Classic Shell: Forum

If I search the word abcd the default dialog says: No items match your search.

If I configue an external search program (Agent Ransack) as shown in the documentation, the above search causes CSM to exit (and restart, I think) without starting any search as far as I can see..
If I enter a word which has matches in just one of the paths in the default configuration, I'm able to select the external search with success.
I'm on Windows 8 64bit, and a bit stuck on this - any help appreciated.

Edited: Subject (CSM -> Explorer) and OS version

The Classic Start Menu search is powered by Windows Search. If the locations are indexed, it will return what you type. Make sure the locations you want searched are indexed. From Control Panel, open Indexing Options and add the folders there. Or adding them to Libraries also makes them indexed.

As for external programs, the menu closes when the external search program is launched. It doesn't have the ability to show results inside the menu from external programs. If the command line and arguments of the external program are correctly defined, then it should open and start the search with the search terms you typed in the menu. So Classic Start Menu only does the job of passing the search term over to the external program.

_________________
Links to some general topics:

● Compare Start Menus

● Read the Search box usage guide.

I am a Windows enthusiast and helped a little with Classic Shell's testing and usability/UX feedback.

Show me the exact command line you selected for the external search, and the exact text you are searching for.

Thank you both.
1) GauravK: I'm not using the Indexing Service.
2) Ivo: The configured command is: "D:\Program\AgentRansack\AgentRansack.exe" -r -f "%1", which in the actual case is "D:\Program\AgentRansack\AgentRansack.exe" -r -f "gr5". If I run that command standalone there's no problem.
If I remove the -r option, I'd expect to see the Agent's window prior to starting the search.
In either case I don't see the Agent at all.

First, are you sure it is not running? Open Task Manager and watch for new processes. See if AgentRansack.exe shows up there.
Also see if you can make the start menu execute any program as an external search. For example try "c:\Windows\notepad.exe"

I am not sure yet what you mean when you describe that CSM exits. Do you mean that the menu closes? That's normal when running a program.

1) The configured program is not running.
2) Configuring notepad.exe produces the same result.
3) When I say Classic Shell exits, I mean that a certain system activity seems to take place, sometimes the blue app screen appears momentarily, then the desktop is restored.
But I've found out that there's an entry in the Event log every time it fails (explorer.exe crash?):

Explorer.EXE

6.2.9200.16433
50763312
ClassicStartMenuDLL.dll
4.0.2.0
5264799f
c0000417
00000000000d3440
1064
01cef1f3ddd9d1af
C:\Windows\Explorer.EXE
D:\Program\ClassicShell\ClassicStartMenuDLL.dll
060353a6-5de8-11e3-be9d-df4af83d7495

Hope this helps, sorry about the formatting, I can provide screenshots.

OK. That looks like a crash. Use procdump to capture a crash dump and attach it here: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6

That was a bit tough: seems the -e options doesn't produce a dump, and there's no entry in eventlog.
I managed to produce the attached dump using the -t option, but maybe it's to no use if it's not captured at exception time?

Edit: Subject and OS version in post #1

Edit #2: Is there any way I can provide more info for debugging?