Visio 2010 - shape search not working

Question

Installed the free Vsio 2010 Premium software and appeared to work fine. Tried using shape search function and it asked to download addtional software (I believe "Windows search services") which I did and it appeared to load fine. Now when I try the shape search function it does a quick search as if it is not really accessing any database (it does this on all searches even the most common shapes) and gives a not found try again response. Any adivice on how to get my shape search function back up and running? FYI my company currently has Visio 2003 and we were thinking on upgrading to Visio 2010 for the BPMN capability. Thanks!

Answer 1

A common issue. If you search the forum you'll discover that Microsoft has stopped supporting internet searches for shapes. The servers are gone...

al

 

Answer 2

Any advice on how to get the standard shape search back up and running? Right now it doesn't appear to be searching at all, not even internally. Thx

Answer 3

The external search (like the Dodo) appears to now be a thing of the past. Some of the stencil shapes that were previously being found are still available as discrete downloads and can be searched for at Microsoft Download. Of course those stencils that were not code specific (add-on like orgchart, timeline, etc.) will still work and can be loaded if you still have the media for their installation.

al

 

Answer 4

Hi,

This issue is discussed and answerred in this thread:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/visiogeneral/thread/db05c978-8db5-46c0-b417-8bcf475df62e

Best Regards,

Sally Tang

Answer 5

That thread does not tell me how to bring back the local shape search function. I need addtional direction to get it working again. Could I just delete and reload the trial version (I still have my product key #)?

Answer 6

That thread does not tell me how to bring back the local shape search function. I need addtional direction to get it working again. Could I just delete and reload the trial version (I still have my product key #)?

Answer 7

Hi,

You might try to repair the Visio program from control panel.

Best Regards,

Sally Tang

Answer 8

I have the same problem.  Repair doesn't fix it.  A re-install doesn't fix it. 

For those MVP's and Microsoft folks that responded to this, please read the original OP's post, you clearly have NOT.  The search problem is NOT about Internet searches, it's about Local shape search, which no longer works in Visio 2010 Professional.

In fact, if you go Into Visio Options, Advanced Button, General section, click on "File Locations" ... I get a dialog box with a empty square in the left corner (apparently this is a help button with NO icon) -- I'd attach an image but this forums doesn't allow it (not that I expect Microsoft to allow a useful feature).  Also in this dialog box the "My Shapes" entry points to User\Documents\My Shapes directory which does NOT have any shapes -- the only files in this directory are "Favorites.vss", desktop.ini, _Private folder (which contains folder.ico).  The remaining entries in this File Locations dialog box are all empty (Drawings, Templates, Stencils, Help, Add-ons, Start-up.

Clearly Visio 2010 Professional is NOT being installed correctly.  The install Log shows NO errors.  As usual, google searching the problem and no one has a solution other than wipe (re-format) my entire PC and start with a new Windows Vista x64 install (which appears to be the same solution for just about any Microsoft problem).  This is NOT a solution.

It is my hope that Microsoft actually figure out the reason they are losing market share in just about every product, tool, and service they "sell" ... when they do, they'll not have to endure posts like this.

Good luck to those looking for a solution to Visio 2010 ... I've moved to another product that runs on my Mac, oh, it works flawlessly.

Rob

Answer 9

I have the same problem except with Visio 2007 running on Windows 7 32-bit.  I can search for "server" or "Server" and get a few dozen server shapes including "Mobile information server".  However when I search for "mobile", "Mobile", "*mobile*", etc. I get, "Could not find a match.  Please search again." 

Only searches for "server" bring up any results.

 

Rob, What product have you gone to?

 

Answer 10

First this is a response to the “Local Search” question, not the Internet search, as Internet search is no longer supported.

I too was having the same issue.  I had Visio 2003 with many stencils and shapes, both standard and installed vendor’s stencils.  Vendors like Cisco have thousands of shapes, and you must use search in order to find the right one.

When I installed 2010, the old stencils where still located in the “My Stencils” folder.  They appeared to work correctly, however the search would not find them.

I confirmed that the Windows indexing was seeing them, “Windows Search “for the shapes, found them. (Not just the file name, the shape in the stencil file.)  2003 required that they be in the indexing database.  In “Windows Search Indexing Status” I ran “Index Now “ a couple of times to see if that would fix it.  It did not.

I Googled, I binged, I even tried Microsoft support.  No solution, no hints.

I copied the “My Shapes” folder to “Copy of My Shapes” in preparation for a re-install to see if there was some installation issue.  Then I deleted all the files in “My Shapes”

Then just out of curiosity, I tired the Visio search again.  To my great surprise it now found every shape I had.  (Remember there are now no stencils or shapes in the “My Shapes” folder.

I moved them back to the “My Shapes” folder and re-indexed the windows search tool, and they are now all available.

Just to confirm that it was all working I created a new shape in and existing stencil file under “My Shapes”, and search for it.  At first it was not found, then I notices Windows start up its indexing.  30 seconds later, the shape was found.

No idea why, or how this fixed the issue. 

Answer 11

I have the same problem.  Repair doesn't fix it.  A re-install doesn't fix it. 

For those MVP's and Microsoft folks that responded to this, please read the original OP's post, you clearly have NOT.  The search problem is NOT about Internet searches, it's about Local shape search, which no longer works in Visio 2010 Professional.

