Resetting a Content Index

When you reset a content index, you are emptying the index. You do not lose statistical information compiled during adaptive updates.

You might want to reset an index under the following conditions:

• You know or suspect that the index contains old data.
• You know or suspect that the index contains corrupted data.
• You have changed a great deal of content or several settings (for example, you have modified the rules for content sources) and you want to perform a full update to reflect those changes.
• You realize that there is a problem with security, and users are able to view data to which they should not have access. Resetting the index immediately removes this data from their access.

  Note  In a server farm configuration, you must force propagation if you want to remove user access to this data immediately. For information about forcing propagation, see Propagating a Content Index.

If a user runs a search after you have reset an index but before you have created a new index, the search does not produce any results.

Note  You can reset an index only if you have enabled advanced search administration mode. For more information, see Enabling Advanced Search Administration Mode.

Reset a content index

1. On the Site Settings page, in the Manage Search Settings and Indexed Content section, click Configure search and indexing.
2. On the Configure Search and Indexing page, in the Content Indexes section, click Manage the list of indexes.
3. On the Manage Content Indexes page, rest the pointer on the index name, and then click the arrow that appears.
4. On the menu that appears, click Reset Content Index.
5. On the message box that appears, click OK.

   Resetting the index stops any updates that are in progress and empties the index completely.

   In a server farm configuration, the old index exists on the search servers until you force propagation.

6. After you reset a content index, you must perform a full update. To do this:
   1. On the Manage Content Indexes page, rest the pointer on the index name, and then click the arrow that appears.
   2. On the menu that appears, click Full Update.