Windows can search the text inside many files, but a filename search and a document-content search are different things. The folder has to be included in the index, and Windows needs a filter that can read the file's format. Here's how to check PDF and Word files without rebuilding the whole index first.
Add the folder that contains your documents
On current Windows 11 versions, open Settings → Privacy & security → Search (some builds label the page Searching Windows). Under Find my files, check whether you use Classic or Enhanced. Classic indexes common folders such as Documents, Pictures, Music and Desktop by default; in that mode, add other folders through Customize search locations → Modify. Enhanced indexes all user folders and files, though exclusions and permissions still apply.
You can open Indexing Options from that page to see indexed locations. On Windows 10, open Settings → Search → Searching Windows and find the advanced indexing options. The wording can vary by Windows update.
Tell Windows to index document contents
In Indexing Options, choose Advanced → File Types. Find .docx and .pdf in the extension list. For each type you want to search, select Index Properties and File Contents, then apply the change.
This setting asks Windows to index content; it doesn't guarantee that every PDF can be read. Windows Search uses format filters to extract text. Microsoft documents a built-in filter for some Office formats. PDF support can depend on the Windows version and the PDF filter available on that PC. If the PDF option is missing or reports no registered filter, check the documentation for your current PDF software before installing anything else.
Wait, then test with a phrase you know
Indexing changes take time. On the Search settings page or in Indexing Options, check the index status and wait until it reports completion. Microsoft says a first index can take up to a couple of hours; it advises allowing up to 24 hours for a rebuild. Indexing can slow while the PC is in use or pause to conserve battery when charge is low.
For a simple test, create a small Word document in an indexed folder with a unique sentence, save it, and wait for indexing. Search for a phrase that appears only in the document body. Repeat with a text-based PDF in the same folder. If Windows finds each by filename but not by its unique phrase, check the file type settings and filter support again.
Scanned PDFs need OCR before their page images contain searchable text. Encrypted or damaged files may also prevent text extraction. A successful test on one PDF does not prove every PDF in an archive is searchable.
If the text still doesn't appear
Check the file extension setting and indexed folder first. Then consult Microsoft's official troubleshooting guide for the Windows version you use; diagnostic options and steps vary by release. If Windows says indexing is still in progress, let it finish before rebuilding.
Rebuilding is a later step. Use the path for your version:
- Windows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Searching Windows → Advanced indexing options → Advanced → Rebuild.
- Windows 10: Settings → Search → Searching Windows → Advanced Search Indexer Settings → Advanced → Rebuild.
It recreates the index and can leave results incomplete while it runs. It won't add a folder that was never selected, fix a missing PDF filter, or perform OCR on scanned pages. Avoid deleting index database files or changing the registry based on unverified instructions.
Which method fits?
Use Windows Search if the folders and formats you need are already indexed and its built-in settings fit your workflow. For a separate local search interface, Hannun lets you choose folders, searches filenames and supported document text, and shows matching passages and previews where available. Its free edition searches content in up to 5,000 recently modified eligible documents; optional Pro removes that limit and adds formats. Neither approach can read a folder your Windows account cannot access or extract text from a scanned image without OCR. Hannun also does not support encrypted documents. Before relying on either index for a large collection, test a copy of a representative document with a unique phrase.
I'm the maker of Hannun. The app runs locally without an app account, ads or telemetry. Download it at hannun.pages.dev. Its installer is unsigned, so Windows may show “Windows protected your PC”; choose More info → Run anyway only if you intend to install it. Optional Pro is listed at US$29 once for one PC with 12 months of updates; check the checkout for current terms and taxes.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Search indexing in Windows — choose indexed locations and properties versus content.
- Microsoft Learn: Filter handlers that ship with Windows — explains which built-in handlers read file text, including Office formats.
- Microsoft Learn: Understanding filter handlers — explains how Windows Search extracts and indexes content.
- Microsoft Learn: Troubleshoot Windows Search performance — indexing status and rebuild guidance.
- Microsoft Learn: Fix problems in Windows Search — version-specific troubleshooting steps.