In fact, if you go Into Visio Options, Advanced Button, General section, click on "File Locations" ... I get a dialog box with a empty square in the left corner (apparently this is a help button with NO icon) -- I'd attach an image but this forums doesn't allow it (not that I expect Microsoft to allow a useful feature).  Also in this dialog box the "My Shapes" entry points to User\Documents\My Shapes directory which does NOT have any shapes -- the only files in this directory are "Favorites.vss", desktop.ini, _Private folder (which contains folder.ico).  The remaining entries in this File Locations dialog box are all empty (Drawings, Templates, Stencils, Help, Add-ons, Start-up.

Clearly Visio 2010 Professional is NOT being installed correctly.  The install Log shows NO errors.  As usual, google searching the problem and no one has a solution other than wipe (re-format) my entire PC and start with a new Windows Vista x64 install (which appears to be the same solution for just about any Microsoft problem).  This is NOT a solution.

It is my hope that Microsoft actually figure out the reason they are losing market share in just about every product, tool, and service they "sell" ... when they do, they'll not have to endure posts like this.

Good luck to those looking for a solution to Visio 2010 ... I've moved to another product that runs on my Mac, oh, it works flawlessly.

Rob

Thanks Rob,

The question is very simple: why my local search is NOT working? Will you tell us what is that 'another product' you use on Mac. I am also moving on, since Microsoft haven't understood the question yet, to start looking for the problem! So, that might be a while.

Answer 12

Current alternative for OSX is OmniGraffle  (Omni Group).  There is a Standard ($99) and Pro version ($199) and it will read Visio formatted files in the Pro version.  I would provide a link but I'm pretty sure these forums don't allow links.  But Google Search on "OmniGraffle 5" and you'll find it.  They offer a Trial version for free.

Pro version is very powerful where you can easily create your own shapes and add them to OG5's library.  Oh yeah, their shape search works too! ;)

You may also want to hold out for iWorks 11 -- supposed to be out in a week -- it's rumored to have something similar to Visio.

Rob.

---

"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan

Answer 13

Arastin, your fix was miraculous.  I tried a re-install and several other things.  I tried turning on indexing for the Visio folders.  Nothing worked.  But deleting everything out of My Shapes and copying back in did work.  I will never know why.

I think software companies have to break as many things as they fix with each new version.  If they ever make the perfect version of software, they can't keep making new versions.  Or something like that.

Anyhow, inexcusable that this doesn't just work in Visio.  But thank you, the fix worked!

Answer 14

Yep, Arastin's workaround fixed my exact same issue.  I had upgraded from Visio 2007 to 2010 Premium and had several personal shape stencils.  Once I upgraded the search failed to find anything in either my stencils or the stock stencils.  Example being "database" returned 0 but after I followed Arastin's process and did the same search I had way over 100+ hits.  Definitely a major bug in Viso.

Answer 15

Arastin's workaround did not help me. :(

Answer 16

Arastin's workaround also worked for me!

Answer 17

Seriously moderators here do not even bother to see if the answer is being provided or not. This is not even close to a correct answer. Please, stop damaging MicroSofts image to this level. 

All people here are talking about local search not working. It has nothing to do with internet search.......

I have the same problem and I can not find my answer anywhere :(

Answer 18

It's 2012 and still no answer, no office update nothing as to why LOCAL search is not working?

Answer 19

Time to move on to Axure.  I'm completely sick with MS regarding this issue.  Visio 2010 is next to useless without working LOCAL search.

Answer 20

Not certain I have the same problem. Maybe I'm doing things wrong.

I created some symbols in Favorites. Search couldn't not find them. Search couldn't find anything. I took advice above and renamed the Shapes folder and now I can search any shapes I create there. But I still cannot search any standard Viso 2010 Pro shapes such as Square. The response is Could not find a match. Please search again. I'm assuming searching again is not going to solve the problem.

So... am I experience the same problem that seems to have been going on for years now? Should I be able to search local shapes in the libraries that come with Visio? Where are these libraries stored? Maybe renaming them might fix the problem? Goofy but I'm out of ideas.

Answer 21

This other forum answer worked wonders for me:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/officeitpro/thread/07b275d2-c707-4292-ace1-dd3825057d3c/?prof=required

It is for Visio 2007, but that's really not important, because it uses the same Indexing Service search function of Windows. On my Windows 7 64-bit machine the indexing service was not installed. After I installed it and downloaded the "filter pack", local shape search started working.

Answer 22

Arastin's  - fix worked for me also.   

Windows 7 64bit / Visio 2010

Indexing was on and the Visio folder was included.  Re-indexing did not work.    Searching in Windows 7 or via Visio showed no results.

After following Arastin's  procedure the content of the my shapes folder and the Visio 2010 stencils FINALLY appeared.  Thank you so much for posting your workaround solution !

Microsoft  fix your software ...  

Answer 23

Hi Folks,

I've repaired this error for several friends on the Win 7 platform with Visio 2010.  In every case I've run into, the issue was caused after someone read a very generalized "Optimize Windows 7" article and followed the advise to disable "Windows Search" not understanding the impacts.  I am not suggesting a one size fits all fix here, but if your "Windows Search" service has been disabled, the most straight forward option is to re-enable the service and give it a few minutes to run.  Occasionally I have had to restart the service after letting it run a few minutes to get Visio local shape search functioning again.  If you are still experiencing problems having followed the advice above, you may have deeper issues which this note is not intended to address.

From a command prompt, open services.msc, and scroll down to "Windows Search" to verify the status and modify the service if necessary.  The service should be "Enabled" and set for "Automatic" startup.

Peace,

Al