Cannot search Symbolic Links correctly

[Josephur]

I use symbolic links to redirect folders such as C:\Users\User1\Downloads to another drive, for instance H:\Downloads using the built in Windows mklink command.

I often use the right click folder, Search for Everything context menu which will populate Everything with "C:\Users\User1\Downloads\"
But it will not list any files because it seems to be looking at the symbolic link as an empty folder, instead of following it to the actual location.

C:\Users\User1\dir
11/11/2015 02:18 AM <JUNCTION> Downloads [H:\Downloads]


Can we make it so Everything follows symbolic links automatically therefore searching correctly? Or would this be a hassle considering Symbolic links can be anywhere, and the recursive function of searching a folder with multiple symbolic links could be an issue (perhaps the database would even have to be rearranged in order to hold the true location a link points to and index it, even if the link points to a location that is not currently being indexed because it's on another drive that's not in the index).

I'm using Version 1.4.0.713b (x64).

Cheers!

[SaibotP]

I use lots of junction and symbolic links too.
It is very time-consuming to add all these folders in the settings or the .ini file.

So I also propose that Everything scans or searches all links automatically:
Solution 1: All linked subfolders and files are doubled in the database. Problems: large databse, automatic and quick updating of these folders.
Solution 2: The search function follows links. Problems: more complicated search functions, multiplying the found files in linked folders.

If none of these solutions can be implemented soon, it would be great if at least the following option could be implemented:
When right clicking on a linked folder (or on a subfolder in a linked folder),
Everything now starts searching with the linked path and finds nothing, if the folder is not added to the database manually.
Everything could automatically resolve all links in the path to the physical folder
e.g. searching in the folder "C:\Documents and Settings\UserA" is resolved to "C:\Users\UserA"...

Regards,

Tobias

[Josephur]

I agree something should be done for symbolic links and whatever solution it is, surely it could be applied to indexing Alternate Data Streams as well. Would be nice to be able to search for ADS stream names, as well as ADS content. You could even turn this off by default as the vast number of users wouldn't use either function.

[therube]

What is the Current Status of How E. Handles Hard Links?

(Separate from Everything, Nirsoft's AlternateStreamView.)