, .mmf, .movie, .mv, .mydocs, .ncb, .obj, .oc_, .ocx, .pch, .pdb, .pf, .pma, .pmc, .pml, .pmr, .res, .rmp, .rpc, .rsp, .sbr, .sc2, .sit, .sr_, .sy_, .sym, .sys, .tlb, .trc, .ttc, .ttf, .vbx, .vxd, .wll, .wlt, .xix, .z96, .ZFSendToTarget.
Tip
Folder names are not case-sensitive.
The following folders are excluded from indexing by default:
Folder exclusion pattern | Effect in Windows 7 | Effect in Windows Vista | Description |
---|---|---|---|
%System%\ProgramData\Microsoft\Search\Data\ | Excluded | No effect | Indexer data on the system drive. |
%System%\Users\UserName\AppData\ | Excluded | No effect | User's application data (includes temp data) on the system drive. For each user who logs onto the system, a specific exclusion pattern is added that excludes their application data from the index. |
%System%\Users\*\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\ | Excluded | No effect | Default location of Windows Internet Explorer temporary internet files on the system drive. If the location of Internet Explorer temporary internet files is changed, those files may be indexed. |
%System%\Windows\CSC\ | Excluded | No effect | If indexing is turned on for the Windows system directory, the CSC folder (on the system drive) is still excluded from indexing. |
%System%\Windows\*\Temp\ | Excluded | No effect | Windows temp data on the system drive. |
%System%\Windows.*\ | Excluded | No effect | Old Windows installations on the system drive. |
%System%\ProgramData\ | Excluded | Excluded | Note that the shared Start Menu sub-folder is indexed. |
%System%\Users\*\AppData\ | Excluded | Excluded | Users' application data (includes temp data). |
%System%\Users\*\AppData\Local\Temp\ | Excluded | Excluded | Users' temp data. If indexing is turned on for user application data, user temp data is still excluded from indexing by default. |
%System%\Windows\ | Excluded | Excluded | Operating system files on the system drive. |
%System%\$Recycle Bin\ | Excluded | Excluded | Location of files in the Recycle Bin. |
%System%\Build\ | No effect | Excluded | On the system drive. |
%System%\Installed Repository\ | No effect | Excluded | On the system drive. |
%System%\Program Files\ | No effect | Excluded | On the system drive. |
%System%\Program Files (x86)\ | No effect | Excluded | On the system drive. |
*\Temp\* | No effect | Excluded | Windows temp data and other folders with the name "temp". |
%System%\Users\Default\ | No effect | Excluded | The location of default user profile data on the system drive. |
*\windows.*\ | No effect | Excluded | Old Windows installations and other folders with names that begin with "windows.". |
On Windows 7 and Windows Vista, removable drives are not indexed by default.
Note
If removable drives report themselves as fixed drives, you can add them to be indexed even if they are actually removable. Information will remain in the index and Windows Search will do an incremental crawl to reconcile indexing results when the removable disk is plugged in again. Because USB flash drives report themselves as removable, they cannot be indexed.
Training
Learning path
Microsoft Search fundamentals - Training
Learn about Microsoft Search including where users can search, the answers and results they'll see, and how you can tailor the search experience for your organization.