Greetings and thank you in advance for any help on this very frustrating problem. My OS is Win 7 upgraded from Vista on an HPDV3T-2000. I rely heavily on windows searching emails because that's where I have happily had easy access to client correspondence and many other receipts and info. Since the new HD and OS install in September, the searches do not return emails in a readable form. The most I can get is long string names as wdseml file types which are useless; or worse, meaningless msf files. Before the new install, I got fast returns with readable subject lines, content, recipient, etc. *I have posted a screen print of my search results here: thecomputercat dotcom /Search-DollyRx.jpg (pls use the capital letters exactly as written.) I have studied and learned many things about TB and windows search both and have tried everything I can find; redoing the indexing options probably close to two dozen times trying to get the TB search to integrate with Win7 search. After the initial reinstall I copied over the entire profile folder including my former default name since mozbackup failed to restore all 3 mail accounts (google and earthlink) for some reason. I've also uninstalled and reinstalled TB twice to 'jiggle' the new TB mail index settings again + have used the win search fixit tool to reset the index. TB emails are located where they are supposed to be: C:\Users\Catherine\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\'numbered-string-name'.default. I know TB emails don't have a file extension, per se. msf and wdseml filed types are included in the indexing options. The default indexing options put in by TB after the TB reinstall (Included Locations) do NOT work: Imapmail Mail News Start Menu Users-excluding appdata appdata (for myself and default users). This is the latest Included Locations that does not pull up readable emails: Start Menu & Users (no excluded). However: the subfolders under my profile folder DO pull up. I deleted and rebuilt the gloda file 2-3 times, then reindexed the system. No change. Does Windows return search results when you search for a file name etc, just to ensure about search..... I have checked this option in Thunderbird to include search. Tools >Options> Advanced> General Allow Windows Search to search messages, is YES. This is a huge, major frustration because I have relied for years on search for emails and content searches and am completely hamstrung. Plus, I loved the Windows search! I don't want a 3rd party search, I want my Windows search back, healed. Can anyone please help me? Thank you in advance from Catherine.