Unable to find excel content in file explorer search

Question

• Environment - Windows Server 2022.                            
• Office - M365 - as per the MCO.
• The excel files doesn't show up when the cx tries to search the contents of the excel file in the search bar of the file explorer.
• The issue only occurs with excel files and not with any other files such as .txt,.docx.
• The excel files extensions are checked.

We went thru that list and performed the steps ..  we knew them well   we’ve checked all that stuff over a dozen times..  Unfortunately,  everything was set as you recommended.    Nothing has changed ..   Search is working fine!   It’s only that EXCEL FILES don’t show up in the search when we are looking for specific file contents inside the xls or xls files.  That has been the problem from the beginning.    We can search the contents of all sorts of files without a problem.   Except Excel files.   We’ve got lots of them.     If we search for File names or Meta information they come up in the search results..   but if we search for something that we know is in  the fields of the spreadsheet,  it is not listed in the results.   If we search for something we know is inside of many types of files,   all the Files show up for PDF, DOCX, CSV , etc...  But the XLSX OR XLS files containing that data, is not reflected in search results 

Answer 1

Hi，

Where do the Excel files be saved, locally or on a shared network drive?

Are there any other formats files saved with Excel files in the same location?

Are these Excel files encrypted?

What are the Office version number and update channel? You can get this information via File > Account > Product Information in one Office app.

We went thru that list and performed the steps

You have checked the File Types list for .xlsx and .xls, am I right? Have you tried rebuilding Index?

The excel files extensions are checked.

Have you tried following steps?

Please go to Registry Editor, navigate to the following path: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xlsx

• Make sure the value data of "Default" string is Excel.Sheet.12;
• Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xlsx\PersistentHandler, ensure the value data of "Default" string is {4887767F-7ADC-4983-B576-88FB643D6F79}.

Then locate to the following path: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xls

• Make sure the value data of "Default" string is Excel.Sheet.8.
• Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.xls\PersistentHandler, ensure the value data of "Default" string is {98de59a0-d175-11cd-a7bd-00006b827d94}.

From the Office perspective, you can also perform an online repair for Office and update Office to the latest version to check this issue.

Or you can uninstall Office completely and then re-install it.

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