How To Reindex Google Desktop?
This one kind of surprises me. Turns out there’s one glaring omission in Google Desktop: It doesn’t notice when you move a file. As reported by the Mercury News, when you move a file around on your computer, Google Desktop Search doesn’t notice it. Since GDS only indexes when you install it, and adds new files to the index as you create / edit them. However, it doesn’t scan your hard drive, even when you’re doing absolutely nothing, so if it doesn’t catch your files in the first place, it never will.
This is a pretty annoying problem, and Google’s solution is just plain stupid. To reindex your hard drive, Google suggests you uninstall and then reinstall Desktop Search. Really? You expect to compete with Windows Vista with this?
MSN Desktop Search indexes your hard drive when you’re doing nothing. Why can’t Google do that, or during off hours, or at least have a button to trigger a reindexing? I’d think that reindexing was pretty important. Maybe Google wants to build that feature in before Windows Vista (and its robust, integrated desktop search) hits stores later this year.
(via Barry Schwartz)
This is also a big problem with the indexing of Outlook e-mail. When e-mail arrives in Outlook, Google Desktop indexes it, but if you file it or archive it in a different folder (off the exchange server), Google Desktop can’t find the message anymore.
Comment by Trevor | March 6, 2006
This problem really bugs me too. There could at least be a re-index option. I don’t want to uninstall the whole thing–I’ll lose all of my plugins and their data…
Comment by Alex Porter | March 6, 2006
I don’t understand why GDS can’t optimize its index by removing deleted files. Or to detect when you move a file, or when you rename it. It just behaves the same way as Googlebot indexes the web. You can find a lot of 404’s in Google index.
Comment by Ionut Alex. Chitu | March 6, 2006
TweakGDS allows you to delete the index without reinstalling and do other stuff: http://desktop.google.com/plugins/tweakgds.html
Comment by Michael White | March 6, 2006
An interesting approach: Google seems to consider this to be a feature.
http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Desktop/browse_thread/thread/334ddefa48cacf65/c97886b053cfd0d4?q=delete&rnum=45#c97886b053cfd0d4
Comment by Ionut Alex. Chitu | March 6, 2006
The Solution to your GDS Problem is CDS
Trackback by Zoli's Blog | March 6, 2006
TweakGDS is cool. Lets you move the index as well. Lot’s of tips on my old page:
http://users.tns.net/~skingery/firefox/GDS_Tips.html
Comment by Scott | March 6, 2006
I don’t mind, actually. And I’m even glad the Google Desktop keeps files indexed after I delete them. I mean, that’s a big reason to have it installed. I bet over 50% of my searches are for deleted items!
Comment by Tim | March 7, 2006
One thing I don’t like is that I deleted some indexed pages from a site, but now it seems to refuse indexing anything from that site. Oops. (Not that important, though.)
Comment by Tim | March 7, 2006
Tim, Desktop keeping files indexed after they are deleted is a feature, and a very good one. The problem is that while it will index files that aren’t there, the simple action of moving a file on your hard drive will cause it to forget where the file is. Now that’s just ridiculous.
Comment by Nathan Weinberg | March 7, 2006
I really don’t like that it retains deleted files, with no option other than manually removing each errant entry as its discovered.
The justification given was that it provides you with a record of where things _were_, in case you accidentally deleted something. The same argument could be held for moving files, that if you move something by mistake, well, you’ve got a record of where it was previously.
There’s already a mechanism in most OSes for deferred deletions, backing up vital data is a well-known requirement, how many more fail-safes do we need? I’d also like to be able to actually _delete_ data myself, once and for all, without needing to worry about the endless caches & stashholes apps seem to be creating these days.
Ultimately, though, this all just undermines the value that GDS has to _me_: a quick way of accessing my _current_ filesystem as it is _now_. Which would suck, because it integrates _really_ well with the explorer replacement I prefer, Directory Opus.
Comment by Alex Dante | March 10, 2006
Is part of the new standard features for desktop from google.
Improved indexing – When you move files, Google Desktop now updates your index more quickly and accurately. You can also manually re-index your computer by clicking the Google Desktop icon in the taskbar and selecting “Re-Index.”
Lars
Comment by Lars Schouw | July 18, 2006
Lars Says: “You can also manually re-index your computer by clicking the Google Desktop icon in the taskbar and selecting “Re-Index.””. This option isn’t available when I click o the icon in the taskbar. The only option relating to indexing is to temporarily suspend it? Do I need to uninstall and reinstall the newest version to get this STANDARD feature? I read online that Google Desktop automatically updates itself with the newest version?
Comment by Jonathan Schultz | August 25, 2006
I don’t have this option either… no “re-index” feature on my GDS. I looked all over for it…
Comment by MR | April 10, 2007
Try upgrading your Google Desktop. It should be in the context menu of the Google Desktop icon, under the expanding item labeled “indexing”. If you’re using a localized version, you might want to double check for crappy translations.
Comment by Tim | April 11, 2007
I sure with Google Desktop would reindex when I move an incoming Outlook email to a folder. I am forced to reindex Google desktop every day because GDS won’t re-index automatically when a file is archived in Outlook.
Comment by Bill Durham | July 10, 2007
There must be other tools that provide re-indexing with ease. What are they?
Comment by nigel | November 15, 2007