Configuring Windows 7 file indexing

The Windows File Indexing service can interfere with GEMPACK programs (especially RunDynam) by temporarily blocking access to files. [Anti-virus programs can have a similar effect -- see link at the end of this page.]

For example, one user of RunDynam and GEMPACK 10.0-002 on 64-bit Windows 7 has reported that Windows file indexing caused problems during a RunDynam simulation.

The problem occurred when SLTOHT tried to open a temporary log file:

%% UNABLE TO CREATE NEW FILE 'C:\temp\ALT10st7.log'.
Unable to write to new file
C:\temp\ALT10st7.log

To prevent Windows 7 indexing a folder, open Control Panel and switch the view to "View by: Small icons" to see a full list of Control Panel objects. Double-click the object "Indexing options" to bring up a dialogue box where you can modify the locations that are indexed. Use the "Modify" button to exclude your simulation folder and temp folder from indexing.
For example, suppose you wished to exclude your RunDynam simulation working directory:
C:\Users\John Smith\Desktop\Modelos\DynLand
from indexing, you would click Modify and then expand the file tree to expose that folder. You should see a box with a tick in it beside the DynLand folder -- remove this tick to disable the indexing. Then try your simulation again.

Another approach: from Windows Explorer, right-click on your local hard drive (probably C:), and choose Properties. UN-TICK the box "Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed".

If you are logged on with Administrator rights, you may completely switch off file indexing as follows:
From the start menu, type in "services.msc", to start up the Services configuration tool. There, locate and double-click on the item "Windows Search". Change the "Startup Type" to Disabled.Then press the Stop button, and OK.