Rebuild Google Desktop Search Index

[NeoCosmo]

I have googled many discussion about rebuilding GDS's index, but found nothing useful.

Could anyone teach me how to rebuild it? :blush:

[Neil]

Uninstall it and say yes to delete the index and re install it

[vbsodx]

Like nezermundy said, the easiest way is to uninstall and allow it to delete your index and install GDS again.

But just for information there is apparently a way without uninstalling, though I can't say that I have tried it myself:

How to force a clean re-index without reinstalling
This involves modifying you registry. If you aren't comfortable with that or have no idea what I am talking about, stop now.
Note: The following instructions where changed on 4/2/05. Before that they didn't work with the new, non-beta version of GDS. Thanks to reader Mack for the help.

    * Shut down GDS
    * By default the index is stored in:
      C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Google Desktop Search
      where USERNAME is your username on the computer. Local Settings is a hidden folder, you'll have
      unhide it. If you are unsure how to unhide a file or directory read this.

      Go to the folder your index is stored in and delete all the files in there
    * Open up Notepad and make the following entry !C:[tab] (NOTE: Don't type "[tab]", press your tab key. If you have more than one drive or partition, add those too. So if you have a C: and a D: Drive it would look like: !C:[tab]!D:[tab] )
    * Highlight all that (don't forget that last tab) and copy it to the clipboard
    * Open up regedit (Start - Run - Regedit)
    * Navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Desktop\HistoricalCapture\Crawler
    * Double click on the CRAWL_DIRS entry and paste in the entries you made in Notepad. Note: The tabs will appear as little boxes.
    * Do the same thing for CQF_FILE, but put in *[tab]|
    * Click OK
    * Next, double click on the CRAWL_FILE entry. Delete any entry that is in there. Most likely DONE if you have finished indexing.
    * Next, double click on the CRAWL_FAV entry. Delete any entry that is in there. Most likely DONE if you have finished indexing.
    * Next, double click on the CRAWL_IE entry. Delete any entry that is in there. Most likely DONE if you have finished indexing.
    * Click OK

      Optionally:
      copy all of the following blue text into a file called gds.reg


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Desktop\HistoricalCapture\Crawler]
"CQF_FILE"="*	|"
"CRAWL_IE"=""
"CRAWL_FAV"=""
"CRAWL_FILE"=""
"CRAWL_DIRS"="!C:	"


      Note: As I stated above if you have more than one drive or partition, edit the last part the tabs so it looks like

"CRAWL_DIRS"="!C:	!D:	"

      Save gds.reg on your desktop or somewhere you can find it again.
      Make sure GDS is shut down and you've deleted the files in your index folder
      then double click on the file gds.reg and say yes to the prompt about updating your registry.
      Keep the file around in case you want to reindex at a later time.

    * Start the GDS system again and allow your system to index all the files.

Taken from here: http://users.tns.net/~skingery/firefox/GDS_Tips.html#reindex

There are other useful tips on there also.

[NeoCosmo]

  vBSODx said:

Like nezermundy said, the easiest way is to uninstall and allow it to delete your index and install GDS again.

But just for information there is apparently a way without uninstalling, though I can't say that I have tried it myself:

How to force a clean re-index without reinstalling
This involves modifying you registry. If you aren't comfortable with that or have no idea what I am talking about, stop now.
Note: The following instructions where changed on 4/2/05. Before that they didn't work with the new, non-beta version of GDS. Thanks to reader Mack for the help.

 ? ?* Shut down GDS
 ? ?* By default the index is stored in:
 ? ? ?C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Google Desktop Search
 ? ? ?where USERNAME is your username on the computer. Local Settings is a hidden folder, you'll have
 ? ? ?unhide it. If you are unsure how to unhide a file or directory read this.

 ? ? ?Go to the folder your index is stored in and delete all the files in there
 ? ?* Open up Notepad and make the following entry !C:[tab] (NOTE: Don't type "[tab]", press your tab key. If you have more than one drive or partition, add those too. So if you have a C: and a D: Drive it would look like: !C:[tab]!D:[tab] )
 ? ?* Highlight all that (don't forget that last tab) and copy it to the clipboard
 ? ?* Open up regedit (Start - Run - Regedit)
 ? ?* Navigate to the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Desktop\HistoricalCapture\Crawler
 ? ?* Double click on the CRAWL_DIRS entry and paste in the entries you made in Notepad. Note: The tabs will appear as little boxes.
 ? ?* Do the same thing for CQF_FILE, but put in *[tab]|
 ? ?* Click OK
 ? ?* Next, double click on the CRAWL_FILE entry. Delete any entry that is in there. Most likely DONE if you have finished indexing.
 ? ?* Next, double click on the CRAWL_FAV entry. Delete any entry that is in there. Most likely DONE if you have finished indexing.
 ? ?* Next, double click on the CRAWL_IE entry. Delete any entry that is in there. Most likely DONE if you have finished indexing.
 ? ?* Click OK

 ? ? ?Optionally:
 ? ? ?copy all of the following blue text into a file called gds.reg
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Google Desktop\HistoricalCapture\Crawler]
"CQF_FILE"="*	|"
"CRAWL_IE"=""
"CRAWL_FAV"=""
"CRAWL_FILE"=""
"CRAWL_DIRS"="!C:	"
 ? ? ?Note: As I stated above if you have more than one drive or partition, edit the last part the tabs so it looks like

"CRAWL_DIRS"="!C:	!D:	"

 ? ? ?Save gds.reg on your desktop or somewhere you can find it again.
 ? ? ?Make sure GDS is shut down and you've deleted the files in your index folder
 ? ? ?then double click on the file gds.reg and say yes to the prompt about updating your registry.
 ? ? ?Keep the file around in case you want to reindex at a later time.

 ? ?* Start the GDS system again and allow your system to index all the files.

Taken from here: http://users.tns.net/~skingery/firefox/GDS_Tips.html#reindex

There are other useful tips on there also.

585748899[/snapback]

Thanks, it works.