Find Fast Does Not Index Password Protected Files

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Office for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

Find Fast does not index password-protected documents.

CAUSE

Because password-protected documents are encrypted, they cannot be indexed. Find Fast does not index password-protected documents because they are not searchable files. Any references to file properties or content will not be addressed in the index

STATUS

This behavior in Find Fast is by design to uphold the security and protection of your documents.

MORE INFORMATION

Indexes are used to make file searches faster in Office programs. If the password-protected file is searched based on either "File name" or "Files of type" it will appear in the Open dialog box following the normal search criteria. However, searches for password-protected documents based on content or other properties internal to that file will not appear in the Open dialog box.

If an index finds a password-protected document, an entry is made in the Indexer log, Ffastlog.txt. When Find Fast updates an index, it logs events and errors in the log file Ffastlog.txt.

To view the indexer log file, do the following:

1. Click the Start button on the Windows 95 taskbar, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. With the left mouse button, double-click the Find Fast icon.

3. On the Index menu, click Show Indexer Log.

The index includes information about document content and properties. Indexes are built according to file types and selected drives and folders. An index can cover the entire root directory, or smaller indexes can be configured to include certain folders. You can create as many indexes as you want as long as corresponding folders do not overlap.

Indexes use internal filters in the Office products to parse the files with the Office extensions (.doc, .dot, .xl*, .ppt, .pot, .obd, .obt, .mpp, .mpw, .mpt, .mpx). If Find Fast finds a format that is not an Office format, it queries the Windows 95 Registry to determine if any external converters are installed.

For additional information on the Find Fast feature, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q136386
   TITLE     : WD: How Find Fast Determines Which Method to Use to Index
               Files